Her reception of her guests made ample amends, in warmth and cordiality, for any deficiency of elegance; and as she disposed her ample proportions upon the sofa, and looked around upon the company, she appeared the very impersonation of hospitality.
After several openings and shuttings of the drawing-room door, accompanied by the appearance of old Simon the butler, who counted the party at least five times before he was certain that the score was correct, dinner was at length announced.

Now came a moment of difficulty, and one which, as testing Mr.Blake's tact, he would gladly have seen devolve upon some other shoulders; for he well knew that the marshalling a room full of mandarins, blue, green, and yellow, was "cakes and gingerbread" to ushering a Galway party in to dinner.
First, then, was Mr.Miles Bodkin, whose grandfather would have been a lord if Cromwell had not hanged him one fine morning.

Then Mrs.Mosey Blake's first husband was promised the title of Kilmacud if it was ever restored; whereas Mrs.French of Knocktunmor's mother was then at law for a title.
And lastly, Mrs.Joe Burke was fourth cousin to Lord Clanricarde, as is or will be every Burke from this to the day of judgment.

Now, luckily for her prospects, the lord was alive; and Mr.Blake, remembering a very sage adage about "dead lions," etc., solved the difficulty at once by gracefully tucking the lady under his arm and leading the way.

The others soon followed, the priest of Portumna and my unworthy self bringing up the rear.
When, many a year afterwards, the hard ground of a mountain bivouac, with its pitiful portion of pickled cork-tree yclept mess-beef, and that pyroligneous aquafortis they call corn-brandy have been my hard fare, I often looked back to that day's dinner with a most heart-yearning sensation,--a turbot as big as the Waterloo shield, a sirloin that seemed cut from the sides of a rhinoceros, a sauce-boat that contained an oyster-bed.