Tales and Novels, vol 6 | Page 5

the perch--Let us
see--Mr. Mordicai, ask him, ask Paddy, about Sir Terence," said the
foreman, pointing back over his shoulder to the Irish workman, who
was at this moment pretending to be wondrous hard at work. However,
when Mr. Mordicai defied him to tell him any thing he did not know,
Paddy, parting with an untasted bit of tobacco, began and recounted
some of Sir Terence O'Fay's exploits in evading duns, replevying cattle,
fighting sheriffs, bribing subs, managing cants, tricking custodees, in
language so strange, and with a countenance and gestures so full of
enjoyment of the jest, that, whilst Mordicai stood for a moment aghast
with astonishment, Lord Colambre could not help laughing, partly at,
and partly with, his countryman. All the yard were in a roar of laughter,
though they did not understand half of what they heard; but their risible
muscles were acted upon mechanically, or maliciously, merely by the
sound of the Irish brogue.
Mordicai, waiting till the laugh was over, dryly observed, that "the law
is executed in another guess sort of way in England from what it is in
Ireland;" therefore, for his part, he desired nothing better than to set his
wits fairly against such _sharks_--that there was a pleasure in doing up
a debtor, which none but a creditor could know.
"In a moment, sir; if you'll have a moment's patience, sir, if you

please," said the slow foreman to Lord Colambre; "I must go down the
pounds once more, and then I'll let you have it."
"I'll tell you what, Smithfield," continued Mr. Mordicai, coming close
beside his foreman, and speaking very low, but with a voice trembling
with anger, for he was piqued by his foreman's doubts of his capacity to
cope with Sir Terence O'Fay; "I'll tell you what, Smithfield, I'll be
cursed if I don't get every inch of them into my power--you know
how."
"You are the best judge, sir," replied the foreman; "but I would not
undertake Sir Terence; and the question is, whether the estate will
answer the tote of the debts, and whether you know them all for
certain--"
"I do, sir, I tell you: there's Green--there's Blancham--there's
Gray--there's Soho"--naming several more--"and, to my knowledge,
Lord Clonbrony--"
"Stop, sir," cried Lord Colambre, in a voice which made Mordicai and
every body present start;--"I am his son--"
"The devil!" said Mordicai.
"God bless every bone in his body, then, he's an Irishman!" cried Paddy;
"and there was the _ra_son my heart warmed to him from the first
minute he come into the yard, though I did not know it till now."
"What, sir! are you my Lord Colambre?" said Mr. Mordicai, recovering,
but not clearly recovering, his intellects: "I beg pardon, but I did not
know you was Lord Colambre--I thought you told me you was the
friend of Mr. Berryl."
"I do not see the incompatibility of the assertion, sir," replied Lord
Colambre, taking from the bewildered foreman's unresisting hand the
account which he had been so long furnishing.
"Give me leave, my lord," said Mordicai--"I beg your pardon, my lord;

perhaps we can compromise that business for your friend Mr. Berryl;
since he is your lordship's friend, perhaps we can contrive to
compromise and split the difference."
To compromise, and split the difference, Mordicai thought were
favourite phrases, and approved Hibernian modes of doing business,
which would conciliate this young Irish nobleman, and dissipate the
proud tempest, which had gathered, and now swelled in his breast.
"No, sir, no!" cried Lord Colambre, holding firm the paper: "I want no
favour from you. I will accept of none for my friend or for myself."
"Favour! No, my lord, I should not presume to offer--But I should wish,
if you'll allow me, to do your friend justice."
Lord Colambre, recollecting that he had no right, in his pride, to fling
away his friend's money, let Mr. Mordicai look at the account; and his
impetuous temper in a few moments recovered by good sense, he
considered, that, as his person was utterly unknown to Mr. Mordicai,
no offence could have been intended to him, and that, perhaps, in what
had been said of his father's debts and distress, there might be more
truth than he was aware of. Prudently, therefore, controlling his feelings,
and commanding himself, he suffered Mr. Mordicai to show him into a
parlour to settle his friend's business. In a few minutes the account was
reduced to a reasonable form, and, in consideration of the partner's
having made the bargain, by which Mr. Mordicai felt himself
influenced in honour, though not bound in law, he undertook to have
the curricle made better than new again, for Mr. Berryl, for twenty
guineas. Then came awkward apologies to Lord Colambre, which he ill
endured. "Between ourselves, my