“God help our poor colleen dhas,” exclaimed her mother, “but she’s the happy creature, this night!”

“And happy will the hearth be where her light will shine,” replied her father, quoting a beautiful Irish proverb to that effect.

“The ways of Providence are beautiful when seen aright or understood,” observed her brother.  “She was too good to be punished, but not too perfect to be tried.  Their calamitous separation will enhance the value of their affection for each other when they meet; for pure and exalted as her love for him is, yet I am proud to say that Connor is worthy of her and it.”

That night her mother observed that Una spent a longer time than usual at her devotions, and, looking into her room when passing, she saw her on her knees, and heard her again sobbing with the grateful sense of a delighted heart.  She did not again address her, and they all retired to happier slumbers than they had enjoyed for many a night.

Our readers have already had proofs of Una’s consideration, generosity, and common delicacy.  Her conduct at the approach of her lover’s trial, and again when he was about to leave her and his country forever, they cannot, we are sure, have forgotten.  When her brother had shown the official communication from the Castle, in which government expressed its intention of bringing Connor and his parent’s home at its own expense, the Bodagh and his wife,—­knowing that the intended husband of their daughter possessed no means of supporting her, declared, in order to remove any shadow of anxiety from her mind, that O’Donovan, after their marriage, should live with themselves, for they did not wish, they said, that Una should be separated from them.  This was highly gratifying to her, but beyond her lover’s welfare, whether from want of thought or otherwise, it is not easy to say, she saw that their sympathy did not extend.  This troubled her, for she knew how Connor loved his parents, and how much any want of comfort they might feel would distress him.  She accordingly consulted with her ever faithful confidant, John, and begged of him to provide for them, at her own expense, a comfortable dwelling, and to furnish it, as near as might be practicable in the manner in which their former one had been furnished.  She also desired him to say nothing to their parents about this, “for I intend,” she added, “to have a little surprise for them all.”

About the time, therefore, when the vessel in which they were to arrive was expected, a snug, well—­furnished house, convenient to the Bodagh’s, amply stored with provisions, and kept by a daughter of Nogher M’Cormick, awaited them.  Nothing that could render them easy was omitted, and many things also were procured, in the shape of additional comforts, to which they had not been accustomed before.

At length the arrival of the much wished-for vessel was announced, and John O’Brien, after having agreed to let Una know by letter where the Bodagh’s car should meet them, mounted the day coach, and proceeded to welcome home his future brother-in-law, prepared, at the same time, to render both to him and his parents whatever assistance they stood in need of, either pecuniary or otherwise, after so long and so trying a voyage.