ogs are well, I hope,
and my favourite bitch. Remember me to Mrs. Egan, whom all admire.

"My dear squire, yours per quire,

"Murtough Murphy.

"_To Edward Egan, Esq., Merryvale._"

Murtough Murphy was a great character, as may be guessed from his
letter. He was a country attorney of good practice; good, because he
could not help it--for he was a clever, ready-witted fellow, up to all
sorts of trap, and one in whose hands a cause was very safe; therefore
he had plenty of clients without his seeking them. For if Murtough's
practice had depended on his looking for it, he might have made broth
of his own parchment; for though to all intents and purposes a good
attorney, he was so full of fun and fond of amusement, that it was
only by dint of the business being thrust upon him he was so extensive
a practitioner. He loved a good bottle, a good hunt, a good joke, and
a good song, as well as any fellow in Ireland: and even when he was
obliged in the way of business to press a gentleman hard--to hunt his
man to the death--he did it so good-humouredly that his very victim
could not be angry with him. As for those he served, he was their
prime favourite; there was nothing they _could_ want to be done in the
parchment line, that Murtough would not find out some way of doing;
and he was so pleasant a fellow, that he shared in the hospitality of
all the best tables in the county. He kept good horses, was on every
race-ground within twenty miles, and a steeple-chase was no
steeple-chase without him. Then he betted freely, and, what's more,
won his bets very generally; but no one found fault with him for that,
and he took your money with such a good grace, and mostly gave you a
_bon mot_ in exchange for it--so that, next to winning the money
yourself, you were glad it was won by Murtough Murphy.

The squire read his letter two or three times, and made his comments
as he proceeded. "'Working heaven and earth to'--ha!--so that's the
work O'Grady's at--that's old friendship,--foul!--foul! and after all
the money I lent him, too;--he'd better take care--I'll be down on him
if he plays false;--not that I'd like that much either:--but--let's
see who's this coming down to oppose me?--Sack Scatterbrain--the
biggest fool from this to himself;--the fellow can't ride a bit,--a
pretty member for a sporting county! 'I lodge at a milliner's'--divil
doubt you, Murtough; I'll engage you do. Bad luck to him!--he'd rather
be fooli