第59章

'Such a letter!' said Mrs.Burke, taking it up again.'Not even the civility to write with his own hand!--only his signature to the scrawl--looks as if it was written by a drunken man, does not it, Mr.Evans?' said she, showing the letter to Lord Colambre, who immediately recognised the writing of Sir Terence O'Fay.

'It does not look like the hand of a gentleman, indeed,' said Lord Colambre.

'It has Lord Clonbrony's own signature, let it be what it will,'

said Mr.Burke, looking closely at it; 'Lord Clonbrony's own writing the signature is, I am clear of that.'

Lord Clonbrony's son was clear of it also; but he took care not to give any opinion on that point.

'Oh, pray, read it, sir, read it,' said Mrs.Burke, pleased by his tone of indignation; 'read it, pray; a gentleman may write a bad hand, but no GENTLEMAN could write such a letter as that to Mr.Burke--pray read it, sir; you who have seen something of what Mr.Burke has done for the town of Colambre, and what he has made of the tenantry and the estate of Lord Clonbrony.'

Lord Colambre read, and was convinced that his father had never written or read the letter, but had signed it, trusting to Sir Terence O'Fay's having expressed his sentiments properly.

SIR, As I have no further occasion for your services, you will take notice, that I hereby request you will forthwith hand over, on or before the 1st of November next, your accounts, with the balance due of the HANGING-GALE (which, I understand, is more than ought to be at this season) to Nicholas O'Garraghty, Esq., College Green, Dublin, who in future will act as agent, and shall get, by post, immediately, a power of attorney for the same, entitling him to receive and manage the Colambre as well as the Clonbrony estate, for, Sir, your obedient humble servant,CLONBRONY.

'GROSVENOR SQUARE.'

Though misrepresentation, caprice, or interest, might have induced Lord Clonbrony to desire to change his agent, yet Lord Colambre knew that his father never could have announced his wishes in such a style; and, as he returned the letter to Mrs.

Burke, he repeated, he was convinced that it was impossible that any nobleman could have written such a letter; that it must have been written by some inferior person; and that his lordship had signed it without reading it.

'My dear, I'm sorry you showed that letter to Mr.Evans,' said Mr.Burke; 'I don't like to expose Lord Clonbrony; he is a well-meaning gentleman, misled by ignorant or designing people; at all events, it is not for us to expose him.'

'He has exposed himself,' said Mrs.Burke; 'and the world should know it.'

'He was very kind to me when I was a young man,' said Mr.Burke;'we must not forget that now, because we are angry, my love.'

'Why, no, my love, to be sure we should not; but who could have recollected it just at this minute but yourself?--And now, sir,'

turning to Lord Colambre, 'you see what kind of a man this is:

now is it not difficult for me to bear patiently to see him ill-treated?'

'Not only difficult, but impossible, I should think, madam,' said Lord Colambre; 'I know, even I, who am a stranger, cannot help feeling for both of you, as you must see I do.'

'And half the world, who don't know him,' continued Mrs.Burke, 'when they hear that Lord Clonbrony's agency is taken from him, will think, perhaps, that he is to blame.'

'No, madam,' said Lord Colambre; 'that you need not fear; Mr.

Burke may safely trust to his character; from what I have within these two days seen and heard, I am convinced that such is the respect he has deserved and acquired, that no blame can touch him.'

'Sir, I thank you,' said Mrs.Burke, the tears coming into her eyes; 'you can judge--you do him justice; but there are so many who don't know him, and who will decide without knowing any of the facts.'

'That, my dear, happens about everything to everybody,' said Mr.

Burke; 'but we must have patience; time sets all judgments right, sooner or later.'

'But the sooner the better,' said Mrs.Burke.'Mr.Evans, I hope you will be so kind, if ever you hear this business talked of--'

'Mr.Evans lives in Wales, my dear.'

But he is travelling through Ireland, my dear, and he said he should return to Dublin, and, you know, there he certainly will hear it talked of; and I hope he will do me the favour to state what he has seen and knows to be the truth,'

'Be assured that I will do Mr.Burke justice--as far as it is in my power,' said Lord Colambre, restraining himself much, that he might not say more than became his assumed character.He took leave of this worthy family that night, and, early the next morning, departed.

'Ah!' thought he, as he drove away from this well-regulated and flourishing place, 'how happy I might be, settled here with such a wife as--her of whom I must think no more.'

He pursued his way to Clonbrony, his father's other estate, which was at a considerable distance from Colambre; he was resolved to know what kind of agent Mr.Nicholas Garraghty might be, who was to supersede Mr.Burke, and by power of attorney to be immediately entitled to receive and manage the Colambre as well as the Clonbrony estate.