physicians (Trollope so uses
the term in later chapters).]

Up to this, Barry had hardly listened to what the doctor had been
saying; but now he was all attention. "So that is to be his price,"
thought he to himself, "he'll cost me dear, but I suppose he must have
it."

Barry looked at his watch: it was near eight o'clock, but he seemed to
feel that all he had drank had had no effect on him: it had not given
him the usual pluck; it had not given him the feeling of reckless
assurance, which he mistook for courage and capacity.

"If you've a mind to be a tenant of mine, Colligan, I'll keep a look
out for you. The land's crowded now, but there's a lot of them cottier
[42] devils I mean to send to the right about. They do the estate no
good, and I hate the sight of them. But you know how the property's
placed, and while Anty's in this wretched state, of course I can do
nothing."

[FOOTNOTE 42: cottier--an Irish tenant renting land directly from
the owner, with the price determined by bidding]

"Will you bear it in mind though, Lynch? When a bit of land does fall
into your hands, I should be glad to be your tenant. I'm quite in
earnest, and should take it as a great favour."

"I'll not forget it;" and then he remained silent for a minute. What an
opportunity this was for him to lose! Colligan so evidently wished to
be bribed--so clearly showed what the price was which was to purchase
him. But still he could not ask the fatal question.

Again he sat silent for a while, till he looked at his watch, and found
it was a quarter past eight. "Never fear," he said, referring to the
farm; "you shall have it, and it shall not be the worst land on the
estate that I'll give you, you may be sure; for, upon my soul, I have a
great regard for you; I have indeed."

The doctor thanked him for his good opinion.

"Oh! I'm not blarneying you; upon my soul I'm not; that's not the way
with me at all; and when you know me better you'll say so,--and you may
be sure you shall have the farm by Michaelmas." And then, in a voice
which he tried to make as unconcerned as possible, he continued: "By
the bye, Colligan, when do you think this affair of Anty's _will_ be
over? It's the devil and all for a man not to know when he'll be his
own master."

"Oh, you mustn't calculate on your sister's property at all now," said
the other, in an altered voice. "I tell you it's very probable she may
recover."