out that. That mischief's done. But I think
you'll find I'll pull you through a deal better than hever you'd have
pulled through yourself. You're already making twice more out of it
than you did before I knew it. As I was saying, I went down there;
and in my quiet way I did just venture on a few hinquiries."

"I'll be bound you did. You'll blow it all in about another month,
and then it'll be up with the lot of us."

"It's a beautiful place: a lovely spot; and hall in prime horder.
They say it's fifteen thousand a year, and that there's not a
shilling howing on the whole property. Even in these times the
tenants are paying the rent, when no one else, far and near,
is getting a penny out of them. I went by another place on the
road--Castle Desmond they call it, and I wish you'd seen the
difference. The old boy must be rolling in money."

"I don't believe it. There's one as I can trust has told me he's hard
up enough sometimes. Why, we've had twelve hundred in the last eight
months."

"Twelve hundred! and what's that? But, dickens, governor, where has
the twelve hundred gone? I've only seen three of it, and part of
that--. Well; what do you want there, you long-eared shark, you?"
These last words were addressed to Tom, who had crept into the room,
certainly without much preparatory noise.

"I was only wanting the thingumbob, yer honour," said Tom, pretending
to search diligently in the drawer for some required article.

"Then take your thingumbob quickly out of that, and be d---- to you.
And look here; if you don't knock at the door when next you come in,
by heavens I'll throw this tumbler at your yead."

"Sure and I will, yer honour," said Tom, withdrawing.

"And where on hearth has the twelve hundred pounds gone?" asked the
son, looking severely at the father.

Old Mr. Mollett made no immediate answer in words, but putting his
left hand to his right elbow, began to shake it.

"I do wonder that you keep hon at that work," said Mollett junior,
reproachfully. "You never by any chance have a stroke of luck."

"Well, I have been unfortunate lately; but who knows what's coming?
And I was deucedly sold by those fellows at the October meeting. If
any chap ever was safe, I ought to have been safe then; but hang me
if I didn't drop four hundred of Sir Thomas's shiners coolly on the
spot. That was the only big haul I've had out of him all at once; and
the most of it went like water through a sieve within forty-eight