Garraghty, without saying a word, was picking up the guineas that were
scattered upon the floor.

'How fortunate I am,' cried Lord Colambre, 'to have arrived just in
time to tell you, my dear father, before you put your signature to these
papers, before you conclude this bargain, all I know, all I have seen,
of that man!'

'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, I presume, 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--I understand
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