“In hundreds?” said the sharp Irishman. “Very well,” said Lord Tathenham; and the bet was booked. “You didn’t know, I suppose,” said the successful viscount, “that Dot Blake has bought Brien Boru?” “And who the devil’s Dot Blake?” said Lord Tathenham. “Oh! you’ll know before May’s over,” said the viscount. CHAPTER XVII. MARTIN KELLY’S COURTSHIP It will be remembered that the Tuam attorney, Daly, dined with Barry Lynch, at Dunmore House, on the same evening that Martin Kelly reached home after his Dublin excursion; and that, on that occasion, a good deal of interesting conversation took place after dinner. Barry, however, was hardly amenable to reason at that social hour, and it was not till the following morning that he became thoroughly convinced that it would be perfectly impossible for him to make his sister out a lunatic to the satisfaction of the Chancellor. He then agreed to abandon the idea, and, in lieu of it, to indict, or at any rate to threaten to indict, the widow Kelly and her son for a conspiracy, and an attempt to inveigle his sister Anty into a disgraceful marriage, with the object of swindling her out of her property. “I’ll see Moylan, Mr Lynch,” said Daly; “and if I can talk him over, I think we might succeed in frightening the whole set of them, so far as to prevent the marriage. Moylan must know that if your sister was to marry young Kelly, there’d be an end to his agency; but we must promise him something, Mr Lynch.” “Yes; I suppose we must pay him, before we get anything out of him.” “No, not before—but he must understand that he will get something, if he makes himself useful. You must let me explain to him that if the marriage is prevented, you will make no objection to his continuing to act as Miss Lynch’s agent; and I might hint the possibility of his receiving the rents on the whole property.” “Hint what you like, Daly, but don’t tie me down to the infernal ruffian. I suppose we can throw him overboard afterwards, can’t we?” “Why, not altogether, Mr Lynch. If I make him a definite promise, I shall expect you to keep to it.” “Confound him!—but tell me, Daly; what is it he’s to do?—and what is it we’re to do?” “Why, Mr Lynch, it’s more than probable, I think, that this plan of Martin Kelly’s marrying your sisther may have been talked over between the ould woman, Moylan, and the young man; and if so, that’s something like a conspiracy. If I could worm that out of him, I think I’d manage to frighten them.” “And what the deuce had I better do? You see, there was a bit of a row between us. That is, Anty got frightened when I spoke to her of this rascal, and then she left the house. Couldn’t you make her understand that she’d be all right if she’d come to the house again?”