第75章

'Nick Garraghty, honest old Nick; do you know him, my lord?'

said Sir Terence.

'Too well, sir.'

'Mr.Garraghty, what have you done to offend my son? I did not expect this,' said Lord Clonbrony.

'Upon my conscience, my lord, nothing to my knowledge,' said Mr.

Garraghty, picking up the guineas; 'but showed him every civility, even so far as offering to accommodate him with cash without security; and where will you find the other agent, in Ireland or anywhere else, will do that? To my knowledge, I never did anything, by word or deed, to offend my Lord Colambre; nor could not, for I never saw him, but for ten minutes, in my days;and then he was in such a foaming passion--begging his lordship's pardon--owing to the misrepresentations he met with of me, Ipresume, from a parcel of blackguards that he went amongst, INCOGNITO, he would not let me or my brother Dennis say a word to set him right; but exposed me before all the tenantry, and then threw himself into a hack, and drove off here, to stop the signing of these leases, I perceive.But I trust,' concluded he, putting the replenished money-bag down with a heavy sound on the table, opposite to Lord Clonbrony,--'I trust, my Lord Clonbrony will do me justice; that's all I have to say.'

'I comprehend the force of your last argument fully, sir,' said Lord Colambre.'May I ask how many guineas there are in the bag?

I don't ask whether they are my father's or not.'

'They are to be your lordship's father's, sir, if he thinks proper,' replied Garraghty.'How many, I don't know that I can justly, positively say--five hundred, suppose.'

'And they would be my father's if he signed those leases--Iunderstand that perfectly, and understand that my father would lose three times that sum by the bargain.--My dear father, you start--but it is true.Is not this the rent, sir, at which you were going to let Mr.Garraghty have the land?' placing a paper before Lord Clonbrony.

'It is--the very thing.'

'And here, sir, written with my own hand, are copies of the proposals I saw, from responsible, respectable tenants, offered and refused.--Is it so, or is it not, Mr.Garraghty?--deny it, if you can.'

Mr.Garraghty grew pale; his lips quivered; he stammered; and, after a shocking convulsion of face, could at last articulate --only--'That there was a great difference between tenant and tenant, his lordship must be sensible, especially for so large a rent.'--'As great a difference as between agent and agent, I am sensible--especially for so large a property!' said Lord Colambre, with cool contempt.'You find, sir, I am well informed with regard to this transaction; you will find, also, that I am equally well informed with respect to every part of your conduct towards my father and his tenantry.If, in relating to him what I have seen and heard, I should make any mistakes, you are here; and I am glad you are, to set me right, and to do yourself justice.'

'Oh! as to that, I should not presume to contradict anything your lordship asserts from your own authority: where would be the use? I leave it all to your lordship.But, as it is not particularly agreeable to stay to hear one's self abused--Sir Terence! I'll thank you to hand me my hat!--And if you'll have the goodness, my Lord Clonbrony, to look over finally the accounts before morning, I'll call at your leisure to settle the balance, as you find convenient; as to the leases, I'm quite indifferent.'

So saying, he took up his money-bag.

'Well, you'll call again in the morning, Mr.Garraghty!' said Sir Terence; 'and, by that time, I hope we shall understand this misunderstanding better.'

Sir Terence pulled Lord Clonbrony's sleeve: 'Don't let him go with the money--it's much wanted!'

'Let him go,' said Lord Colambre; 'money can be had by honourable means.'

'Wheugh!--He talks as if he had the Bank of England at his command, as every young man does,' said Sir Terence.

Lord Colambre deigned no reply.Lord Clonbrony walked undecidedly between his agent and his son--looked at Sir Terence, and said nothing.

Mr.Garraghty departed; Lord Clonbrony called after him from the head of the stairs'I shall be at home and at leisure in the morning.' Sir Terence ran downstairs after him; Lord Colambre waited quietly for their return.

'Fifteen hundred guineas, at a stroke of a goose-quill!--That was a neat hit, narrowly missed, of honest Nick's!' said Lord Clonbrony.'Too bad! too bad, faith!--I am much, very much obliged to you, Colambre, for that hint; by to-morrow morning we shall have him in another tune.'

'And he must double the bag, or quit,' said Sir Terence.

'Treble it, if you please, Terry.Sure, three times five's fifteen;--fifteen hundred down, or he does not get my signature to those leases for his brother, nor get the agency of the Colambre estate.--Colambre, what more have you to tell of him?

for, since he is making out his accounts against me, it is no harm to have a PER CONTRA against him that may ease my balance.'

'Very fair! very fair!' said Sir Terence.'My lord, trust me for remembering all the charges against him--every item; and when he can't clear himself, if I don't make him buy a good character dear enough, why, say I'm a fool, and don't know the value of character, good or bad!'