w things went on i

ey that he was welcome to Dunmore House, and the attorney made another bow, rubbed his hands before the fire and said it was a very cold evening; and Barry said it was 'nation cold for that time of the year; which, considering that they were now in the middle o

o him till I get a tumbler of punch on board," said he to himself, comforting himself with the reflection; "besides, I'm never well able for anything till I get a little warmed. We'll get along like a house on fire when we've got the hot water between us." The true meaning of all which was, tha

in his present frame of mind Barry was not likely to be an agreeable companion. The attorney ate his dinner as if it

ike a faithful servant, felt too strong an interest in his master's affairs

or an hour or two. You'll find that whiskey old and good, I think; but, if yo

lass of punch. But as we've business to tal

a little warmed; 'but,' says you, 'because my head's strong, it's no reason another's shouldn't be weak:' but do as

r him, and he having so much business in the county, and myself ha

er man: wasn'

him. I'll take the sugar from you, Mr Lynch; I belie

efore you. But, as I was saying before, the old boy was a queer hand; that i

e left a will, dividing the prop

gned a will, making away half the estate, just as you say, to my sister. Blake could have

McMahon wouldn't take up the case, as there was nothing he could put before the Chancellor. Mind I'm only repeating what people said in Tuam, and abo

s determined the case shouldn't go before the Chancellor. But, when my father signed that will, it was just after one of those fits he had lately; that could be proved, and he didn't know what he was doing, from Adam! He didn't know what was in the will, nor, that he was signing a will at all; so help me, he didn't. However

e will alone. The Chancellor won't put a will aside in a hurry; it's always a difficult job-would cost an immense sum

start, the thing could have been done. I'm sure you would have said so; but that's over now; it's another business I want you for. Bu

nk ye, Mr Lynch. And what

that, by the will, my sister Anty g

t; but I believe she has

everything, except the debts! and those were contracted in

ow your fath

ave been his; though, as I said, they

ve that the debts were incurred for your father's benefit, I should think you might do that. But has yo

the last twenty years-was only a bright invention of the moment, thrown off by our injure

take two hundred a-year out of my miserable share of the property; divil

such a sum as that, and no one know it? Why,

ive, I b

your name to the

ome years since-that is, about three years ago,-sooner than see any of the property sold, I took up the debt myself. You know, it was all as good as my own then; and now, confound it! I must pay the

f so, you can come upon the entire property for the payment. There's

d I must pay it. But it's no good talking of that. Well, you see, Anty-that's my sister, has this

ly she won't refuse to pay ha

nd to them; you don't suppose I'd ask her to pay a penny as a favour? No; I'm a little too proud for that. Besides, it'd be no use, not the l

say I know much about Miss Lynch. I

er hear she wasn

I never d

much about it, for she never gave any trouble; and, to tell the truth, as long as she was kept quiet, she never gave us

t ails your si

nd quite unable to judge for herself, in money-matters, and such like; and, though she might have done very well, poor thing, and passed without

began to fancy that he saw what the affectionate brother was after. "Well, Daly," continued Barry, after a minute's pause; "after the old man died, we went on quiet enough for some

ney. "Was there an unmarried

great a blackguard as

ch is going t

ldn't let it go on. Then, poor creature, she'd be plundered and ill-treated-she'd be a downrigh

uld not be long in following the property; but he did not say so. He m

first thing I heard was, that Anty had ma

ouldn't have done

t; and I couldn't make out what had put it into her head, till I heard that

idow, that k

's the house that Anty was always going to; drinking tea with the daughters, and walking

There's worse fellows

ot, and hardly that-to be carried off from her mother's house, and married to such a fellow as that. Why, it's al

er to do that! How the deuce cou

and, when the old fool was dead, they got this Moylan made Anty's agent: and then, the hag of a mother comes up here, before daylight, and bribes the

ppen? When did Miss L

rning, about

of her own ac

ag came up here, and fil

ken your sister away, unl

of a one she gets; but you don't suppose an old maid-forty years old, who has always been too stupid and foolish ever to be seen or spoken to, shoul

l prevent it, Mr Lynch.

say there's nothing to prevent

you'll find your sister has sense

ving, mind; but everybody knows she

d pro

of it! I could prove that s

were plenty more who could swear positively that she was out of her mind. Would the serv

had any mind

sed, I mean, Mr Lynch, to try that game at all. Things would come out which you wouldn't like; and your motives would be-would be-" s

h what ought to be my own, and my sister into the bargain? I'm blessed if I

n a hurry, Mr Lynch. Is yo

sure

ngaged to thi

e i

married to him to-morro

here. But they tell me

rong: he came into Dunmore, from Tuam, on th

hile we're sitting here!" and Barry jumped up, as if to rush

ain quiet where you are, and let's talk the matter over. As for taking out a commission 'de lunatico', as we call it, you'll find you couldn't do it. Miss Lynch may be a little weak or so in the upper story, but she's not a lunatic; and you couldn't make her so, if you had half

ere again, and was sure the thing was off, for a month

his cruelty; and, for a moment, he had determined to throw up the matter. Barry was so unprincipled, and so wickedly malicious in his want of principle, that he disgusted even Daly. But, on second thoughts, the lawyer remembered that if he didn't do the job, another would; and, qui

cy, and without any especial notice to him, Barry. That, on the next morning, a legal notice should be prepared in Tuam, and served on the widow, informing her that it was his intention to indict her for conspiracy, in enticing away from her own home his sister Anty, for the purpose of obtaining possession of her property, sh

Mr Lynch," he went on, dropping his voice, "if you do go into court, as I don't think you will, you'll go with clean hands, as you ought to do. Nobody can say anything against you for trying to prevent your sister from marrying a man so much younger than herself, and so much inferior

d his self-confidence having been fully roused by his potations, he was tolerably happy, and talked very loudly of the man

f from him, and suggested to Daly that his sister would soon drop off,-that there would then be a nice thing left, and that he, Daly, should have the agency, and if he pleased, the use of Dunmore House. As for himself, he had no idea of m

uch attention to this, or to understand any deep-laid plans. So the two retired to their beds, Barry determined, as he declared to the attorney in his drunken friendship, to have it out of Anty, when he caught her; and Daly promising to go to Tuam early in the morning, have the notices prepared and served, and come back in the evening to dine and sleep, and have, if possible, an interview