’How can you go to the land, and it under custodiam to yourself already?’ says Sir Condy; ’and another custodiam hanging over it?  And no one at all can touch it, you know, but the custodees.’

’Sure, can’t you sell, though at a loss?  Sure you can sell, and I’ve a purchaser ready for you,’ says Jason.

‘Have you so?’ says Sir Condy.  ’That’s a great point gained.  But there’s a thing now beyond all, that perhaps you don’t know yet, barring Thady has let you into the secret.’

’Sarrah bit of a secret, or anything at all of the kind, has he learned from me these fifteen weeks come St. John’s Eve,’ says I, ’for we have scarce been upon speaking terms of late.  But what is it your honour means of a secret?’

’Why, the secret of the little keepsake I gave my Lady Rackrent the morning she left us, that she might not go back empty-handed to her friends.’

’My Lady Rackrent, I’m sure, has baubles and keepsakes enough, as those bills on the table will show,’ says Jason; ‘but whatever it is,’ says he, taking up his pen, ’we must add it to the balance, for to be sure it can’t be paid for.’

‘No, nor can’t till after my decease,’ says Sir Condy; ’that’s one good thing.’  Then colouring up a good deal, he tells Jason of the memorandum of the five hundred a-year jointure he had settled upon my lady; at which Jason was indeed mad, and said a great deal in very high words, that it was using a gentleman who had the management of his affairs, and was, moreover, his principal creditor, extremely ill to do such a thing without consulting him, and against his knowledge and consent.  To all which Sir Condy had nothing to reply, but that, upon his conscience, it was in a hurry and without a moment’s thought on his part, and he was very sorry for it, but if it was to do over again he would do the same; and he appealed to me, and I was ready to give my evidence, if that would do, to the truth of all he said.

So Jason with much ado was brought to agree to a compromise.

‘The purchaser that I have ready,’ says he, ’will be much displeased, to be sure, at the encumbrance on the land, but I must see and manage him.  Here’s a deed ready drawn up; we have nothing to do but to put in the consideration money and our names to it.’

’And how much am I going to sell!—­the lands of O’Shaughlin’s Town, and the lands of Gruneaghoolaghan, and the lands of Crookagnawaturgh,’ says he, just reading to himself.  ’And—­oh, murder, Jason! sure you won’t put this in—­the castle, stable, and appurtenances of Castle Rackrent?’

‘Oh, murder!’ says I, clapping my hands; ‘this is too bad, Jason.’

‘Why so?’ said Jason.  ’When it’s all, and a great deal more to the back of it, lawfully mine, was I to push for it.’

‘Look at him,’ says I, pointing to Sir Condy, who was just leaning back in his arm-chair, with his arms falling beside him like one stupefied; ’is it you, Jason, that can stand in his presence, and recollect all he has been to us, and all we have been to him, and yet use him so at the last?’