"That's the devil!" said Lord Clonbrony: "that's the very reason I
can't conveniently turn him out."

"I will make it convenient to you, sir, if you will permit me," said
Lord Colambre. "In a few days I shall be of age, and will join with
you in raising whatever sum you want, to free you from this man. Allow
me to look over his account; and whatever the honest balance may be,
let him have it."

"My dear boy!" said Lord Clonbrony, "you're a generous fellow. Fine
Irish heart!--glad you're my son! But there's more, much more, that
you don't know," added he, looking at Sir Terence, who cleared his
throat; and Lord Clonbrony, who was on the point of opening all his
affairs to his son, stopped short.

"Colambre," said he, "we will not say any thing more of this at
present; for nothing effectual can be done till you are of age, and
then we shall see all about it."

Lord Colambre perfectly understood what his father meant, and what was
meant by the clearing of Sir Terence's throat. Lord Clonbrony wanted
his son to join him in opening the estate to pay his debts; and Sir
Terence feared that if Lord Colambre were abruptly told the whole sum
total of the debts, he would never be persuaded to join in selling or
mortgaging so much of his patrimony as would be necessary for their
payment. Sir Terence thought that the young man, ignorant probably of
business, and unsuspicious of the state of his father's affairs, might
be brought, by proper management, to any measures they desired. Lord
Clonbrony wavered between the temptation to throw himself upon the