think I want
to have him murthered?"

"Whist, Mr. Thady; may be the children about in the trees there
would hear you. Who says anything of murdher? No, but just give
him a bating that would go nigh taching him the taste of being
murdhered,--and the same for Master Ussher; for I tell ye--may the
tongue of the cowardly ruffian be blisthered for putting the name he
did on your sisther!--but he was only repating what Ussher has said
hisself, and that more nor once nor twice."

Thady made no reply, but walked on slowly; he gave no assent, but he
showed no indignation at the kind of revenge which was proposed to
him.

"And what was he saying about the estate,--Keegan, I main, Mr.
Thady,--before you came to be quarrelling that way?"

"He was saying what 'll be thrue enough,--that Ballycloran 'll be
sold, right away, before next May; and that he himself will be the
purchaser--and that we'll be wandering the road like any other set of
beggars."

"And did he say he'd buy Ballycloran?"

"He did."

"And turn you all out, Mr. Thady?"

"And he 'll do it too," said Thady.

"Tunder and ages! man, and would you be letting him come over ye that
way? If any blackguard of a lawyer could be selling an estate that
way, because money may be a little scarce or so, would there be so
many gintlemen in the counthry, enjoying themselves in their own
houses, just keeping the right side of the door? Only take care the
owld man don't be showing hisself that way he does be doing on the
big steps there; and take care the door is kept shut, instead of
right open; and make Biddy understand she an't to open it for any one
at all, at all--except yerself jist, and Father John, or the like,
who wouldn't mind going round to the back door. I tell ye that all
the Flannellys and Keegans in Ireland can't sell Ballycloran, unless
they first get hould of the owld man."

"But can't they put resavers on every acre of the land, and wouldn't
that be all one as selling it?"

"Oh! let the boys alone for that; stick to them, and they'll not let
a resaver do much among them; faix, I'm thinking I for one wouldn't
like to go resaving rents up to Drumleesh for any one but the Masther
hisself. But any way you'll be coming down to the boys and spaking
to them yerself this night--you wouldn't go, Mr. Thady, not to be at
Mary's wedding?"

"You know that ruffian Ussher 'll be there; and I don't want to be
meeting him."

"But that's jist it; don't let him be th