“Ay, ay; but who ever heard of a whole estate disposed of for less than two years of its rental?”
“That's exactly the case, sir,” said he, in the same calm tone as before; “and what makes matters worse, we have little time to look out for expedients. Magennis will put us on our title at the new trial next assizes. Merl will take fright at the insecurity of his claim, and dispose of it,--Heaven knows to whom,--perhaps to that very league now formed to raise litigation against all the old tenures.”
“Stop, stop, Scanlan! There is quite enough difficulty before us, without conjuring up new complications,” cried Massingbred. “Have you anything to suggest? What ought to be done here?”
Scanlan was silent, and leaning his head on his hand seemed lost in thought.
“Come, Scanlan, you 've thought over all this ere now. Tell me, man, what do you advise?”
“Out with it, Scanlan. I know, I feel that you have a resource in store against all these perils! Out with it, man.”
“Have I any need to remind you of your promise, Mr. Massingbred?” asked the other, stealthily.
“Not the slightest, Scanlan. I never forget a pledge.”
“Very well, sir; that's enough,” said Scanlan, speaking rapidly, and like one anxious to overcome his confusion by an effort. “We have just one thing to do. We must buy out Merl. Of course as reasonably as we can, but buy him out we must. What between his own short experiences of Ireland, and the exposure that any litigation is sure to bring with it, he's not likely to be hard to deal with, particularly when we are in possession, as I suppose we may be, through _your_ intimacy with the Captain, of all the secret history of these transactions. I take it for granted that he 'll be as glad of a settlement that keeps all 'snug,' as ourselves. Less than the twenty-two thousand we can't expect he'll take.”
“And how are we to raise that sum without Mr. Martin's concurrence?”
“I wish that was the only difficulty,” said Scanlan.
“Just this: that in his present state no act of his would stand. Sure his mind is gone. There isn't a servant about him could n't swear to his fancies and imaginations. No, sir, the whole thing must be done amongst ourselves. I have eight thousand some hundred pounds of my own available at a moment; old Nelligan would readily--for an assignment of the Brewery and the Market Square--advance us ten thousand more;--the money, in short, could be had--more if we wanted it--the question--”