d my master could
never ask one of them for their subscription you are sensible, nor for
the price of a fine horse he had sold one of them; so it all was left at
his door. He could never, God bless him again! I say, bring himself to
ask a gentleman for money, despising such sort of conversation himself;
but others, who were not gentlemen born, behaved very uncivil in
pressing him at this very time, and all he could do to content 'em all
was to take himself out of the way as fast as possible to Dublin, where
my lady had taken a house fitting for him as a member of Parliament,
to attend his duty in there all the winter. I was very lonely when the
whole family was gone, and all the things they had ordered to go, and
forgot, sent after them by the car. There was then a great silence in
Castle Rackrent, and I went moping from room to room, hearing the doors
clap for want of right locks, and the wind through the broken windows,
that the glazier never would come to mend, and the rain coming through
the roof and best ceilings all over the house for want of the slater,
whose bill was not paid, besides our having no slates or shingles for
that part of the old building which was shingled and burnt when the
chimney took fire, and had been open to the weather ever since. I took
myself to the servants' hall in the evening to smoke my pipe as usual,
but missed the bit of talk we used to have there sadly, and ever after
was content to stay in the kitchen and boil my little potatoes, [MY
LITTLE POTATOES.--Thady does not mean by this expression that his
potatoes were less than other people's, or less than the usual size.
LITTLE is here used only as an Italian diminutive, expressive of
fondness.] and put up my bed there, and every post-day I looked in the
newspaper, but no news of my master in the House; he never spoke good
or bad, but, as the butler wrote down word to my son Jason, was very
ill-used by the Government about a place that was promised him and never
given, after his supporting them against his conscience very honourably,
and being greatly abused for it, which hurt him greatly, he having the
name of a great patriot in the country before. The house and living in
Dublin too were not to be had for nothing, and my son Jason said, 'Sir
Condy must soon be looking out for a new agent, for I've done my part,
and can do no more. If my lady had the bank of Ireland to spend, it
would go all in one winter, and Sir Condy would never gainsay