more fair and honest, and easy in all his dealings, from first to last,
as Sir Condy, or more willing to pay every man his own as far as he was
able, which is as much as any one can do. “Well,” says he, joking like
with Jason, “I wish we could settle it all with a stroke of my grey
goose quill. What signifies making me wade through all this ocean of
papers here; can’t you now, who understand drawing out an account,
debtor and creditor, just sit down here at the corner of the table and
get it done out for me, that I may have a clear view of the balance,
which is all I need be talking about, you know?” “Very true, Sir Condy;
nobody understands business better than yourself,” says Jason. “So I’ve
a right to do, being born and bred to the bar,” says Sir Condy. “Thady,
do step out and see are they bringing in the things for the punch,
for we’ve just done all we have to do for this evening.” I goes out
accordingly, and when I came back, Jason was pointing to the balance,
which was a terrible sight to my poor master. “Pooh! pooh! pooh!” says
he, “here’s so many noughts they dazzle my eyes, so they do, and put me
in mind of all I suffered, larning of my numeration table, when I was a
boy at the day-school along with you, Jason--units, tens, hundreds,
tens of hundreds. Is the punch ready, Thady?” says he, seeing me.
“Immediately; the boy has the jug in his hand; it’s coming up stairs,
please your honour, as fast as possible,” says I, for I saw his honour
was tired out of his life; but Jason, very short and cruel, cuts me off
with--“Don’t be talking of punch yet a while; it’s no time for punch yet
a bit--units, tens, hundreds,” goes he on, counting over the master’s
shoulder, units, tens, hundreds, thousands. “A-a-ah! hold your hand,”
cries my master; “where in this wide world am I to find hundreds, or
units itself, let alone thousands?” “The balance has been running on too
long,” says Jason, sticking to him as I could not have done at the time,
if you’d have given both the Indies and Cork to boot; “the balance has
been running on too long, and I’m distressed myself on your account, Sir
Condy, for money, and the thing must be settled now on the spot, and the
balance cleared off,” says Jason. “I’ll thank you if you’ll only show
me how,” says Sir Condy. “There’s but one way,” says Jason, “and that’s
ready enough: when there’s no cash, what can a gentleman do, but go
to the land?” “How can you go to the land, and it under custodiam to
yourself already,” says Sir Condy, “and another custodiam hanging over
it? and no one at all can touch it, you know, but the custodees.”
“Sure, can’t you sell, though at a loss? sure you can sell, and I’ve
a purchaser ready for you,” says Jason. “Have ye so?” said Sir Condy;
“that’s a great point gained; but there’s a thing now beyond all, that
perhaps you don’t know yet, barring Thady has let you into the secret.”
“Sarrah bit of a secret, or any thing at all of the kind, has he learned
from me these fifteen weeks come St.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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