Lord Colambre listened with all possible composure and attention; but the postilion, having now made his linchpin of wood, and _fixed himself_, he mounted his bar, and drove on, saying to Lord Colambre, as he looked at the road-makers, “Poor _cratures_! They couldn’t keep their cattle out of pound, or themselves out of jail, but by making this road.” “Is road-making, then, a very profitable business!--Have road-makers higher wages than other men in this part of the country?” “It is, and it is not--they have, and they have not--plase your honour.” “I don’t understand you.” “No, beca-ase you’re an Englishman--that is, a Welshman--beg your honour’s pardon. But I’ll tell you how that is, and I’ll go slow over these broken stones--for I can’t go fast: it is where there’s no jantleman over these under-agents, as here, they do as they plase; and when they have set the land they get rasonable from the head landlords, to poor cratures at a rackrent, that they can’t live and pay the rent, they say--” “Who says?” “Them under-agents, that have no conscience at all. Not all--but _some_, like Dennis, says, says he, ‘I’ll get you a road to make up the rent:’ that is, plase your honour, the agent gets them a presentment for so many perches of road from the grand jury, at twice the price that would make the road. And tenants are, by this means, as they take the road by contract, at the price given by the county, able to pay all they get by the job, over and above potatoes and salt, back again to the agent, for the arrear on the land. Do I make your honour _sensible_[6]?” “You make me much more sensible than I ever was before,” said Lord Colambre: “but is not this cheating the county?” “Well, and suppose,” replied Larry, “is not it all for my good, and yours too, plase your honour?” said Larry, looking very shrewdly. “My good!” said Lord Colambre, startled. “What have I to do with it?” “Haven’t you to do with the roads as well as me, when you’re travelling upon them, plase your honour? And sure, they’d never be got made at all, if they wern’t made this ways; and it’s the best way in the wide world, and the finest roads we have. And when the _rael_ jantleman’s resident in the country, there’s no jobbing can be, because they’re then the leading men on the grand jury; and these journeymen jantlemen are then kept in order, and all’s right.” Lord Colambre was much surprised at Larry’s knowledge of the manner in which county business is managed, as well as by his shrewd good sense: he did not know that this is not uncommon in his rank of life in Ireland. Whilst Larry was speaking, Lord Colambre was looking from side to side at the desolation of the prospect. “So this is Lord Clonbrony’s estate, is it?”