ss ready to come to the scratch when he knows
he'll have to touch a little ready cash."

"You'd better let us know what your offer is, and lave my sisther
alone. It doesn't do to bring every old woman's story in, when we're
talking business; so, if you plaze, we won't calculate on Feemy's
marriage."

"Well, well, I didn't mean anything more than that I just heard that
a match was made between them. So, Mr. Macdermot, Mr. Flannelly will
settle L50 a year on you, paid as you like; or come, say a pound a
week, as you would probably like to pay your lodgings weekly; and he
would give L100 each to your son and daughter, ready money down you
know, Mr. Thady. What do you say, Mr. Macdermot?" And he got up and
walked round so as to stand over the side of Larry's chair.

"Didn't I tell you, then, I wouldn't be bothered with your business?
If you must come up here jawing and talking, can't you have it out
with Thady there?"

"Well, Thady, what do you say? You see how much your father's comfort
would be improved; and as I suppose, after all, your sister is to be
married, you couldn't well keep the house up; and I'll tell you what
more Mr. Flannelly proposes for yourself."

"I don't want what Mr. Flannelly will do for me; but I'm thinking of
the old man, and Feemy there."

"Well, don't you see how much more comfortable he must be?--nothing
to bother him, you know; no bills coming due; and as for yourself,
you should have a lease, say for five years, of any land you liked;
say forty acres or so, and with your ready money you know."

"Sure isn't the land crowded with tenants already?" said Thady.

"Ah yes; those wretched cabin holders with their half acres. Mr.
Flannelly would soon get shut of them: he means to have no whiskey
making on the land! Let me alone to eject those fellows. By dad! I'll
soon clear off most of them."

"What! strip their roofs?"

"Yes, if they wouldn't go quietly; but they most of them know me now;
and I give you my word of honour--indeed, Flannelly said as much--you
should have any forty acres you please, at a fair rent. Say what the
poor devils are paying now, without any capital you know."

"No, Mr. Keegan; I wouldn't have act or part in dhriving off the
poor craturs that know me so well; nor would I be safe if I did;
nor for the matter of that, could I well bring myself to be one of
Mr. Flannelly's tenants at Ballycloran. But I won't say I won't be
advising the owld man to take the offer, if