y was a gr-reat huntsman, bad scran to his
evil face.

"He had th' r-reputation iv bein' a good landlord so long as th' crops
come regular. He was vilent, it's thrue, an' 'd as lave as not cut a
farmer acrost th' face with his whip f'r crossin' th' thrail iv th' fox;
but he was liberal with his money, an', Hinnissy, that's a thrait that
covers a multitude iv sins. He give freely to th' church, an' was as
gin'rous to th' priest as to th' parson. He had th' gintry f'r miles
around to his big house f'r balls an' dinners an' huntin' meetin's, an'
half th' little shopkeepers in th' neighborin' town lived on th' money
he spent f'r th' things he didn't bring fr'm Dublin or London. I mind
wanst a great roar wint up whin he stayed th' whole season in England
with his fam'ly. It near broke th' townsfolk, an' they were wild with
delight whin he come back an' opened up th' big house.

"But wan year there come a flood iv rain, an' th nex' year another
flood, an' th' third year there wasn't a lumper turned up that wasn't
blue-black to th' hear-rt. We was betther off than most, an' we suffered
our share, Gawd knows; but thim that was scrapin' th' sod f'r a bare
livin' fr'm day to day perished like th' cattle in th' field.

"Thin come th' writs an' th' evictions. Th' bailiffs dhrove out in
squads, seizin' cattle an' turnin' people into th' r-road. Nawthin' wud
soften th' hear-rt iv Dorsey. I seen th' priest an' th' 'Piscopal
ministher dhrivin' over to plead with him wan night; an' th' good man
stopped at our house, comin' back, an' spent th' night with us. I heerd
him tell me father what Dorsey said. 'Haven't I been lib'ral with me
people?' he says. 'Haven't I give freely to ye'er churches? Haven't I
put up soup-houses an' disthributed blankets whin th' weather was cold?
Haven't I kept th' shopkeepers iv th' town beyant fr'm starvin' be
thradin' with thim an' stayin' in this cur-rsed counthry, whin, if I'd
done what me wife wanted, I'd been r-runnin' around Europe, enj'yin'
life? I'm a risidint landlord. I ain't like Kilduff, that laves his
estate in th' hands iv an agint. I'm proud iv me station. I was bor-rn
here, an' here I'll die; but I'll have me r-rights. These here people
owes their rent, an' I'll get th' rent or th' farms if I have to call on
ivry rig'mint fr'm Bombay to Cape Clear, an' turn ivry oat-field into a
pasture f'r me cattle. I stand on th' law. I'm a just man, an' I ask no
more thin what belongs to me.'

"Ivry ni