"
"I wish to heaven, Carson, I had your talents for business. Do you think
my tenants attached to me?"
"Attached! sir, they are ready to cut your throat or mine, on the first
convenient opportunity. You could not conceive their knavishness and
dishonesty, except you happened to be an agent for a few years.
"So I have been told, and I am resolved to remove every dishonest tenant
from my estate. Is there not a man, for instance, called Brady? He has
sent me a long-winded petition here. What do you think of him?"
"Show me the petition, Colonel."
"I cannot lay my hand on it just now; but you shall see it. In the mean
time, what's your opinion of the fellow?"
"Brady! Why, I know the man particularly well. He is one of my
favorites. What the deuce could the fellow petition about, though? I
promised the other day to renew his lease for him."
"Oh, then, if he be a favorite of yours, his petition may go to the
devil, I suppose? Is the man honest?"
"Remarkably so; and has paid his rents very punctually. He is one of our
safest tenants."
"Do you know a man called Cullen?"
"The most litigious scoundrel on the estate."
"Indeed? Oh, then, we must look into the merits of his petition, as
he is not honest. Had he been honest like Brady, Carson, I should have
dismissed it."
"Cullen, sir, is a dangerous fellow. Do you know, that rascal has
charged me with keeping back his receipts, and with making I him pay
double rent!--ha, ha, ha! Upon my honor, its fact.
Pages:
127
128
129
130
131
132
133
134
135
136
137
138
139
140
141
142
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151