Book: Handy Andy, Vol. 2

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On reaching the cottage, sufficient change of clothes was obtained to
prevent evil consequences from the ducking. This, under ordinary
circumstances, might not have been easy for so many; but, fortunately,
Lord Scatterbrain had ordered a complete dinner from the hotel to be
served in the cottage, and some of the assistants from the Victoria, who
were necessarily present, helped to dress more than the dinner. What
between cookmaids and waiters, the care-taker of the cottage and the
boatmen, bodies, and skirts, jackets and other conveniences, enabled the
party to sit down to dinner in company, until fire could mend the mistake
of his lordship. Edward and Fanny courteously joined the party; and the
honour of their company was sensibly felt by Andy and Oonah, who would
have borne a ducking a day for the honour of having Fanny and Edward as
their guests. Oonah was by nature a nice creature, and adapted herself to
her elevated position with a modest ease that was surprising. Even Andy
was by this time able to conduct himself tolerably well at table--only on
that particular day he did make a mistake; for when salmon (which is
served at Killarney in all sorts of variety) made its appearance for the
first time in the novel form "_en papillote_," Andy ate paper and
all. He refused a second cutlet, however, saying he "_thought the skin
tough_." The party, however, passed off mirthfully, the very accident
helping the fun; for, instead of any one being called by name, the "lady
in the jacket," or the "gentleman in the bedgown," were the terms of
address; and, after a merrily spent evening, the beds of the Victoria gave
sleep and pleasing dreams to the sojourners of Killarney.

[Illustration: The Party at Killarney]

Kind reader! the shortening space we have prescribed to our volume warns
us we must draw our story to an end. Nine months after this Killarney
excursion, Lord Scatterbrain met Dick Dawson near Mount Eskar, where Lord
Scatterbrain had ridden to make certain inquiries about Mrs. O'Connor's
health. Dick wore a smiling countenance, and to Andy's inquiry answered,
"All right, and doing as well as can be expected."

Lord Scatterbrain, wishing to know whether it was a boy or a girl, made
the inquiry in the true spirit of Andyism--"Tell me, Misther Dawson,
_are you an uncle or an aunt?_"

Andy's mother died soon after of the cold caught by her ducking. On her
death-bed she called Oonah to her, and said, "I leave you this quilt,
_alanna_--'t is worth more than it appears. The hundred-pound notes
Andy gave me I quilted into the lining, so that if I lived poor all my
life till lately, I died under a quilt of banknotes, anyhow."

Uncle Bob was gathered to his fathers also, and left the bulk of his
property to Augusta, so that Furlong had to regret his contemptible
conduct in rejecting her hand. Augusta indulged in a spite to all mankind
for the future, enjoying her dogs and her independence, and defying Hymen
and hydrophobia for the rest of her life.

Gusty went on profiting by the early care of Edward O'Connor, whose
friendship was ever his dearest possession; and Ratty, always wild,
expressed a desire for leading a life of enterprise. As they are both
"Irish heirs," as well as Lord Scatterbrain, and heirs under very
different circumstances, it is not improbable that in our future
"accounts" something may yet be heard of them, and the grateful author
once more meet his kind readers.

THE END

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