‘I thought ye wud see the reasonableness av ut,’ said Mulvaney.  ’I made bould to say as much to the man before.  He was for a direct front attack—­fut, horse, an’ guns—­an’ all for nothin’, seein’ that I had no thransport to convey the machine away.  “I will not argue wid you,” sez I, “this day, but subsequently, Mister Dearsley, me rafflin’ jool, we talk ut out lengthways.  ’Tis no good policy to swindle the naygur av his hard-earned emolumints, an’ by presint informashin’”—­’twas the kyart man that tould me—­“ye’ve been perpethrating that same for nine months.  But I’m a just man,” sez I, “an’ overlookin’ the presumpshin that yondher settee wid the gilt top was not come by honust”—­at that he turned sky-green, so I knew things was more thrue than tellable—­“not come by honust, I’m willin’ to compound the felony for this month’s winnin’s."’

‘Ah!  Ho!’ from Learoyd and Ortheris.

‘That man Dearsley’s rushin’ on his fate,’ continued Mulvaney, solemnly wagging his head.  ’All Hell had no name bad enough for me that tide.  Faith, he called me a robber!  Me! that was savin’ him from continuin’ in his evil ways widout a remonstrince—­an’ to a man av conscience a remonstrince may change the chune av his life. “’Tis not for me to argue,” sez I, “fwhatever ye are, Mister Dearsley, but, by my hand, I’ll take away the temptation for you that lies in that sedan-chair.”—­“You will have to fight me for ut,” sez he, “for well I know you will never dare make report to any one.”—­“Fight I will,” sez I, “but not this day, for I’m rejuced for want av nourishment.”—­“Ye’re an ould bould hand,” sez he, sizin’ me up an’ down; “an’ a jool av a fight we will have.  Eat now an’ dhrink, an’ go your way.”  Wid that he gave me some hump an’ whisky—­good whisky—­an’ we talked av this an’ that the while.  “It goes hard on me now,” sez I, wipin’ my mouth, “to confiscate that piece av furniture, but justice is justice.”—­“Ye’ve not got ut yet,” sez he; “there’s the fight between.”—­“There is,” sez I, “an’ a good fight.  Ye shall have the pick av the best quality in my rigimint for the dinner you have given this day.”  Thin I came hot-foot to you two.  Hould your tongue, the both.  ‘Tis this way.  To-morrow we three will go there an’ he shall have his pick betune me an’ Jock.  Jock’s a deceivin’ fighter, for he is all fat to the eye, an’ he moves slow.  Now, I’m all beef to the look, an’ I move quick.  By my reckonin’ the Dearsley man won’t take me; so me an’ Orth’ris ’ll see fair play.  Jock, I tell you,’twill be big fightin’—­whipped, wid the cream above the jam.  Afther the business ’twill take a good three av us—­Jock ’ll be very hurt—­to haul away that sedan-chair.’

‘Palanquin.’  This from Ortheris.

’Fwhatever ut is, we must have ut.  ‘Tis the only sellin’ piece av property widin reach that we can get so cheap.  An’ fwhat’s a fight afther all?  He has robbed the naygur-man, dishonust.  We rob him honust for the sake av the whisky he gave me.’