be if the house is sold over
his head, before he has a place to stretch himself in."

"Oh! you know, and I know, you can't sell it out of hand, in that
way,--all at once."

"'Deed but we can though; and, by G----d, if you mean to be stiff
about it, you shall be out of the place before the May rents become
due."

"Would you want me to go and sell all that's left in the family,
without giving me a day to consider?--without asking my friends
what's best to do for the old man, and for poor Feemy? Surely, Mr.
Keegan--"

"Surely, nonsense. You see how it is; I want to give Flannelly an
answer; he's not asking anything of you--he's offering a provision
to you all, which you might go far to look for if the law takes its
course,--as of course it will do if you oppose his offer. But perhaps
you're thinking we can't sell the estate; and from the old man's
state, because he's not _compos_, you can get Ballycloran into your
own hands. If that's the game you're playing, you'll soon find
yourself in the wrong box, my lad."

"It's not of myself I'm thinking; and it's only you, and such as you,
would be saying so of me. But supposing now, the owld man consinted
to this bargain,--how would he be sure of his money?"

"Sure of his money! why, wouldn't it be settled on him?--wouldn't it
be named as one of the conditions of the sale? He'd be a deal surer
of that, than he is now of his daily dinner; for that I believe he's
not very sure of as things are going at Ballycloran."

Thady looked at the attorney as though he longed to answer him in the
same strain; but he said nothing of the sort; he remained looking out
of the window for a short time, considering what he should do.

"Well, Macdermot, I can't be waiting here all day you know; what do
you say to it?"

"I'll spake to my father; it's he must decide you know, at last, and
not me. Larry, you heard what Mr. Keegan said, didn't you?" and he
explained to his father the nature of the offer; and tried to make
him understand that at any rate Ballycloran must go; and that it
would be better to go at once, with some provision to look to, than
to stay there, and be driven out, without any; and that Mr. Flannelly
would not be content any longer with getting the interest for his
money, but that he was determined to get the principal, either by
having the property sold, or by taking possession of it himself. It
was long before he could make the old man precisely understand what
it was