第58章

He said, to please opposite parties, he used no arts; but he tried to make all his neighbours live comfortably together, by making them acquainted with each other's good qualities; by giving them opportunities of meeting sociably, and, from time to time, of doing each other little services and good offices.

'Fortunately, he had so much to do,' he said, 'that he had no time for controversy.He was a plain man, made it a rule not to meddle with speculative points, and to avoid all irritating discussions; he was not to rule the country, but to live in it, and make others live as happily as he could.'

Having nothing to conceal in his character, opinions, or circumstances, Mr.Burke was perfectly open and unreserved in his manner and conversation; freely answered all the traveller's inquiries, and took pains to show him everything he desired to see.Lord Colambre said he had thoughts of settling in Ireland;and declared, with truth, that he had not seen any part of the country he should like better to live in than this neighbourhood.

He went over most of the estate with Mr.Burke, and had ample opportunities of convincing himself that this gentleman was indeed, as the innkeeper had described him, 'a right good gentleman, and a right good agent.'

He paid Mr.Burke some just compliments on the state of the tenantry, and the neat and flourishing appearance of the town of Colambre.

'What pleasure it will give the proprietor when he sees all you have done!' said Lord Colambre.

'Oh, sir, don't speak of it!--that breaks my heart, he never has shown the least interest in anything I have done; he is quite dissatisfied with me, because I have not ruined his tenantry, by forcing them to pay more than the land is worth; because I have not squeezed money from them by fining down rents; and--but all this, as an Englishman, sir, must he unintelligible to you.The end of the matter is, that, attached as I am to this place and the people about me, and, as I hope, the tenantry are to me--Ifear I shall be obliged to give up the agency.'

'Give up the agency! How so?--you must not,' cried Lord Colambre, and, for the moment, he forgot himself; but Mr.Burke took this only for an expression of good-will.

'I must, I am afraid,' continued he.'My employer, Lord Clonbrony, is displeased with me--continual calls for money come upon me from England, and complaints of my slow remittances.'

'Perhaps Lord Clonbrony is in embarrassed circumstances said Lord Colambre.

'I never speak of my employer's affairs, sir,' replied Mr.Burke;now for the first time assuming an air of reserve.

'I beg pardon, sir--I seem to have asked an indiscreet question.'

Mrs.Burke was silent.

'Lest my reserve should give you a false impression, I will add, sir,' resumed Mr.Burke, 'that I really am not acquainted with the state of his lordship's affairs in general.I know only what belongs to the estate under my own management.The principal part of his lordship's property, the Clonbrony estate, is under another agent, Mr.Garraghty.'

'Garraghty!' repeated Lord Colambre; 'what sort of a person is he? But I may take it for granted, that it cannot fall to the lot of one and the same absentee to have two such agents as Mr.

Burke.'

Mr.Burke bowed, and seemed pleased by the compliment, which he knew he deserved--but not a word did he say of Mr.Garraghty; and Lord Colambre, afraid of betraying himself by some other indiscreet question, changed the conversation.

That very night the post brought a letter to Mr.Burke, from Lord Clonbrony, which Mr.Burke gave to his wife as soon as he had read it, saying--'See the reward of all my services!'

Mrs.Burke glanced her eye over the letter, and, being extremely fond of her husband, and sensible of his deserving far different treatment, burst into indignant exclamations--'See the reward of all your services, indeed!--What an unreasonable, ungrateful man!--So, this is the thanks for all you have done for Lord Clonbrony!'

'He does not know what I have done, my dear.He never has seen what I have done.'

'More shame for him!'

'He never, I suppose, looks over his accounts, or understands them.'

'More shame for him!'

He listens to foolish reports, or misrepresentations, perhaps.

He is at a distance, and cannot find out the truth.'

'More shame for him!'

'Take it quietly, my dear; we have the comfort of a good conscience.The agency may be taken from me by this lord; but the sense of having done my duty, no lord or man upon earth can give or take away.'