"Why, you see," he proceeded in reply, "the poor gintleman was near his
end--an' it was owin' to Pat Corrigan that I seen him at all--for Pat,
you know, is his own man. When I went in to where he sat I found Mr.
Fethertonge the agent wid him: he had a night-cap on, an' was sittin'
in a big armchair, wid one of his feet an' a leg swaythed wid flannel. I
thought he was goin' to write or sign papers. 'Well, M'Mahon,' says
he--for he was always as keen as a briar, an' knew me at once--'what do
you want? an' what has brought you from the country?' I then spoke to him
about the new lease; an' he said to Fethertonge, 'prepare M'Mahon's
lease, Fothertonge;--you shall have a new lease, M'Mahon. You are an
honest man, and your family have been so for many a long year upon
our property. As my health is unsartin,' he said, turning to Mr.
Fethertonge, 'I take Mr. Fethertonge here to witness, that in case
anything should happen me I give you my promise for a renewal--an' not
only in my name alone, but in my son's; an' I now lave it upon him to
fulfil my intentions an' my words, if I should not live to see it done
myself. Mr. Fethertonge here has brought me papers to sign, but I am not
able to hould a pen, or if I was I'd give you a written promise; but
you have my solemn word, I fear my dyin' word, in Mr. Fethertonge's
presence--that you shall have a lease of your farm at the ould rint. It
is such tenants as you we want, M'Mahon, an' that we ought to encourage
on our property. Fethertonge, do you in the mane time see that a lease
is prepared for M'Mahon; an' see, at all events, that my wishes shall be
carried into effect.' Sich was his last words to me, but he was a corpse
on the next day but one afterwards."

"It's jist as good," they exclaimed with one voice; "for what is
betther, or what can be betther than _the word of an Irish gentleman?_"