Lord Colambre, and informed him, that he had just received a letter from Sir Arthur Berryl, who, with the consent and desire of his lady, requested that whatever money might be required by Lord Clonbrony should be immediately supplied on their account, without waiting till Lord Colambre should be of age, as the ready money might be of same convenience to him in accelerating the journey to Ireland, which Sir Arthur and Lady Berryl knew was his lordship’s object.  Sir Terence O’Fay now supplied Mr. Edwards with accurate information as to the demands that were made upon Lord Clonbrony, and of the respective characters of the creditors.  Mr. Edwards undertook to settle with the fair claimants; Sir Terence with the rogues; so that by the advancement of ready money from the Berryls, and by the detection of false and exaggerated charges, which Sir Terence made among the inferior class, the debts were reduced nearly to one half of their former amount.  Mordicai, who had been foiled in his vile attempt to become sole creditor, had, however, a demand of more than seven thousand pounds upon Lord Clonbrony, which he had raised to this enormous sum in six or seven years, by means well known to himself.  He stood the foremost in the list, not from the greatness of the sum, but from the danger of his adding to it the expenses of law.  Sir Terence undertook to pay the whole with five thousand pounds.  Lord Clonbrony thought it impossible; the solicitor thought it improvident, because he knew that upon a trial a much greater abatement would be allowed; but Lord Colambre was determined, from the present embarrassments of his own situation, to leave nothing undone that could be accomplished immediately.

Sir Terence, pleased with his commission, immediately went to Mordicai.

‘Well, Sir Terence,’ said Mordicai, ’I hope you are come to pay me my hundred guineas; for Miss Broadhurst is married!’

’Well, Mister Mordicai, what then?  The ides of March are come, but not gone!  Stay, if you plase, Mister Mordicai, till Lady-day, when it becomes due; in the meantime, I have a handful, or rather an armful, of bank-notes for you, from my Lord Colambre.’

‘Humph!’ said Mordicai; ’how’s that? he’ll not be of age these three days.’

’Don’t matter for that; he has sent me to look over your account, and to hope that you will make some small abatement in the total.’

’Harkee, Sir Terence you think yourself very clever in things of this sort, but you’ve mistaken your man; I have an execution for the whole, and I’ll be d—­d if all your cunning shall make me take up with part!’

’Be easy, Mister Mordicai!—­you shan’t make me break your bones, nor make me drop one actionable word against your high character; for I know your clerk there, with that long goose-quill behind his ear, would be ready evidence again’ me.  But I beg to know, in one word, whether you will take five thousand down, and give Lord Clonbrony a discharge?’