affairs, sir,' replied Mr. Burke; now
for the first time assuming an air of reserve.

'I beg pardon, sir--I seem to have asked an indiscreet question.' Mrs.
Burke was silent.

'Lest my reserve should give you a false impression, I will add, sir,'
resumed Mr. Burke, 'that I really am not acquainted with the state
of his lordship's affairs in general. I know only what belongs to the
estate under my own management. The principal part of his lordship's
property, the Clonbrony estate, is under another agent, Mr. Garraghty.'

'Garraghty!' repeated Lord Colambre; 'what sort of a person is he? But
I may take it for granted, that it cannot fall to the lot of one and the
same absentee to have two such agents as Mr. Burke.'

Mr. Burke bowed, and seemed pleased by the compliment, which he knew he
deserved--but not a word did he say of Mr. Garraghty; and Lord Colambre,
afraid of betraying himself by some other indiscreet question, changed
the conversation.

That very night the post brought a letter to Mr. Burke, from Lord
Clonbrony, which Mr. Burke gave to his wife as soon as he had read it,
saying--

'See the reward of all my services!'

Mrs. Burke glanced her eye over the letter, and, being extremely fond
of her husband, and sensible of his deserving far different treatment,
burst into indignant exclamations--

'See the reward of all your services, indeed!--What an unreasonable,
ungrateful man!--So, this is the thanks for all you have done for Lord
Clonbrony!'

'He does not know what I have done, my dear. He never has seen what I
have done.'

'More shame for him!'

'He never, I suppose, looks over his accounts, or understands them.'

'More shame for him!'

He listens to foolish reports, or misrepresentations, perhaps. He is at
a distance, and cannot find out the truth.'

'More shame for him!'

'Take it quietly, my dear; we have the comfort of a good conscience. The
agency may be taken from me by this lord; but the sense of having done
my duty, no lord or man upon earth can give or take away.'

'Such a letter!' said Mrs. Burke, taking it up again. 'Not even
the civility to write with his own hand!--only his signature to the
scrawl--looks as if it was written by a drunken man, does not it, Mr.
Evans?' said she, showing the letter to Lord Colambre, who immediately
recognised the writing of Sir Terence O'Fay.

'It does not look like the hand of a gentleman, indeed,' said Lord
Colambre.

'It has Lord Clonbrony'