“By Jing, sir,” said Jackson, “All say nothin’ aginst my father-in-laa, an’ A don’t care who teks it well or ull.  A was just tekin’ a gun (* a half-tumbler of punch) with a fren’ or two—­an d—–­me, A say, A’ll stick to my father-m-laa, for he hes stuck to me.”

“You appear to be a hardened, drunken wretch,” observed the Colonel.  “Will you be civil enough to show your last receipt for rent?”

“Wull A show it?  A dono whether A wull or not, nor A dono whether A hey it or not; but ef aall the receipts in Europe wur burnt, d——­ my blood, but A’ll stick to my father-in-laa.”

“Your father-in-law may be proud of you,” said the Colonel.

“By h——­, A’ll back you en that,” said the fellow nodding his head, and
looking round him confidently.  “By h-----, A say that, too!”

“And I am sorry to be compelled to add,” continued the Colonel, “that you may be equally proud of your father-in-law.”

“A say, right agane!  D——­ me, bit A’ll back that too!"and he nodded confidently, and looked around the room once more.  “A wull, d——­ my blood, bit no man can say agane it.  A’m married to his daughter; an’, by the sun that shines A’ll still stan’ up for my father-in-laa.”

“Mr. Carson,” said the Colonel, “can you disprove these facts?  Can you show that you did not expel M’Evoy from his farm, and put the husband of your illegitimate daughter into it?  That you did not receive his rent, decline giving him a receipt, and afterwards compel him to pay twice, because he could not produce the receipt which you withheld?”

“Gentlemen,” said Carson, not directly replying to the Colonel, “there is a base conspiracy got up against me; and I can perceive, moreover, that there is evidently some unaccountable intention on the part of Colonel B. to insult my feelings and injure my character.  When paltry circumstances that have occurred above ten years ago, are raked up in my teeth, I have little to say, but that it proves how very badly off the Colonel must have been for an imputation against my conduct and discretion as his agent, since he finds himself compelled to hunt so far back for a charge.”

“That is by no means the heaviest charge I have to bring against you,” replied the Colonel.  “There is no lack of them; nor shall you be able to complain that they are not recent, as well as of longer standing.  Your conduct in the case of poor honest M’Evoy here is black and iniquitous.  He must be restored to his farm, but by other hands than yours, and that ruffian instantly expelled from it.  From this moment, sir, you cease to be my agent.  You have betrayed the confidence I reposed in you; you have misled me as to the character of my tenants; you have been a deceitful, cunning, cringing, selfish and rapacious tyrant.  My people you have ground to dust; my property you have lessened in value nearly one-half, and for your motives in doing this, I refer you to certain transactions and legal documents