第6章

Berryl bargained with me, I should have told him that he should have looked to these things before his carriage went out of our yard.'

The indignation of Lord Colambre kindled at these words--but in vain.To all that indignation could by word or look urge against Mordicai, he replied--'Maybe so, sir; the law is open to your friend--the law is open to all men who can pay for it.'

Lord Colambre turned in despair from the callous coach-maker, and listened to one of his more compassionate-looking workmen, who was reviewing the disabled curricle; and, whilst he was waiting to know the sum of his friend's misfortune, a fat, jolly, Falstaff looking personage came into the yard, accosted Mordicai with a degree of familiarity, which, from a gentleman, appeared to Lord Colambre to be almost impossible.

'How are you, Mordicai, my good fellow?' cried he, speaking with a strong Irish accent.

'Who is this?' whispered Lord Colambre to the foreman, who was examining the curricle.

'Sir Terence O'Fay, sir.There must be entire new wheels.'

'Now tell me, my tight fellow,' continued Sir Terence, holding Mordicai fast, 'when, in the name of all the saints, good or bad, in the calendar, do you reckon to let us sport the SUICIDE?'

Mordicai forcibly drew his mouth into what he meant for a smile, and answered, 'As soon as possible, Sir Terence.'

Sir Terence, in a tone of jocose, wheedling expostulation, entreated him to have the carriage finished OUT OF HAND.'Ah, now! Mordy, my precious! let us have it by the birthday, and come and dine with us o' Monday, at the Hibernian Hotel--there's a rare one--will you?'

Mordicai accepted the invitation, and promised faithfully that the SUICIDE should be finished by the birthday.Sir Terence shook hands upon this promise, and, after telling a good story, which made one of the workmen in the yard--an Irishman--grin with delight, walked off.Mordicai, first waiting till the knight was out of hearing, called aloud--'You grinning rascal! mind, at your peril, and don't let that there carriage be touched, d'ye see, till further orders.'

One of Mr.Mordicai's clerks, with a huge long-feathered pen behind his ear, observed that Mr.Mordicai was right in that caution, for that, to the best of his comprehension, Sir Terence O'Fay and his principal, too, were over head and ears in debt.

Mordicai coolly answered that he was well aware of that; but that the estate could afford to dip further; that, for his part, he was under no apprehension; he knew how to look sharp, and to bite before he was bit.That he knew Sir Terence and his principal were leagued together to give the creditors THE GO BY, but that, clever as they both were at that work, he trusted he was their match.

'Will you be so good, sir, to finish making out this estimate for me?' interrupted Lord Colambre.

'Immediately, sir.Sixty-nine pound four, and the perch.Let us see--Mr.Mordicai, ask him, ask Paddy, about Sir Terence,' said the foreman, pointing back over his shoulder to the Irish workman, who was at this moment pretending to be wondrous hard at work.However, when Mr.Mordicai defied him to tell him anything he did not know, Paddy, parting with an untasted bit of tobacco, began, and recounted some of Sir Terence O'Fay's exploits in evading duns, replevying cattle, fighting sheriffs, bribing SUBS, managing cants, tricking CUSTODEES, in language so strange, and with a countenance and gestures so full of enjoyment of the jest, that, whilst Mordicai stood for a moment aghast with astonishment, Lord Colambre could not help laughing, partly at, and partly with, his countryman.All the yard were in a roar of laughter, though they did not understand half of what they heard;but their risible muscles were acted upon mechanically, or maliciously, merely by the sound of the Irish brogue.