He accordingly protruded his head into the room, and placing his finger upon the side of his nose, and shutting one eye knowingly, with an air of great secrecy, whispered out, "Miss Betty--Miss Betty, alanah!" For some minutes the hum of the voices drowned his admonitions--but as, by degrees waxing warmer in the cause, he called out more loudly,--every eye was turned to the spot from whence these extraordinary sounds proceeded; and certainly the appearance of Nicholas at the moment was well calculated to astonish the "elegans" of a drawing room.

With his one eye fixed eagerly in the direction of his mistress, his red scratch wig pushed back off his forehead, in the eagerness of his endeavour to be heard, there he stood, perfectly unmindful of all around, save Miss O'Dowd herself.

It may well be believed, that such an apparition could not be witnessed with gravity, and, accordingly a general titter ran through the room, the whist party still contending about odd tricks and honours, being the only persons insensible to the mirth around them--"Miss Betty, arrah, Miss Betty," said Nicholas with a sigh that converted the subdued laughter of the guests into a perfect burst of mirth.
"Eh," said his lordship, turning round; "what is this?
We are losing something excellent, I fear." At this moment, he caught a glimpse of Nicholas, and, throwing himself back in this chair, laughed immoderately.

It was now Miss Betty's turn; she was about to rise from the table, when the well-known accents of Nicholas fell upon her ear.

She fell back in her seat--there he was: the messenger of the foul fiend himself would have been more welcome at that moment.