hing but misfortunes with them, always
breaking and running away. This, Sir Murtagh and my lady said, was
all their former landlord, Sir Patrick's fault, who let 'em get the
half year's rent into arrear; there was something in that, to be
sure. But Sir Murtagh was as much the contrary way--"

I have abridged my lady's methods, and I omit Sir Murtagh's, who taught
his tenants, as he said, to know the law of landlord and tenant. But,
"though a learned man in the law, he was a little too incredulous in
other matters." He neglected his health, broke a blood-vessel in a rage
with my lady, and so made way for Sir Kit the prodigal. Sir Kit was shot
in a duel, and Sir Condy came into an estate which, between Sir
Murtagh's law-suits and Sir Kit's gaming, was considerably embarrassed;
indeed, the story proper is simply a history of makeshifts to keep rain
and bailiffs out of the family mansion. Poor Sir Condy; he was the very
moral of the man who is no man's enemy but his own, and was left at the
last with no friend but old Thady. Even Judy Quirk turned against him,
forgetting his goodness in tossing up between her and Miss Isabella
Moneygawl, the romantic lady who eloped with him after the toss. She
deserted before Judy; here is a bit of the final scene. Thady was going
upstairs with a slate to make up a window-pane.

"This window was in the long passage, or gallery, as my lady gave
orders to have it called, in the gallery leading up to my master's
bedchamber and hers. And when I went up with the slate, the door
having no lock, and the bolt spoilt, was ajar after Mrs. Jane (my
lady's maid), and as I was busy with the window, I heard all that
was saying within. 'Well, what's in your letter, Bella, my dear?'
says he. 'You're a long time spelling it over.' 'Won't you shave
this morning, Sir Condy?' says she, and put the letter into her
pocket. 'I shaved the day before yesterday,' says he, 'my dear, and
that's not what I'm thinking of now; but anything to oblige you,
and to have peace and quietness, my dear,'--and presently I had the
glimpse of him at the cracked glass over the chimney-piece,
standing up shaving himself to please my lady."

However, the quarrel comes on in a delightful scene, where Sir Condy
shows himself at all events an amiable gentleman; and so my lady goes
home to her own people. There you have Miss Edgeworth at her very best;