“This I resolved on, not because I was ignorant of the fact, which you know I had from M’Clutchy himself, but that I might ascertain that gentleman’s mode of transacting business, and his fairness towards Lord Cumber’s tenants.

“’What this man says, Mr. M’Loughlin, surely cannot be possible—­does he mean to assert that Lord Cumber refused to renew your lease, although he must be aware that you have expended in the erection of this fine manufactory a sum not less, I should suppose, than five or six thousand pounds.’

“‘Seven thousand six hundred,’ replied the old man, setting me right, ‘nearly four thousand between Harman and us.’

“‘But he does not refuse to renew your leases certainly?’

“‘No,’ said M’Loughlin, ’I cannot say that he does; but we have not been able to get anything like a distinct reply from him on the subject—­and, as far as reports go, they are certainly not in our favor.  We have written to Lord Cumber himself, and the only reply we could obtain was, that he had placed the whole matter in the hands of M’Clutchy, in whose justice and integrity, he said, he had the highest confidence, and that consequently we must abide by his decision.  My own impression is, that he is determined to ruin us, which he certainly will, should he refuse us a renewal.’

“‘There can be no doubt about it,’ said the eldest son, ’nor that his management of the estate and his general administration of justice are woefully one-sided.’

“‘I don’t choose to hear Mr. M’Clutchy abused,’ said the leading fellow, who, in truth, was one of his blood-hounds, as were all the rest, with one exception only, ’nor I won’t hear him abused.  You wouldn’t have him show the same favor to Papists that he would show to good, honest Protestants, that are staunch and. loyal to Church and State—­by Jabers, that would be nice work!  Do you think a man’s not to show favor to his own side, either as a magistrate or agent?—­faith that’s good!’

“‘And I’ll tell you more,’ said another of them, addressing John M’Loughlin, ’do you think, that if he dared to put Papishes on a level with us, that we’d suffer it?  By Gog, you’re out of it if you do—­we know a horse of another color, my buck.’

“‘To whom do you address such insolent language as this?’ asked the young man, ’you are here in execution of your duty, and you had better confine yourself to that.’

“’To you, my buck, I address it, and to any Papish that doesn’t like it—­and if I’m here to discharge my duty, I’ll discharge it,’ and he shook his head with insolence as he spoke; ‘an’ what’s more, I’m afeard of no man—­and I’ll discharge my duty as I like, that’s another thing—­as I like to discharge it.  Ha! d—­n me, I’m not to be put down by a parcel of Priests and Papishes, if they were ten times as bad as they are.’

“‘You are a low ruffian,’ replied the young man, ’far beneath my resentment or my notice; and it is precisely such scoundrels as you, ignorant and brutal, who bring shame and infamy upon religion itself—­and are a multiplied curse to the country.’