the rest,
seemed to mollify the young man's wrath, for, sullenly stretching forth
his hand, he took the bundle and opened it on the table before him.

"A dry bargain never was a lucky one, they say, Lanty--isn't that so?"
said the ODonoghue, as, seizing a small hand-bell, he ordered up a
supply of claret, as well as the more vulgar elements for punch, should
the dealer, as was probable, prefer that liquor.

"These notes seem to have seen service," muttered Mark: "here's a lagged
fellow. There's no making out whether he's two or ten."

"They were well handled, there's no doubt of it," said Lanty, "the
tenants was paying them in; and sure you know yourself how they thumb
and finger a note before they part with it. You'd think they were trying
to take leave of them. There's many a man can't read a word, can tell
you the amount of a note, just by the feel of it!--Thank you, sir, I'll
take the spirits--it's what I'm most used to."

"Who did you get them from, Lanty?" said the ODonoghue.

"Malachi Glynn, sir, of Cahernavorra, and, by the same token, I got a
hearty laugh at the same house once before."

"How was that?" said the old man, for he saw by the twinkle of Lanty's
eye, that a story was coming.

"Faix, just this way, sir. It was a little after Christmas last year
that Mr. Malachi thought he'd go up to Dublin for a month or six weeks
with the young ladies, just to show them, by way of; for ye see, there's
no dealing at all downi here; and he thought he'd bring them up, and see
what could be done. Musha! but they're the hard stock to get rid of!
and somehow they don't improve by holding them over. And as there was
levees, and drawing-rooms, and balls going on, sure it would go hard but
he'd get off a pair of them anyhow. Well, it was an elegant scheme, if
there was money to do it; but devil a farthin' was to be had, high or
low, beyond seventy pounds I gave for the two carriage horses and the
yearlings that was out in the field, and sure that wouldn't do at all.
He tried the tenants for 'the November,' but what was the use of
it, though he offered a receipt in full for ten shillings in the
pound?--when a lucky thought struck him. Troth, and it's what ye
may call a grand thought too. He was walking about before the door,
thinking and ruminating how to raise the money, when he sees the sheep
grazing on the lawn fornint him--not that he could sell one of them, for
there was a strap of a bond or mortage on them a year