rge ransom for him, for these would show him to
be a man of property. So he made the estate over to my father, and my
father ran the risk of being captured and taken for the Earl of
Westport. Now that I have been made happy by the acquaintance of his
lordship, I'm thinking that if my father had fallen into the hands of
the enemy he might have remained there till this day without the Earl
raising a hand to help him. Nobody in England would have disputed the
Earl's ownership of his own place, which I understand has been in his
family for hundreds of years, so they might very well have got on
without the deeds, as in fact they have done. That's all I know about
it."

"Then, sir," said Mr. Brooks, "do you intend to contest the ownership
of the property on the strength of these documents?"

"I do," said I firmly.

"Very well. You must leave them with me for a few days until I get
opinion upon them. I may say I have grave doubts of your succeeding in
such litigation unless you can prove that your father gave reasonable
consideration for the property made over to him."

"Troth, he'd no consideration to give except his own freedom and the
loan of a pair of breeches, and it seems that the Earl never troubled
his head whether he gave the first-named or not. He might have given
his life for all the thanks his son got from my Lord of Westport."

"From a rapid glance at these instruments I can see that they may be
of great value to his lordship, but I doubt their being of any value
at all to you; in fact you might find the tables turned upon you, and
be put in the position of a fraudulent claimant or a levier of
blackmail."

"It's not blackmail I'm going to levy at all," cried I, "but the
whitest of white mail. I have not the slightest intention of going
into the courts of law; but, to tell you the plain truth about it,
Lady Mary and me are going to get married in spite of all the Earls
that ever drank, or all the Countesses that ever scolded. Now this
dear girl has a great confidence in you, and she has sent me to you to
find what's best to be done. I want nothing of this property at all.
Sure I've estates enough of my own in Ireland, and a good castle
forby, save that the roof leaks a little in places; but a bundle of
straw will soon set that to rights, only old Patsy is so lazy through
not getting his money regular. Now it struck me that if I went boldly
to Brede Castle, or whatever it is, and took possession of it, there