“And do you mind my telling you, I didn’t know from Adam what it was for, that Barry Lynch was sending for me?” “And I remember that, too.” “And that I tould you, that when I did know I shouldn’t tell you?” “Begad you did, Mr Daly; thim very words.” “Why then, Martin, I tould you what wasn’t thrue, for I’m come all the way from Tuam, this minute, to tell you all about it.” Martin turned very red, for he rightly conceived that when an attorney came all the way from Tuam to talk to him, the tidings were not likely to be agreeable. “And is it about Barry Lynch’s business?” “It is.” “Then it’s schames—there’s divil a doubt of that.” “It is schames, as you say, Martin,” said Daly, slapping him on the shoulder—“fine schames—no less than a wife with four hundred a-year! Wouldn’t that be a fine schame?” “’Deed it would, Mr Daly, av’ the wife and the fortune were honestly come by.” “And isn’t it a hundred pities that I must come and upset such a pretty schame as that? But, for all that, it’s thrue. I’m sorry for you, Martin, but you must give up Anty Lynch.” “Give her up, is it? Faith I haven’t got her to give up, worse luck.” “Nor never will, Martin; and that’s worse luck again.” “Well, Mr Daly, av’ that’s all you’ve come to say, you might have saved yourself car-hire. Miss Lynch is nothing to me, mind; how should she be? But av’ she war, neither Barry Lynch—who’s as big a rogue as there is from this to hisself and back again—nor you, who, I take it, ain’t rogue enough to do Barry’s work, wouldn’t put me off it.” “Well, Martin; thank ’ee for the compliment. But now, you know what I’ve come about, and there’s no joke in it. Of course I don’t want you to tell me anything of your plans; but, as Mr Lynch’s lawyer, I must tell you so much as this of his:—that, if his sister doesn’t lave the inn, and honestly assure him that she’ll give up her intention of marrying you, he’s determined to take proceedings.” He then fumbled in his pocket, and, bringing out the two notices, handed to Martin the one addressed to him. “Read that, and it’ll give you an idea what we’re afther. And when I tell you that Moylan owns, and will swear to it too, that he was present when all the plans were made, you’ll see that we’re not going to sea without wind in our sails.”