CHAPTER V.The Wearing of the Green.
'Sir Knight, I feel not the least alarm, No son of Erin will offer me harm-- For tho' they love woman and golden store, Sir Knight, they love honour and virtue more!' Thomas Moore.
"This is an anniversary," said Salemina, coming into the sitting-room at breakfast-time with a book under her arm.

"Having given up all hope of any one's waking in this hotel, which, before nine in the morning, is precisely like the Sleeping Beauty's castle, I dressed and determined to look up Brian Boru." "From all that I can recall of him he was not a person to meet before breakfast," yawned Francesca; "still I shall be glad of a little fresh light, for my mind is in a most chaotic state, induced by the intellectual preparation that you have made me undergo during the past month.

I dreamed last night that I was conducting a mothers' meeting in Ronald's new parish, and the subject for discussion was the Small Livings Scheme, the object of which is to augment the stipends of the ministers of the Church of Scotland to a minimum of 200 pounds per annum.

I tried to keep the members to the point, but was distracted by the sudden appearance, in all corners of the church, of people who hadn't been 'asked to the party.' There was Brian Boru, Tony Lumpkin, Finn McCool, Felicia Hemans, Ossian, Mrs.Delany, Sitric of the Silken Beard, St.Columba, Mickey Free, Strongbow, Maria Edgeworth, and the Venerable Bede.

Imagine leading a mothers' meeting with those people in the pews,--it was impossible! St.Columbkille and the Venerable Bede seemed to know about parochial charges and livings and stipends and glebes, and Maria Edgeworth was rather helpful; but Brian and Sitric glared at each other and brandished their hymn-books threateningly, while Ossian refused to sit in the same pew with Mickey Free, who behaved in an odious manner, and interrupted each of the speakers in turn.