d know the reason of it; and
when the report was made known, the people one and all gathered in great
anger against my son Jason, and terror at the notion of his coming to be
landlord over them, and they cried, 'No Jason! no Jason! Sir Condy! Sir
Condy! Sir Condy Rackrent for ever!' And the mob grew so great and so
loud, I was frightened, and made my way back to the house to warn my son
to make his escape, or hide himself for fear of the consequences. Jason
would not believe me till they came all round the house, and to the
windows with great shouts. Then he grew quite pale, and asked Sir Condy
what had he best do?

'I'll tell you what you had best do,' said Sir Condy, who was laughing
to see his fright; 'finish your glass first, then let's go to the window
and show ourselves, and I'll tell 'em--or you shall, if you please--that
I'm going to the Lodge for change of air for my health, and by my own
desire, for the rest of my days.'

'Do so,' said Jason, who never meant it should have been so but could
not refuse him the Lodge at this unseasonable time: Accordingly, Sir
Condy threw up the sash and explained matters, and thanked all his
friends, and bid them look in at the punchbowl, and observe that Jason
and he had been sitting over it very good friends; so the mob was
content, and he sent them out some whisky to drink his health, and that
was the last time his honour's health was ever drunk at Castle Rackrent.

The very next day, being too proud, as he said to me, to stay an hour
longer in a house that did not belong to him, he sets off to the Lodge,
and I along with him not many hours after. And there was great bemoaning
through all O'Shaughlin's Town, which I stayed to witness, and gave my
poor master a full account of when I got to the Lodge. He was very low,
and in his bed, when I got there, and complained of a great pain about
his heart; but I guessed it was only trouble and all the business, let
alone vexation, he had gone through of late; and knowing the nature of
him from a boy, I took my pipe, and whilst smoking it by the chimney
began telling him how he was beloved and regretted in the county, and it
did him a deal of good to hear it.

'Your honour has a great many friends yet that you don't know of, rich
and poor, in the county,' says I; 'for as I was coming along the road I
met two gentlemen in their own carriages, who asked after you, knowing
me, and wanted to know where you was and all about you, and ev