parlour, and sees the sight of bills and load of papers all gathered on the great dining-table for him, he puts his hands before both his eyes, and cried out, ‘Merciful Jasus! what is it I see before me?’ Then I sets an arm-chair at the table for him, and with a deal of difficulty he sits him down, and my son Jason hands him over the pen and ink to sign to this man’s bill and t’other man’s bill, all which he did without making the least objections.  Indeed, to give him his due, I never seen a man more fair and honest, and easy in all his dealings, from first to last, as Sir Condy, or more willing to pay every man his own as far as he was able, which is as much as any one can do.

‘Well,’ says he, joking like with Jason, ’I wish we could settle it all with a stroke of my grey goose quill.  What signifies making me wade through all this ocean of papers here; can’t you now, who understand drawing out an account, debtor and creditor, just sit down here at the corner of the table and get it done out for me, that I may have a clear view of the balance, which is all I need be talking about, you know?’

’Very true, Sir Condy; nobody understands business better than yourself,’ says Jason.

‘So I’ve a right to do, being born and bred to the bar,’ says Sir Condy.  ’Thady, do step out and see are they bringing in the things for the punch, for we’ve just done all we have to do for this evening.’

I goes out accordingly, and when I came back Jason was pointing to the balance, which was a terrible sight to my poor master.

‘Pooh! pooh! pooh!’ says he.  ’Here’s so many noughts they dazzle my eyes, so they do, and put me in mind of all I suffered larning of my numeration table, when I was a boy at the day-school along with you, Jason—­units, tens, hundreds, tens of hundreds.  Is the punch ready, Thady?’ says he, seeing me.

’Immediately; the boy has the jug in his hand; it’s coming upstairs, please your honour, as fast as possible,’ says I, for I saw his honour was tired out of his life; but Jason, very short and cruel, cuts me off with—­’Don’t be talking of punch yet awhile; it’s no time for punch yet a bit—­units, tens, hundreds,’ goes he on, counting over the master’s shoulder, units, tens, hundreds, thousands.

‘A-a-ah! hold your hand,’ cries my master.  ’Where in this wide world am I to find hundreds, or units itself, let alone thousands?’

‘The balance has been running on too long,’ says Jason, sticking to him as I could not have done at the time, if you’d have given both the Indies and Cork to boot; ’the balance has been running on too long, and I’m distressed myself on your account, Sir Condy, for money, and the thing must be settled now on the spot, and the balance cleared off,’ says Jason.

‘I’ll thank you if you’ll only show me how,’ says Sir Condy.

‘There’s but one way,’ says Jason, ’and that’s ready enough.  When there’s no cash, what can a gentleman do but go to the land?’