the poor clare-第4节

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aret；　and　he　and　the　other　gentlemen　set…to　to　a　drinking…bout。



CHAPTER　II。



I　now　come　to　the　time　in　which　I　myself　was　mixed　up　with　the　people　that　I　have　been　writing　about。　　And　to　make　you　understand　how　I　became　connected　with　them；　I　must　give　you　some　little　account　of　myself。　　My　father　was　the　younger　son　of　a　Devonshire　gentleman　of　moderate　property；　my　eldest　uncle　succeeded　to　the　estate　of　his　forefathers；　my　second　became　an　eminent　attorney　in　London；　and　my　father　took　orders。　　Like　most　poor　clergymen；　he　had　a　large　family；　and　I　have　no　doubt　was　glad　enough　when　my　London　uncle；　who　was　a　bachelor；　offered　to　take　charge　of　me；　and　bring　me　up　to　be　his　successor　in　business。

In　this　way　I　came　to　live　in　London；　in　my　uncle's　house；　not　far　from　Gray's　Inn；　and　to　be　treated　and　esteemed　as　his　son；　and　to　labour　with　him　in　his　office。　　I　was　very　fond　of　the　old　gentleman。　He　was　the　confidential　agent　of　many　country　squires；　and　had　attained　to　his　present　position　as　much　by　knowledge　of　human　nature　as　by　knowledge　of　law；　though　he　was　learned　enough　in　the　latter。　He　used　to　say　his　business　was　law；　his　pleasure　heraldry。　　From　his　intimate　acquaintance　with　family　history；　and　all　the　tragic　courses　of　life　therein　involved；　to　hear　him　talk；　at　leisure　times；　about　any　coat　of　arms　that　came　across　his　path　was　as　good　as　a　play　or　a　romance。　　Many　cases　of　disputed　property；　dependent　on　a　love　of　genealogy；　were　brought　to　him；　as　to　a　great　authority　on　such　points。　　If　the　lawyer　who　came　to　consult　him　was　young；　he　would　take　no　fee；　only　give　him　a　long　lecture　on　the　importance　of　attending　to　heraldry；　if　the　lawyer　was　of　mature　age　and　good　standing；　he　would　mulct　him　pretty　well；　and　abuse　him　to　me　afterwards　as　negligent　of　one　great　branch　of　the　profession。　　His　house　was　in　a　stately　new　street　called　Ormond　Street；　and　in　it　he　had　a　handsome　library；　but　all　the　books　treated　of　things　that　were　past；　none　of　them　planned　or　looked　forward　into　the　future。　　I　worked　awaypartly　for　the　sake　of　my　family　at　home；　partly　because　my　uncle　had　really　taught　me　to　enjoy　the　kind　of　practice　in　which　he　himself　took　such　delight。　　I　suspect　I　worked　too　hard；　at　any　rate；　in　seventeen　hundred　and　eighteen　I　was　far　from　well；　and　my　good　uncle　was　disturbed　by　my　ill　looks。

One　day；　he　rang　the　bell　twice　into　the　clerk's　room　at　the　dingy　office　in　Grey's　Inn　Lane。　　It　was　the　summons　for　me；　and　I　went　into　his　private　room　just　as　a　gentlemanwhom　I　knew　well　enough　by　sight　as　an　Irish　lawyer　of　more　reputation　than　he　deservedwas　leaving。

My　uncle　was　slowly　rubbing　his　hands　together　and　considering。　　I　was　there　two　or　three　minutes　before　he　spoke。　　Then　he　told　me　that　I　must　pack　up　my　portmanteau　that　very　afternoon；　and　start　that　night　by　post…horse　for　West　Chester。　　I　should　get　there；　if　all　went　well；　at　the　end　of　five　days'　time；　and　must　then　wait　for　a　packet　to　cross　over　to　Dublin；　from　thence　I　must　proceed　to　a　certain　town　named　Kildoon；　and　in　that　neighbourhood　I　was　to　remain；　making　certain　inquiries　as　to　the　existence　of　any　descendants　of　the　younger　branch　of　a　family　to　whom　some　valuable　estates　had　descended　in　the　female　line。　　The　Irish　lawyer　whom　I　had　seen　was　weary　of　the　case；　and　would　willingly　have　given　up　the　property；　without　further　ado；　to　a　man　who　appeared　to　claim　them；　but　on　laying　his　tables　and　trees　before　my　uncle；　the　latter　had　foreseen　so　many　possible　prior　claimants；　that　the　lawyer　had　begged　him　to　undertake　the　management　of　the　whole　business。　　In　his　youth；　my　uncle　would　have　liked　nothing　better　than　going　over　to　Ireland　himself；　and　ferreting　out　every　scrap　of　paper　or　parchment；　and　every　word　of　tradition　respecting　the　family。　　As　it　was；　old　and　gouty；　he　deputed　me。

Accordingly；　I　went　to　Kildoon。　　I　suspect　I　had　something　of　my　uncle's　delight　in　following　up　a　genealogical　scent；　for　I　very　soon　found　out；　when　on　the　spot；　that　Mr。　Rooney；　the　Irish　lawyer；　would　have　got　both　himself　and　the　first　claimant　into　a　terrible　scrape；　if　he　had　pronounced　his　opinion　that　the　estates　ought　to　be　given　up　to　him。　　There　were　three　poor　Irish　fellows；　each　nearer　of　kin　to　the　last　possessor；　but；　a　generation　before；　there　was　a　still　nearer　relation；　who　had　never　been　accounted　for；　nor　his　existence　ever　discovered　by　the　lawyers；　I　venture　to　think；　till　I　routed　him　out　from　the　memory　of　some　of　the　old　dependants　of　the　family。　What　had　become　of　him？　　I　travelled　backwards　and　forwards；　I　crossed　over　to　France；　and　came　back　again　with　a　slight　clue；　which　ended　in　my　discovering　that；　wild　and　dissipated　himself；　he　had　left　one　child；　a　son；　of　yet　worse　character　than　his　father；　that　this　same　Hugh　Fitzgerald　had　married　a　very　beautiful　serving…woman　of　the　Byrnesa　person　below　him　in　hereditary　rank；　but　above　him　in　character；　that　he　had　died　soon　after　his　marriage；　leaving　one　child；　whether　a　boy　or　a　girl　I　could　not　learn；　and　that　the　mother　had　returned　to　live　in　the　family　of　the　Byrnes。　　Now；　the　chief　of　this　latter　family　was　serving　in　the　Duke　of　Berwick's　regiment；　and　it　was　long　before　I　could　hear　from　him；　it　was　more　than　a　year　before　I　got　a　short；　haughty　letterI　fancy　he　had　a　soldier's　contempt　for　a　civilian；　an　Irishman's　hatred　for　an　Englishman；　an　exiled　Jacobite's　jealousy　of　one　who　prospered　and　lived　tranquilly　under　the　government　he　looked　upon　as　an　usurpation。　　〃Bridget　Fitzgerald；〃　he　said；　〃had　been　faithful　to　the　fortunes　of　his　sisterhad　followed　her　abroad；　and　to　England　when　Mrs。　Starkey　had　thought　fit　to　return。　　Both　his　sister　and　her　husband　were　dead；　he　knew　nothing　of　Bridget　Fitzgerald　at　the　present　time：　　probably　Sir　Philip　Tempest；　his　nephew's　guardian；　might　be　able　to　give　me　some　information。〃　　I　have　not　given　the　little　contemptuous　terms；　the　way　in　which　faithful　service　was　meant　to　imply　more　than　it　said　all　that　has　nothing　to　do　with　my　story。　　Sir　Philip；　when　applied　to；　told　me　that　he　paid　an　annuity　regularly　to　an　old　woman　named　Fitzgerald；　living　at　Coldholme　（the　village　near　Starkey　Manor…　house）。　　Whether　she　had　any　descendants　he　could　not　say。

One　bleak　March　evening；　I　came　in　sight　of　the　places　described　at　the　beginning　of　my　story。　　I　could　hardly　understand　the　rude　dialect　in　which　the　direction　to　old　Bridget's　house　was　given。

〃Yo'　see　yon　furleets；〃　all　run　together；　gave　me　no　idea　that　I　was　to　guide　myself　by　the　distant　lights　that　shone　in　the　windows　of　the　Hall；　occupied　for　the　time　by　a　farmer　who　held　the　post　of　steward；　while　the　Squire；　now　four　or　five　and　twenty；　was　making　the　grand　tour。　　However；　at　last；　I　reached　Bridget's　cottagea　low；　moss…grown　place：　　the　palings　that　had　once　surrounded　it　were　broken　and　gone；　and　the　underwood　of　the　forest　came　up　to　the　walls；　and　must　have　darkened　the　windows。　　It　was　about　seven　o'clocknot　late　to　my　London　notionsbut；　after　knocking　for　some　time　at　the　door　and　receiving　no　reply；　I　was　driven　to　conjecture　that　the　occupant　of　the　house　was　gone　to　bed。　　So　I　betook　myself　to　the　nearest　church　I　had　seen；　three　miles　back　on　the　road　I　had　come；　sure　that　close　to　that　I　should　find　an　inn　of　some　kind；　and　early　the　next　morning　I　set　off　back　to　Coldholme；　by　a　field…path　which　my　host　assured　me　I　should　find　a　shorter　cut　than　the　road　I　had　taken　the　night　before。　　It　was　a　cold；　sharp　morning；　my　feet　left　prints　in　the　sprinkling　of　hoar…frost　that　covered　the　ground；　nevertheless；　I　saw　an　old　woman；　whom　I　instinctively　suspected　to　be　the　object　of　my　search；　in　a　sheltered　covert　on　one　side　of　my　path。　　I　lingered　and　watched　her。　　She　must　have　been　considerably　above　the　middle　size　in　her　prime；　for　when　she　raised　herself　from　the　stooping　position　in　which　I　first　saw　her；　there　was　something　fine　and　commanding　in　the　erectness　of　her　figure。　　She　drooped　again　in　a　minute　or　two；　and　seemed　looking　for　something　on　the　ground；　as；　with　bent　head；　she　turned　off　from　the　spot　where　I

gazed　upon　her；　and　was　lost　to　my　sight。　　I　fancy　I　missed　my　way；　and　made　a　round　in　spite　of　the　landlord's　directions；　for　by　the　time　I　had　reached　Bridget's　cottage　she　was　there；　with　no　semblance　of　hurried　walk　or　discomposure　of　any　kind。　　The　door　was　slightly　ajar。　　I　knocked；　and　the　majestic　figure　stood　before　me；　silently　awaiting　the　explanation　of　my　errand。　　Her　teeth　were　all　gone；　so　the　nose　and　chin　were　brought　near　together；　the　gray　eyebrows　were　straight；　and　almost　hung　over　her　deep；　cavernous　eyes；　and　the　thick　white　hair　lay　in　silvery　masses　over　the　low；　wide；　wrinkled　forehead。　　For　a　moment；　I　stood　uncertain　how　to　shape　my　answer　to　the　solemn　questioning　of　her　silence。

〃Your　name　is　Bridget　Fitzgerald；　I　believe？〃

She　bowed　her　head　in　assent。

〃I　have　something　to　say　to　you。　　May　I　come　in？　　I　am　unwilling　to　keep　you　standing。〃

〃You　cannot　tire　me；〃　she　said；　and　at　first　she　seemed　inclined　to　deny　me　the　shelter　of　her　roof。　　But　the　next　momentshe　had　searched　the　very　soul　in　me　with　her　eyes　during　that　instantshe　led　me　in；　and　dropped　the　sha