Tales and Novels, vol 4 | Page 8

haste a bit of a letter,
saying he left it all to the agent, and that he must let it as well as he
could to the best bidder, to be sure, and send him over 200l., by return
of post: with this the agent gave me a hint, and I spoke a good word for
my son, and gave out in the country that nobody need bid against us. So
his proposal was just the thing, and he a good tenant; and he got a
promise of an abatement in the rent, after the first year, for advancing
the half year's rent at signing the lease, which was wanting to complete
the agent's 200l., by the return of the post, with all which my master
wrote back he was well satisfied. About this time we learned from the
agent as a great secret, how the money went so fast, and the reason of
the thick coming of the master's drafts: he was a little too fond of play;
and Bath, they say, was no place for a young man of his fortune, where
there were so many of his own countrymen too hunting him up and
down, day and night, who had nothing to lose. At last, at Christmas, the
agent wrote over to stop the drafts, for he could raise no more money
on bond or mortgage, or from the tenants, or any how, nor had he any
more to lend himself, and desired at the same time to decline the
agency for the future, wishing Sir Kit his health and happiness, and the
compliments of the season, for I saw the letter before ever it was sealed,
when my son copied it. When the answer came, there was a new turn in
affairs, and the agent was turned out; and my son Jason, who had
corresponded privately with his honour occasionally on business, was
forthwith desired by his honour to take the accounts into his own hands,
and look them over till further orders. It was a very spirited letter to be
sure: Sir Kit sent his service, and the compliments of the season, in
return to the agent, and he would fight him with pleasure to-morrow, or
any day, for sending him such a letter, if he was born a gentleman,
which he was sorry (for both their sakes) to find (too late) he was not.

Then, in a private postscript, he condescended to tell us, that all would
be speedily settled to his satisfaction, and we should turn over a new
leaf, for he was going to be married in a fortnight to the grandest
heiress in England, and had only immediate occasion at present for
200l., as he would not choose to touch his lady's fortune for travelling
expenses home to Castle Rackrent, where he intended to be, wind and
weather permitting, early in the next month; and desired fires, and the
house to be painted, and the new building to go on as fast as possible,
for the reception of him and his lady before that time; with several
words besides in the letter, which we could not make out, because, God
bless him! he wrote in such a flurry. My heart warmed to my new lady
when I read this; I was almost afraid it was too good news to be true;
but the girls fell to scouring, and it was well they did, for we soon saw
his marriage in the paper, to a lady with I don't know how many tens of
thousand pounds to her fortune: then I watched the post-office for his
landing; and the news came to my son of his and the bride being in
Dublin, and on the way home to Castle Rackrent. We had bonfires all
over the country, expecting him down the next day, and we had his
coming of age still to celebrate, which he had not time to do properly
before he left the country; therefore a great ball was expected, and great
doings upon his coming, as it were, fresh to take possession of his
ancestors' estate. I never shall forget the day he came home: we had
waited and waited all day long till eleven o'clock at night, and I was
thinking of sending the boy to lock the gates, and giving them up for
that night, when there came the carriages thundering up to the great hall
door. I got the first sight of the bride; for when the carriage door
opened, just as she had her foot on the steps, I held the flam[S] full in
her face to light her, at which she shut her eyes, but I had a full view of
the rest, of her, and greatly shocked I was, for by that light she