"Well, well, I didn't mean anything more than that I just heard that a match was made between them. So, Mr. Macdermot, Mr. Flannelly will settle L50 a year on you, paid as you like; or come, say a pound a week, as you would probably like to pay your lodgings weekly; and he would give L100 each to your son and daughter, ready money down you know, Mr. Thady. What do you say, Mr. Macdermot?" And he got up and walked round so as to stand over the side of Larry's chair. "Didn't I tell you, then, I wouldn't be bothered with your business? If you must come up here jawing and talking, can't you have it out with Thady there?" "Well, Thady, what do you say? You see how much your father's comfort would be improved; and as I suppose, after all, your sister is to be married, you couldn't well keep the house up; and I'll tell you what more Mr. Flannelly proposes for yourself." "I don't want what Mr. Flannelly will do for me; but I'm thinking of the old man, and Feemy there." "Well, don't you see how much more comfortable he must be?--nothing to bother him, you know; no bills coming due; and as for yourself, you should have a lease, say for five years, of any land you liked; say forty acres or so, and with your ready money you know." "Sure isn't the land crowded with tenants already?" said Thady. "Ah yes; those wretched cabin holders with their half acres. Mr. Flannelly would soon get shut of them: he means to have no whiskey making on the land! Let me alone to eject those fellows. By dad! I'll soon clear off most of them." "What! strip their roofs?" "Yes, if they wouldn't go quietly; but they most of them know me now; and I give you my word of honour--indeed, Flannelly said as much--you should have any forty acres you please, at a fair rent. Say what the poor devils are paying now, without any capital you know." "No, Mr. Keegan; I wouldn't have act or part in dhriving off the poor craturs that know me so well; nor would I be safe if I did; nor for the matter of that, could I well bring myself to be one of Mr. Flannelly's tenants at Ballycloran. But I won't say I won't be advising the owld man to take the offer, if you only make it a little fairer. Consider, Mr. Keegan; the whole property--nigh L400 a year, besides the house--and Mr. Flannelly's debt on it only L200." "Ah! L400 a year and the house is very well," said Keegan; "but did you ever see the L400--and isn't the house half falling down already?" "Whose fault is that--who built it then, Mr. Keegan?--bad luck to it for a house!" "Well, I don't know it's much use going into that now; but you can't say but what the proposal is a fair one."