suppose that his intentions regarding you
are different from those respecting other tenants."

[Illustration: 144]

"I saved his life, then!" said Owen; and his eyes flashed with
indignation as he spoke.

"And you saved a devilish good fellow, I can tell you," said the
Major, smiling complacently, as though to hint that the act was a very
sufficient reward for its own performance.

"The sorra much chance he had of coming to the property that day,
anyhow, till I came up," said Owen, in a half soliloquy.

"What! were the savages about to scalp him? Eh!" asked the Major.

Owen turned a scowl towards him that stopped the already-begun laugh;
while Lucas, amazed at the peasant's effrontery, said, "You needn't wait
any longer, my good fellow; I have nothing more to say."

"I was going to ask yer honner, sir," said Owen, civilly, "if I paid
the last half-year--I have it with me--if ye'll let me stay in the place
till ye'll ask Mr. Leslie--"

"But you forget, my friend, that a receipt for the last half-year is a
receipt in full," said Lucas, interrupting.

"Sure; I don't want the receipt!" said Owen hurriedly; "keep it
yourself. It isn't mistrusting the word of a gentleman I'd be."

"Eh, Lucas! blarney! I say, blarney, and no mistake!" cried the Major,
half-suffocated with his own drollery.

"By my sowl! it's little blarney I'd give you, av I had ye at the side
of Slieve-na-vick," said Owen; and the look he threw towards him left
little doubt of his sincerity.

"Leave the room, sir! leave the room!" said Lucas, with a gesture
towards the door.

"Dare I ax you where Mr. Leslie is now, sir?" said Owen, calmly.

"He's in London: No. 18 Belgrave Square."

"Would yer honour be so kind as to write it on a bit of paper for me?"
said Owen, almost obsequiously.

Lucas sat down and wrote the address upon a card, handing it to Owen
without a word.

"I humbly ax yer pardon, gentlemen, if I was rude to either of ye," said
Owen, with a bow, as he moved towards the door; "but distress of mind
doesn't improve a man's manners, if even he had more nor I have; but if
I get the little place yet, and that ye care for a day's sport--"

"Eh, damme, you're not so bad, after all," said the Major: "I say,
Lucas--is he, now?"

"Your servant, gentlemen," said Owen, who felt too indignant at the
cool insolence with which his generous proposal was accepted, to trust
himself with more; and with that, he left the room.

"Well, Owen,