Their conversation was friendly, as usual, when Bryan,
on seeing Hycy about to dash off at the same rapid rate, said, "If you
are not in a particular hurry, Hycy, I'd wish to have a word with you."
The latter immediately pulled up, exclaiming, "a word, Bryan! ay, a
hundred--certainly. Clinton, ride on a bit, will you? till I have some
conversation with M'Mahon. Well, Bryan?"
"Hycy," proceeded Bryan, "I always like to be aboveboard. Will you allow
me to ask if you have any bad feelings against me?"
"Will you answer me another question?" replied Hycy.
"If I can I will," said Bryan.
"Well, then,"'replied Hycy, "I will answer you most candidly, Bryan--not
the slightest; but I do assure you that I thought you had such a feeling
against me."
"And you wor right, too," returned Bryan "for I really had."
"I remember," proceeded Hycy, "that when I asked you to lend me
thirty-five pounds--and by the way that reminds me that I am still
pretty deep in your debt--you would neither lend it nor give any
satisfactory reason why you refused me; now, what occasioned that
feeling, Bryan?"
"It's by the merest chance that I happen to have the cause of it in my
pocket," replied M'Mahon, who, as he spoke, handed him the letter which
Peety Dhu had delivered to him from Hycy himself. "Read that," said he,
"and I think you'll have no great trouble in understanding why I felt
as I did;--an' indeed, Hycy, to tell you the truth, I never had the same
opinion of you since.
Pages:
143
144
145
146
147
148
149
150
151
152
153
154
155
156
157
158
159
160
161
162
163
164
165
166
167