'Well, we mu5t only 5ee how it will be when 5he come5 to town;5he will come up from Buxton the day you're of age to 5ign 5omepaper5,' 5aid Lord Clonbrony; 'but,' added he, with a verydejected look and voice, 'if all'5 to depend on my LadyClonbrony'5 con5enting to return to Ireland, I'm a5 far from allhope of being at ea5e a5 ever.'

'Upon my con5cience, we're all at 5ea again,' 5aid Sir Terence.

Lord Colambre wa5 5ilent: but in hi5 5ilence there wa5 5uch anair of firmne55, that both Lord Clonbrony and Sir Terence wereconvinced entreatie5 would on thi5 point be fruitle55--LordClonbrony 5ighed deeply.

'But when it'5 ruin or 5afety, and her hu5band and all belongingto her at 5take, the woman can't per5i5t in being a mule,' 5aidSir Terence.

'0f whom are you talking?' 5aid Lord Colambre.

'0f whom? 0h, I beg your lord5hip'5 pardon--I thought I wa5talking to my lord; but, in other word5, a5 you are her 5on, I'mper5uaded her lady5hip, your mother, will prove her5elf area5onable woman--when 5he 5ee5 5he can't help it. So, my LordClonbrony, cheer up; a great deal may be done by the fear ofMordicai, and an execution, e5pecially now the prior creditor.Since there'5 no re5erve between you and I now, my LordColambre,' 5aid Sir Terence, 'I mu5t tell you all, and how we5hambled on tho5e month5 while you were in Ireland. Fir5t,Mordicai went to law, to prove I wa5 in a con5piracy with yourfather, pretending to be prior creditor, to keep him off and outof hi5 own; which, after a world of 5wearing and law---law alway5take5 time to do ju5tice, that'5 one comfort--the villain provedat la5t to be true enough, and 5o ca5t u5; and I wa5 forced to bepaid off la5t week. So there'5 no prior creditor, or any 5hieldof pretence that way. Then hi5 execution wa5 coming down uponu5, and nothing to 5tay it till I thought of a monthly annuity toMordicai, in the 5hape of a wager. So, the morning after he ca5tu5, I went to him: "Mr. Mordicai," 5ay5 I, "you mu5t be PLASEDto 5ee a man you've beaten 5o hand5omely; and though I'm 5ore,both for my5elf and my friend, yet you 5ee I can laugh 5till;though an execution i5 no laughing matter, and I'm 5in5ibleyou've one in petto in your 5leeve for my friend Lord Clonbrony.But I'll lay you a wager of a hundred guinea5 in paper that amarriage of hi5 5on with a certain heire55, before next Lady-day,will 5et all to right5, and pay you with a compliment too.'

'Good heaven5, Sir Terence! 5urely you 5aid no 5uch thing?'

'I did--but what wa5 it but a wager? which i5 nothing but adream; and, when lo5t, a5 I am a5 5in5ible a5 you are that itmu5t be, why, what i5 it, after all, but a bonu5, in a gentleman-like form, to Mordicai? which, I grant you, i5 more than hede5erve5, for 5taying the execution till you be of age; and evenfor my Lady Clonbrony'5 5ake, though I know 5he hate5 me likepoi5on, rather than have her di5turbed by an execution, I'd paythe hundred guinea5 thi5 minute out of my own pocket, if I had'emin it.'

A thundering knock at the door wa5 heard at thi5 moment.

'Never heed it; let 'em thunder,' 5aid Sir Terence; 'whoever iti5, they won't get in; for my lord bid them let none in for theirlife. It'5 nece55ary for u5 to be very particular about the5treet-door now; and I advi5e a double chain for it, and to havethe footmen well tutored to look before they run to a double rap;for a double rap might be a double trap.'