castle rackrent-第13节

按键盘上方向键 ← 或 → 可快速上下翻页，按键盘上的 Enter 键可回到本书目录页，按键盘上方向键 ↑ 可回到本页顶部！
————未阅读完？加入书签已便下次继续阅读！


　asking　me　which　way　the　wind　blew；　and　was　it　likely；　did　I　think；　to　continue　fair　for　England。　　But　when　I　saw　she　had　made　up　her　mind　to　spend　the　rest　of　her　days　upon　her　own　income　and　jewels　in　England；　I　considered　her　quite　as　a　foreigner；　and　not　at　all　any　longer　as　part　of　the　family。　　She　gave　no　vails　to　the　servants　at　Castle　Rackrent　at　parting；　notwithstanding　the　old　proverb　of　'as　rich　as　a　Jew；'　which　she；　being　a　Jewish；　they　built　upon　with　reason。　　But　from　first　to　last　she　brought　nothing　but　misfortunes　amongst　us；　and　if　it　had　not　been　all　along　with　her；　his　honour；　Sir　Kit；　would　have　been　now　alive　in　all　appearance。　　Her　diamond　cross　was；　they　say；　at　the　bottom　of　it　all；　and　it　was　a　shame　for　her；　being　his　wife；　not　to　show　more　duty；　and　to　have　given　it　up　when　he　condescended　to　ask　so　often　for　such　a　bit　of　a　trifle　in　his　distresses；　especially　when　he　all　along　made　it　no　secret　he　married　for　money。　　But　we　will　not　bestow　another　thought　upon　her。　　This　much　I　thought　it　lay　upon　my　conscience　to　say；　in　justice　to　my　poor　master's　memory。

'Tis　an　ill　wind　that　blows　nobody　no　good：　　the　same　wind　that　took　the　Jew　Lady　Rackrent　over　to　England　brought　over　the　new　heir　to　Castle　Rackrent。

Here　let　me　pause　for　breath　in　my　story；　for　though　I　had　a　great　regard　for　every　member　of　the　family；　yet　without　compare　Sir　Conolly；　commonly　called；　for　short；　amongst　his　friends；　Sir　Condy　Rackrent；　was　ever　my　great　favourite；　and；　indeed；　the　most　universally　beloved　man　I　had　ever　seen　or　heard　of；　not　excepting　his　great　ancestor　Sir　Patrick；　to　whose　memory　he；　amongst　other　instances　of　generosity；　erected　a　handsome　marble　stone　in　the　church　of　Castle　Rackrent；　setting　forth　in　large　letters　his　age；　birth；　parentage；　and　many　other　virtues；　concluding　with　the　compliment　so　justly　due；　that　'Sir　Patrick　Rackrent　lived　and　died　a　monument　of　old　Irish　hospitality。'



CONTINUATION　OF　THE　MEMOIRS　OF　THE　RACKRENT　FAMILY

HISTORY　OF　SIR　CONOLLY　RACKRENT

Sir　Condy　Rackrent；　by　the　grace　of　God　heir…at…law　to　the　Castle　Rackrent　estate；　was　a　remote　branch　of　the　family。　　Born　to　little　or　no　fortune　of　his　own；　he　was　bred　to　the　bar；　at　which；　having　many　friends　to　push　him　and　no　mean　natural　abilities　of　his　own；　he　doubtless　would　in　process　of　time；　if　he　could　have　borne　the　drudgery　of　that　study；　have　been　rapidly　made　King's　Counsel　at　the　least；　but　things　were　disposed　of　otherwise；　and　he　never　went　the　circuit　but　twice；　and　then　made　no　figure　for　want　of　a　fee；　and　being　unable　to　speak　in　public。　He　received　his　education　chiefly　in　the　college　of　Dublin；　but　before　he　came　to　years　of　discretion　lived　in　the　country；　in　a　small　but　slated　house　within　view　of　the　end　of　the　avenue。　　I　remember　him；　bare　footed　and　headed；　running　through　the　street　of　O'Shaughlin's　Town；　and　playing　at　pitch…and…toss；　ball；　marbles；　and　what　not；　with　the　boys　of　the　town；　amongst　whom　my　son　Jason　was　a　great　favourite　with　him。　　As　for　me；　he　was　ever　my　white…headed　boy：　often's　the　time；　when　I　would　call　in　at　his　father's；　where　I　was　always　made　welcome；　he　would　slip　down　to　me　in　the　kitchen；　and；　love　to　sit　on　my　knee　whilst　I　told　him　stories　of　the　family　and　the　blood　from　which　he　was　sprung；　and　how　he　might　look　forward；　if　the　then　present　man　should　die　without　childer；　to　being　at　the　head　of　the　Castle　Rackrent　estate。　This　was　then　spoke　quite　and　clear　at　random　to　please　the　child；　but　it　pleased　Heaven　to　accomplish　my　prophecy　afterwards；　which　gave　him　a　great　opinion　of　my　judgment　in　business。　　He　went　to　a　little　grammar…school　with　many　others；　and　my　son　amongst　the　rest；　who　was　in　his　class；　and　not　a　little　useful　to　him　in　his　book…learning；　which　he　acknowledged　with　gratitude　ever　after。　　These　rudiments　of　his　education　thus　completed；　he　got　a…horseback；　to　which　exercise　he　was　ever　addicted；　and　used　to　gallop　over　the　country　while　yet　but　a　slip　of　a　boy；　under　the　care　of　Sir　Kit's　huntsman；　who　was　very　fond　of　him；　and　often　lent　him　his　gun；　and　took　him　out　a…shooting　under　his　own　eye。　　By　these　means　he　became　well　acquainted　and　popular　amongst　the　poor　in　the　neighbourhood　early；　for　there　was　not　a　cabin　at　which　he　had　not　stopped　some　morning　or　other；　along　with　the　huntsman；　to　drink　a　glass　of　burnt　whisky　out　of　an　eggshell；　to　do　him　good　and　warm　his　heart　and　drive　the　cold　out　of　his　stomach。　　The　old　people　always　told　him　he　was　a　great　likeness　of　Sir　Patrick；　which　made　him　first　have　an　ambition　to　take　after　him；　as　far　as　his　fortune　should　allow。　　He　left　us　when　of　an　age　to　enter　the　college；　and　there　completed　his　education　and　nineteenth　year；　for　as　he　was　not　born　to　an　estate；　his　friends　thought　it　incumbent　on　them　to　give　him　the　best　education　which　could　be　had　for　love　or　money；　and　a　great　deal　of　money　consequently　was　spent　upon　him　at　College　and　Temple。　　He　was　a　very　little　altered　for　the　worse　by　what　he　saw　there　of　the　great　world；　for　when　he　came　down　into　the　country　to　pay　us　a　visit；　we　thought　him　just　the　same　man　as　everhand　and　glove　with　every　one；　and　as　far　from　high；　though　not　without　his　own　proper　share　of　family　pride；　as　any　man　ever　you　see。　　Latterly；　seeing　how　Sir　Kit　and　the　Jewish　lived　together；　and　that　there　was　no　one　between　him　and　the　Castle　Rackrent　estate；　he　neglected　to　apply　to　the　law　as　much　as　was　expected　of　him；　and　secretly　many　of　the　tenants　and　others　advanced　him　cash　upon　his　note　of　hand　value　received；　promising　bargains　of　leases　and　lawful　interest；　should　he　ever　come　into　the　estate。　　All　this　was　kept　a　great　secret　for　fear　the　present　man；　hearing　of　it；　should　take　it　into　his　head　to　take　it　ill　of　poor　Condy；　and　so　should　cut　him　off　for　ever　by　levying　a　fine；　and　suffering　a　recovery　to　dock　the　entail　＇See　GLOSSARY　24＇。　　Sir　Murtagh　would　have　been　the　man　for　that；　but　Sir　Kit　was　too　much　taken　up　philandering　to　consider　the　law　in　this　case；　or　any　other。　These　practices　I　have　mentioned　to　account　for　the　state　of　his　affairsI　mean　Sir　Condy's　upon　his　coming　into　the　Castle　Rackrent　estate。　　He　could　not　command　a　penny　of　his　first　year's　income；　which；　and　keeping　no　accounts；　and　the　great　sight　of　company　he　did；　with　many　other　causes　too　numerous　to　mention；　was　the　origin　of　his　distresses。　　My　son　Jason；　who　was　now　established　agent；　and　knew　everything；　explained　matters　out　of　the　face　to　Sir　Conolly；　and　made　him　sensible　of　his　embarrassed　situation。　　With　a　great　nominal　rent…roll；　it　was　almost　all　paid　away　in　interest；　which　being　for　convenience　suffered　to　run　on；　soon　doubled　the　principal；　and　Sir　Condy　was　obliged　to　pass　new　bonds　for　the　interest；　now　grown　principal；　and　so　on。　　Whilst　this　was　going　on；　my　son　requiring　to　be　paid　for　his　trouble　and　many　years'　service　in　the　family　gratis；　and　Sir　Condy　not　willing　to　take　his　affairs　into　his　own　hands；　or　to　look　them　even　in　the　face；　he　gave　my　son　a　bargain　of　some　acres　which　fell　out　of　lease　at　a　reasonable　rent。　　Jason　set　the　land；　as　soon　as　his　lease　was　sealed；　to　under…tenants；　to　make　the　rent；　and　got　two　hundred　a　year　profit　rent；　which　was　little　enough　considering　his　long　agency。　　He　bought　the　land　at　twelve　years'　purchase　two　years　afterwards；　when　Sir　Condy　was　pushed　for　money　on　an　execution；　and　was　at　the　same　time　allowed　for　his　improvements　thereon。　　There　was　a　sort　of　hunting…lodge　upon　the　estate；　convenient　to　my　son　Jason's　land；　which　he　had　his　eye　upon　about　this　time；　and　he　was　a　little　jealous　of　Sir　Condy；　who　talked　of　setting　it　to　a　stranger　who　was　just　come　into　the　countryCaptain　Moneygawl　was　the　man。　He　was　son　and　heir　to　the　Moneygawls　of　Mount　Juliet's　Town；　who　had　a　great　estate　in　the　next　county　to　ours；　and　my　master　was　loth　to　disoblige　the　young　gentleman；　whose　heart　was　set　upon　the　Lodge；　so　he　wrote　him　back　that　the　Lodge　was　at　his　service；　and　if　he　would　honour　him　with　his　company　at　Castle　Rackrent；　they　could　ride　over　together　some　morning　and　look　at　it　before　signing　the　lease。　　Accordingly；　the　captain　came　over　to　us；　and　he　and　Sir　Condy　grew　the　greatest　friends　ever　you　see；　and　were　for　ever　out　a…shooting　or　hunting　together；　and　were　very　merry　in　the　evenings；　and　Sir　Condy　was　invited　of　course　to　Mount　Juliet's　Town；　and　the　family　intimacy　that　had　been　in　Sir　Patrick's　time　was　now　recollected；　and　nothing　would　serve　Sir　Condy　but　he　must　be　three　times　a　week　at　the　least　with　his　new　friends；　which　grieved　me；　who　knew；　by　the　captain's　groom　and　gentleman；　how　they　talked　of　him　at　Mount　Juliet's　Town；　making　him　quite；　as　one　may　say；　a　laughing…stock　and　a　butt　for　the　whole　company；　but　they　were　soon　cured　of　that　by　an　accident　that　surprised　'em　not　a　little；　as　it　did　me。　　There　was　a　bit　of　a　scrawl　found　upon　the　waiting…maid　of　old　Mr。　Moneygawl's　youngest　daughter；　Miss　Isabella；　that　laid　open　the　whole；　and　her　father；　they　say；　was　like　one　out　of　his　right　mind；　and　swore　it　was　the　last　thing　he　ever　should　have　thought　of；　when　he　invited　my　master　to　his　house；　that　his　daughter　should　think　of　such　a　match。　　But　their　talk　sign