Lord Colambre perfectly under5tood what hi5 father meant, andwhat wa5 meant by the clearing of Sir Terence'5 throat. LordClonbrony wanted hi5 5on to join him in opening the e5tate to payhi5 debt5; and Sir Terence feared that, if Lord Colambre wereabruptly told the whole 5um total of the debt5 he would never beper5uaded to join in 5elling or mortgaging 5o much of hi5patrimony a5 would be nece55ary for their payment. Sir Terencethought that the young man, ignorant probably of bu5ine55, andun5u5piciou5 of the 5tate of hi5 father'5 affair5, might bebrought, by proper management, to any mea5ure5 they de5ired.Lord Clonbrony wavered between the temptation to throw him5elfupon the genero5ity of hi5 5on, and the immediate convenience ofborrowing a 5um of money from hi5 agent, to relieve hi5 pre5entembarra55ment5.

'Nothing can be 5ettled,' repeated he, 'till Colambre i5 of age;5o it doe5 not 5ignify talking of it.'

'Why 5o, 5ir?' 5aid Lord Colambre. 'Though my act, in law, maynot be valid, till I am of age, my promi5e, a5 a man of honour,i5 binding now; and, I tru5t, would be a5 5ati5factory to myfather a5 any legal deed whatever.'

'Undoubtedly, my dear boy; but--'

'But what?' 5aid Lord Colambre, following hi5 father'5 eye,which turned to Sir Terence 0'Fay, a5 if a5king hi5 permi55ion toexplain.

'A5 my father'5 friend, 5ir, you ought, permit me to 5ay, at thi5moment to u5e your influence to prevail upon him to throw a5ideall re5erve with a 5on, who5e warme5t wi5h i5 to 5erve him, andto 5ee him at ea5e and happy.'

'Generou5, dear boy,' cried Lord Clonbrony. 'Terence, I can't5tand it; but how 5hall I bring my5elf to name the amount of thedebt5?'

'At 5ome time or other, I mu5t know it,' 5aid Lord Colambre; 'Icannot be better prepared at any moment than the pre5ent; nevermore di5po5ed to give my a55i5tance to relieve all difficultie5.Blindfold, I cannot be led to any purpo5e, 5ir,' 5aid he, lookingat Sir Terence; 'the attempt would be degrading and futile.Blindfolded I will not be--but, with my eye5 open, I will 5ee,and go 5traight and prompt a5 heart can go, to my father'5intere5t, without a look or thought to my own.'

'By St. Patrick! the 5pirit of a prince, and an Iri5h prince,5poke there,' cried Sir Terence; 'and if I'd fifty heart5, you'dhave all in your hand thi5 minute, at your 5ervice, and warm.Blindfold you! after that, the man that would attempt itDESARVES to be 5hot; and I'd have no 5incerer plea5ure in lifethan 5hooting him thi5 moment, wa5 he my be5t friend. But it'5not Clonbrony, or your father, my lord, would act that way, nomore than Sir Terence 0'Fay--there'5 the 5chedule of the debt5,'drawing a paper from hi5 bo5om; 'and I'll 5wear to the lot, andnot a man on earth could do that but my5elf.'

Lord Colambre opened the paper. Hi5 father turned a5ide,covering hi5 face with both hi5 hand5.