Mrs. Belmont was proud of having a titled lady her guest. "Absolutely, my dear," she said, when writing to Lady Wilmot, "her ladyship is an inmate of our house, and is as quiet and easy as if it was yourself; who certainly are a lady too, but your husband is no lord, as her's was' and she is to have another lord for her husband, and is, besides, the mother of a lord; but as I was saying, she is quiet and easy but not so her woman, who is as troublesome a wench as ever entered a house. "Oh! mem ," said she to me, on their first coming, " I always has a fire in my room, and I'se cannot bear the windor open; as I have the rheumatis in my harm , and the hair always brings it on ." Thus she goes on, like all folks on the other side of the water, clipping the king's English; and then she has such blarney to her lady -- her lady the countess that is to be. "

"Oh, my dear Miss Sybella! you must be deceived -- be assured her ladyship would not listen to a declaration of love from him!" said Mrs. Belmont, pale with anger; yet afraid of further irritating Sybella. "He dared not offend her delicacy with such talk; and no disparagement to you, Miss Sybella, but you know your lugs are not quite right ; and --"
" My what! ma'am -- lugs , do you say? I suppose that is one of your Irish expressions. "
" Well , miss; in plain English I mean to say , that as your ears are bothered , my Bobby might have been talking of you; and you, knowing listeners never hear good of themselves, set it all down to the count of her ladyship."

"Oh, my dear Miss Sybella! you must be deceived -- be assured her ladyship would not listen to a declaration of love from him!" said Mrs. Belmont, pale with anger; yet afraid of further irritating Sybella. "He dared not offend her delicacy with such talk; and no disparagement to you, Miss Sybella, but you know your lugs are not quite right ; and --"
" My what! ma'am -- lugs , do you say? I suppose that is one of your Irish expressions. "
" Well , miss; in plain English I mean to say , that as your ears are bothered , my Bobby might have been talking of you; and you, knowing listeners never hear good of themselves, set it all down to the count of her ladyship."

On their entrance, they saw a beautiful girl, dressed in a very handsome pelise and boneet, the latter, rather fancifully put on the back of her head, so as to show off a redundance of fine hair.
In a very strong Kerry accent , she asked them what their business was; and added -- " I dosent recollect ever seeing you before, -- yese are not acquainted with me?"

[Mr. Villars] saw the fair object of his exclamation, speaking to Mr. Jackson in the softest, sweetest voice he had ever heard; but strongly tinctured with the Kerry accent. [note: the Kerry accent is not represented on the page]

He was therefore in despair when he saw that even Mary, with her wild spirits, could not be more caught with the gaiety of the moment: "nature will break out" thought he, "and surely this girl must have a double portion of folly, or else her excellent foster-parents precepts would have taught her more prudence than to be thus perfectly at her ease, and unreserved with a stranger. Alas! vanity is inherent in her nature; for what have I banished her from home, but to catch this confounded Kerry brogue!"

In about ten days after their arrival, as Robert Belmont was going up Hardwick Street, he heard a quick step after him; his arm was gently pulled by a beautiful girl, dressed rather fantastically; her face was familiar to him, but he could not bring her name to his recollection, until, in an accent broad, rich, and full, that proved the speaker from the kingdom of Kerry, he recognised his old acquaintance, Judith Donahoe.

"This note," said Lord Ellismore, "effectually blinded me: -- I found it on the table in the lodging house, when I had left your wife alone. -- I supposed it hers, and thought such beautiful writing and polished style could come from no vulgar mind: -- here it is ."
Louisa coloured. "I wrote that note just before I came here, lest you," addressing Talbot, "should be uneasy at my absence."
"This note," continued Lord Ellismore, "led me to suppose she assumed vulgar manners for the purpose of deceiving me, and regaining her liberty. She certainly told me she was the Abigail; but the valuable jewels she wore made me receive such an assertion as perfectly incongruous."

Mrs. Belmont was the only child of a wealthy grocer, in Cork: being of a volatile disposition, fond of low company, and naturally averse to learning, her parents, whose idol she was, could not contradict her, hoping a large fortune would apologize for the wildness and vulgarity of her manners, and prevent their proving an obstacle to her raising her rank in society by marriage.
Their hopes were realized by her union with Mr. Belmont; her fortune serving to clear the incumbrances on his estate. He insisted on her giving up her former acquaintances, and would, had it been possible, have refined her manners. Finding this a vain effort, he became reconciled to her vulgarity, and even adopted some of her phrases; however, she had great ideas of her own elevation, and talked at all times consequentially; but finding Mrs. Kelly easily impressed with ideas of her grandeur, she seldom assumed a high manner; and was, as in her own family circle, notable and good-humoured.