BALLINASLOE. 69 



44 Much obliged to you, sir, but time presses, therefore 

 let me have it without further ceremony/' 



"Very well," said he, "but I want a little of your 

 advice. What can I do with them ? Oh, the audacity, 

 the villany !" and here he stopped, fairly choked with 

 rage. 



" My dear sir," said I, t( I am quite prepared to hear 

 any amount of audacity and villany ; but, for your owr 

 sake, don't work yourself Into such a towering passion, 

 or you may make your wife a widow, or your children 

 fatherless, by breaking a blood-vessel. They have not 

 quite ruined you, have they ?" 



" Oh no, but they have swindled me clearly out of 

 60," said he, as soon as he could speak. 



" How's that :" I enquired. 



" Oh, the rascality, the wickedness !" 



" Good morning, I really cannot stay to hear any fur 

 ther preface," said I, for I really was in a hurry. 



" Stay, stay/' said he, pressing my arm, "you really 

 must expose this audacious swindle, or neither you nor 

 I shall be doing our duty to society." 



" Proceed, then, if you please, sir," said I, laughing, 

 for I could not help it. 



"Well then," he began his narrative "I must fell 

 you that by the most persevering industry and self-denial 

 I have amassed as much money in business as to feel 

 justified in purchasing a villa, about eight miles from, 

 town, and for years I have thought how pleasant it would 

 be to keep a horse and brougham, so that my wife and 



