To be sure, he was a little
taken aback when he found I was one of the Protestant branch, of the
O'Mores, but a countryman is a countryman in a barbarous land, and he
asked me to call upon him, and offered to do me any service in his
power.'
'I am sure he would. He is the kindest old gentleman I know,'
exclaimed Genevieve. 'He always used to bring me barleysugar-drops
when I was a little girl, and it was he who found out our poor old
Biddy in distress at Hadminster, and sent her to live with us.'
'Indeed! Then I owe him another debt of gratitude--in fact, he told
me that one of his flock, meaning Biddy, had spoken to him honourably
of me. "Well," said I, "the greatest service you could do me, sir,
would be to introduce me to Mademoiselle Belmarche; I have a young
lady's commission for her." "From my little Genevieve," he said,
"the darling that she is. Did you leave the child well?" And so
when I said it was a present for her saint's day, and that your heart
was set on it--'
'But, Mr. O'More, I never did set my heart on your seeing her.'
'Well, well, you would have done it if you'd known there had been any
chance of it, besides, your heart was set on her getting the work,
and how could I make sure of that unless I gave it into her own hand?
I wouldn't have put it into Mr. O'Hara's snuffy pocket to hinder
myself from being bankrupt'
'Then he took you in?'
'So he did, like an honest Irishman as he was.
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