castle rackrent-第10节

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　was　no　more　than　dirt；　and　his　gentleman　and　groom；　and　all　belonging　to　him；　the　same；　but　the　sporting　season　over；　he　grew　tired　of　the　place；　and　having　got　down　a　great　architect　for　the　house；　and　an　improver　for　the　grounds；　and　seen　their　plans　and　elevations；　he　fixed　a　day　for　settling　with　the　tenants；　but　went　off　in　a　whirlwind　to　town；　just　as　some　of　them　came　into　the　yard　in　the　morning。　　A　circular　letter　came　next　post　from　the　new　agent；　with　news　that　the　master　was　sailed　for　England；　and　he　must　remit　L500　to　Bath　for　his　use　before　a　fortnight　was　at　an　end；　bad　news　still　for　the　poor　tenants；　no　change　still　for　the　better　with　them。　　Sir　Kit　Rackrent；　my　young　master；　left　all　to　the　agent；　and　though　he　had　the　spirit　of　a　prince；　and　lived　away　to　the　honour　of　his　country　abroad；　which　I　was　proud　to　hear　of；　what　were　we　the　better　for　that　at　home？　　The　agent　was　one　of　your　middlemen；　who　grind　the　face　of　the　poor；　and　can　never　bear　a　man　with　a　hat　upon　his　head：　　he　ferreted　the　tenants　out　of　their　lives；　not　a　week　without　a　call　for　money；　drafts　upon　drafts　from　Sir　Kit；　but　I　laid　it　all　to　the　fault　of　the　agent；　for；　says　I；　what　can　Sir　Kit　do　with　so　much　cash；　and　he　a　single　man？

＇MIDDLEMEN。There　was　a　class　of　men；　termed　middlemen；　in　Ireland；　who　took　large　farms　on　long　leases　from　gentlemen　of　landed　property；　and　let　the　land　again　in　small　portions　to　the　poor；　as　under…tenants；　at　exorbitant　rents。　　The　HEAD　LANDLORD；　as　he　was　called；　seldom　saw　his　UNDER…TENANTS；　but　if　he　could　not　get　the　MIDDLEMAN　to　pay　him　his　rent　punctually；　he　WENT　TO　HIS　LAND；　AND　DROVE　THE　LAND　FOR　HIS　RENT；　that　is　to　say；　he　sent　his　steward；　or　bailiff；　or　driver；　to　the　land　to　seize　the　cattle；　hay；　corn；　flax；　oats；　or　potatoes；　belonging　to　the　under…tenants；　and　proceeded　to　sell　these　for　his　rents。　　It　sometimes　happened　that　these　unfortunate　tenants　paid　their　rent　twice　over；　once　to　the　MIDDLEMAN；　and　once　to　the　HEAD　LANDLORD。

The　characteristics　of　a　middleman　were　servility　to　his　superiors　and　tyranny　towards　his　inferiors：　　the　poor　detested　this　race　of　beings。　　In　speaking　to　them；　however；　they　always　used　the　most　abject　language；　and　the　most　humble　tone　and　posture'PLEASE　YOUR　HONOUR；　AND　PLEASE　YOUR　HONOUR'S　HONOUR；'　they　knew　must　be　repeated　as　a　charm　at　the　beginning　and　end　of　every　equivocating；　exculpatory；　or　supplicatory　sentence；　and　they　were　much　more　alert　in　doffing　their　caps　to　those　new　men　than　to　those　of　what　they　call　GOOD　OLD　FAMILIES。　　A　witty　carpenter　once　termed　these　middlemen　JOURNEYMEN　GENTLEMEN。＇

But　still　it　went。　　Rents　must　be　all　paid　up　to　the　day；　and　afore；　no　allowance　for　improving　tenants；　no　consideration　for　those　who　had　built　upon　their　farms：　　no　sooner　was　a　lease　out；　but　the　land　was　advertised　to　the　highest　bidder；　all　the　old　tenants　turned　out；　when　they　spent　their　substance　in　the　hope　and　trust　of　a　renewal　from　the　landlord。　　All　was　now　let　at　the　highest　penny　to　a　parcel　of　poor　wretches；　who　meant　to　run　away；　and　did　so；　after　taking　two　crops　out　of　the　ground。　　Then　fining　down　the　year's　rent　came　into　fashion　＇See　GLOSSARY　16＇　anything　for　the　ready　penny；　and　with　all　this　and　presents　to　the　agent　and　the　driver　＇See　GLOSSARY　17＇；　there　was　no　such　thing　as　standing　it。　　I　said　nothing；　for　I　had　a　regard　for　the　family；　but　I　walked　about　thinking　if　his　honour　Sir　Kit　knew　all　this；　it　would　go　hard　with　him　but　he'd　see　us　righted；　not　that　I　had　anything　for　my　own　share　to　complain　of；　for　the　agent　was　always　very　civil　to　me　when　he　came　down　into　the　country；　and　took　a　great　deal　of　notice　of　my　son　Jason。　　Jason　Quirk；　though　he　be　my　son；　I　must　say　was　a　good　scholar　from　his　birth；　and　a　very　'cute　lad：　　I　thought　to　make　him　a　priest　＇See　GLOSSARY　18＇；　but　he　did　better　for　himself；　seeing　how　he　was　as　good　a　clerk　as　any　in　the　county；　the　agent　gave　him　his　rent　accounts　to　copy；　which　he　did　first　of　all　for　the　pleasure　of　obliging　the　gentleman；　and　would　take　nothing　at　all　for　his　trouble；　but　was　always　proud　to　serve　the　family。　　By　and　by　a　good　farm　bounding　us　to　the　east　fell　into　his　honour's　hands；　and　my　son　put　in　a　proposal　for　it：　　why　shouldn't　he；　as　well　as　another？　　The　proposals　all　went　over　to　the　master　at　the　Bath；　who　knowing　no　more　of　the　land　than　the　child　unborn；　only　having　once　been　out　a…grousing　on　it　before　he　went　to　England；　and　the　value　of　lands；　as　the　agent　informed　him；　falling　every　year　in　Ireland；　his　honour　wrote　over　in　all　haste　a　bit　of　a　letter；　saying　he　left　it　all　to　the　agent；　and　that　he　must　let　it　as　well　as　he　couldto　the　best　bidder；　to　be　sureand　send　him　over　L200　by　return　of　post：　　with　this　the　agent　gave　me　a　hint；　and　I　spoke　a　good　word　for　my　son；　and　gave　out　in　the　country　that　nobody　need　bid　against　us。　　So　his　proposal　was　just　the　thing；　and　he　a　good　tenant；　and　he　got　a　promise　of　an　abatement　in　the　rent　after　the　first　year；　for　advancing　the　half…year's　rent　at　signing　the　lease；　which　was　wanting　to　complete　the　agent's　L200　by　the　return　of　the　post；　with　all　which　my　master　wrote　back　he　was　well　satisfied。　　About　this　time　we　learnt　from　the　agent；　as　a　great　secret；　how　the　money　went　so　fast；　and　the　reason　of　the　thick　coming　of　the　master's　drafts：　　he　was　a　little　too　fond　of　play；　and　Bath；　they　say；　was　no　place　for　no　young　man　of　his　fortune；　where　there　were　so　many　of　his　own　countrymen；　too；　hunting　him　up　and　down；　day　and　night；　who　had　nothing　to　lose。　　At　last；　at　Christmas；　the　agent　wrote　over　to　stop　the　drafts；　for　he　could　raise　no　more　money　on　bond　or　mortgage；　or　from　the　tenants；　or　anyhow；　nor　had　he　any　more　to　lend　himself；　and　desired　at　the　same　time　to　decline　the　agency　for　the　future；　wishing　Sir　Kit　his　health　and　happiness；　and　the　compliments　of　the　season；　for　I　saw　the　letter　before　ever　it　was　sealed；　when　my　son　copied　it。　　When　the　answer　came　there　was　a　new　turn　in　affairs；　and　the　agent　was　turned　out；　and　my　son　Jason；　who　had　corresponded　privately　with　his　honour　occasionally　on　business；　was　forthwith　desired　by　his　honour　to　take　the　accounts　into　his　own　hands；　and　look　them　over；　till　further　orders。　　It　was　a　very　spirited　letter　to　be　sure：　　Sir　Kit　sent　his　service；　and　the　compliments　of　the　season；　in　return　to　the　agent；　and　he　would　fight　him　with　pleasure　to…morrow；　or　any　day；　for　sending　him　such　a　letter；　if　he　was　born　a　gentleman；　which　he　was　sorry　（for　both　their　sakes）　to　find　（too　late）　he　was　not。　　Then；　in　a　private　postscript；　he　condescended　to　tell　us　that　all　would　be　speedily　settled　to　his　satisfaction；　and　we　should　turn　over　a　new　leaf；　for　he　was　going　to　be　married　in　a　fortnight　to　the　grandest　heiress　in　England；　and　had　only　immediate　occasion　at　present　for　L200；　as　he　would　not　choose　to　touch　his　lady's　fortune　for　travelling　expenses　home　to　Castle　Rackrent；　where　he　intended　to　be；　wind　and　weather　permitting；　early　in　the　next　month；　and　desired　fires；　and　the　house　to　be　painted；　and　the　new　building　to　go　on　as　fast　as　possible；　for　the　reception　of　him　and　his　lady　before　that　time；　with　several　words　besides　in　the　letter；　which　we　could　not　make　out　because；　God　bless　him！　　he　wrote　in　such　a　flurry。　　My　heart　warmed　to　my　new　lady　when　I　read　this：　I　was　almost　afraid　it　was　too　good　news　to　be　true；　but　the　girls　fell　to　scouring；　and　it　was　well　they　did；　for　we　soon　saw　his　marriage　in　the　paper；　to　a　lady　with　I　don't　know　how　many　tens　of　thousand　pounds　to　her　fortune：　　then　I　watched　the　post…　office　for　his　landing；　and　the　news　came　to　my　son　of　his　and　the　bride　being　in　Dublin；　and　on　the　way　home　to　Castle　Rackrent。　　We　had　bonfires　all　over　the　country；　expecting　him　down　the　next　day；　and　we　had　his　coming　of　age　still　to　celebrate；　which　he　had　not　time　to　do　properly　before　he　left　the　country；　therefore；　a　great　ball　was　expected；　and　great　doings　upon　his　coming；　as　it　were；　fresh　to　take　possession　of　his　ancestors'　estate。　　I　never　shall　forget　the　day　he　came　home；　we　had　waited　and　waited　all　day　long　till　eleven　o'clock　at　night；　and　I　was　thinking　of　sending　the　boy　to　lock　the　gates；　and　giving　them　up　for　that　night；　when　there　came　the　carriages　thundering　up　to　the　great　hall　door。　　I　got　the　first　sight　of　the　bride；　for　when　the　carriage　door　opened；　just　as　she　had　her　foot　on　the　steps；　I　held　the　flam　full　in　her　face　to　light　her　＇See　GLOSSARY　19＇；　at　which　she　shut　her　eyes；　but　I　had　a　full　view　of　the　rest　of　her；　and　greatly　shocked　I　was；　for　by　that　light　she　was　little　better　than　a　blackamoor；　and　seemed　crippled；　but　that　was　only　sitting　so　long　in　the　chariot。

'You're　kindly　welcome　to　Castle　Rackrent；　my　lady；'　says　I　（recollecting　who　she　was）。　　'Did　your　honour　hear　of　the　bonfires？'

His　honour　spoke　never　a　word；　nor　so　much　as　handed　her　up　the　stepshe　looked　to　me　no　more　like　himself　than　nothing　at　all；　I　know　I　took　him　for　the　skeleton　of　his　honour。　　I　was　not　sure　what　to　say　next　to　one　or　t'other；　but　seeing　she　was　a　stranger　in　a　foreign　country；　I　thought　it　but　right　to　speak　cheerful　to　her；　so　I　went　back　again　to　the　bonfires。

'My　lady；'