第76章

'If you know the value of character, Sir Terence,' said Lord Colambre, 'you know that it is not to be bought or sold.' Then, turning from Sir Terence to his father, he gave a full and true account of all he had seen in his progress through his Irish estates; and drew a faithful picture both of the bad and good agent.Lord Clonbrony, who had benevolent feelings, and was fond of his tenantry, was touched; and, when his son ceased speaking, repeated several times--'Rascal! rascal! How dare he use my tenants so--the O'Neills in particular!--Rascal! bad heart!-I'll have no more to do with him.' But, suddenly recollecting himself, he turned to Sir Terence, and added, 'That's sooner said than done--I'll tell you honestly, Colambre, your friend Mr.Burke may be the best man in the world--but he is the worst man to apply to for a remittance, or a loan, in a HURRY! He always tells me "he can't distress the tenants."'--'And he never, at coming into the agency even,' said Sir Terence, 'ADVANCED a good round sum to the landlord, by way of security for his good behaviour.Now honest Nick did that much for us at coming in.'

'And at going out is he not to be repaid?' said Lord Colambre.

'That's the devil!' said Lord Clonbrony; that's the very reason I can't conveniently turn him out.'

'I will make it convenient to you, sir, if you will permit me,'

said Lord Colambre.'In a few days I shall be of age, and will join with you in raising whatever sum you want, to free you from this man.Allow me to look over his account; and whatever the honest balance may be, let him have it.'

'My dear boy!' said Lord Clonbrony, 'you're a generous fellow.

Fine Irish heart!--glad you're my son! But there's more, much more, that you don't know,' added he, looking at Sir Terence, who cleared his throat; and Lord Clonbrony, who was on the point of opening all his affairs to his son, stopped short.

'Colambre,' said he, 'we will not say anything more of this at present; for nothing effectual can be done till you are of age, and then we shall see all about it.'

Lord Colambre perfectly understood what his father meant, and what was meant by the clearing of Sir Terence's throat.Lord Clonbrony wanted his son to join him in opening the estate to pay his debts; and Sir Terence feared that, if Lord Colambre were abruptly told the whole sum total of the debts he would never be persuaded to join in selling or mortgaging so much of his patrimony as would be necessary for their payment.Sir Terence thought that the young man, ignorant probably of business, and unsuspicious of the state of his father's affairs, might be brought, by proper management, to any measures they desired.

Lord Clonbrony wavered between the temptation to throw himself upon the generosity of his son, and the immediate convenience of borrowing a sum of money from his agent, to relieve his present embarrassments.

'Nothing can be settled,' repeated he, 'till Colambre is of age;so it does not signify talking of it.'

'Why so, sir?' said Lord Colambre.'Though my act, in law, may not be valid, till I am of age, my promise, as a man of honour, is binding now; and, I trust, would be as satisfactory to my father as any legal deed whatever.'

'Undoubtedly, my dear boy; but--'

'But what?' said Lord Colambre, following his father's eye, which turned to Sir Terence O'Fay, as if asking his permission to explain.

'As my father's friend, sir, you ought, permit me to say, at this moment to use your influence to prevail upon him to throw aside all reserve with a son, whose warmest wish is to serve him, and to see him at ease and happy.'

'Generous, dear boy,' cried Lord Clonbrony.'Terence, I can't stand it; but how shall I bring myself to name the amount of the debts?'

'At some time or other, I must know it,' said Lord Colambre; 'Icannot be better prepared at any moment than the present; never more disposed to give my assistance to relieve all difficulties.

Blindfold, I cannot be led to any purpose, sir,' said he, looking at Sir Terence; 'the attempt would be degrading and futile.

Blindfolded I will not be--but, with my eyes open, I will see, and go straight and prompt as heart can go, to my father's interest, without a look or thought to my own.'

'By St.Patrick! the spirit of a prince, and an Irish prince, spoke there,' cried Sir Terence; 'and if I'd fifty hearts, you'd have all in your hand this minute, at your service, and warm.

Blindfold you! after that, the man that would attempt it DESARVES to be shot; and I'd have no sincerer pleasure in life than shooting him this moment, was he my best friend.But it's not Clonbrony, or your father, my lord, would act that way, no more than Sir Terence O'Fay--there's the schedule of the debts,'

drawing a paper from his bosom; 'and I'll swear to the lot, and not a man on earth could do that but myself.'

Lord Colambre opened the paper.His father turned aside, covering his face with both his hands.

'Tut, man,' said Sir Terence; 'I know him now better than you; he will stand, you'll find, the shock of that regiment of figures--he is steel to the backbone, and proof spirit.'

'I thank you, my dear father,' said Lord Colambre, 'for trusting me thus at once with a view of the truth.At first sight it is, I acknowledge, worse than I expected; but I make no doubt that, when you allow me to examine Mr.Garraghty's accounts and Mr.

Mordicai's claims, we shall be able to reduce this alarming total considerably, my dear father.You think we learn nothing but Latin and Greek at Cambridge; but you are mistaken.'

'The devil a pound, nor a penny,' said Sir Terence; 'for you have to deal with a Jew and old Nick; and I'm not a match for them.Idon't know who is; and I have no hope of getting any abatement.

I've looked over the accounts till I'm sick.'

'Nevertheless, you will observe that fifteen hundred guineas have been saved to my father, at one stroke, by his not signing those leases.'