castle rackrent-第14节

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invited　my　master　to　his　house；　that　his　daughter　should　think　of　such　a　match。　　But　their　talk　signified　not　a　straw；　for　as　Miss　Isabella's　maid　reported；　her　young　mistress　was　fallen　over　head　and　ears　in　love　with　Sir　Condy　from　the　first　time　that　ever　her　brother　brought　him　into　the　house　to　dinner。　　The　servant　who　waited　that　day　behind　my　master's　chair　was　the　first　who　knew　it；　as　he　says；　though　it's　hard　to　believe　him；　for　he　did　not　tell　it　till　a　great　while　afterwards；　but；　however；　it's　likely　enough；　as　the　thing　turned　out；　that　he　was　not　far　out　of　the　way；　for　towards　the　middle　of　dinner；　as　he　says；　they　were　talking　of　stage…plays；　having　a　playhouse；　and　being　great　play…actors　at　Mount　Juliet's　Town；　and　Miss　Isabella　turns　short　to　my　master；　and　says：

'Have　you　seen　the　play…bill；　Sir　Condy？'

'No；　I　have　not；'　said　he。

'Then　more　shame　for　you；'　said　the　captain　her　brother；　'not　to　know　that　my　sister　is　to　play　Juliet　to…night；　who　plays　it　better　than　any　woman　on　or　off　the　stage　in　all　Ireland。'

'I　am　very　happy　to　hear　it；'　said　Sir　Condy；　and　there　the　matter　dropped　for　the　present。

But　Sir　Condy　all　this　time；　and　a　great　while　afterwards；　was　at　a　terrible　nonplus；　for　he　had　no　liking；　not　he；　to　stage…plays；　nor　to　Miss　Isabella　eitherto　his　mind；　as　it　came　out　over　a　bowl　of　whisky…punch　at　home；　his　little　Judy　M'Quirk；　who　was　daughter　to　a　sister's　son　of　mine；　was　worth　twenty　of　Miss　Isabella。　　He　had　seen　her　often　when　he　stopped　at　her　father's　cabin　to　drink　whisky　out　of　the　eggshell；　out　hunting；　before　he　came　to　the　estate；　and；　as　she　gave　out；　was　under　something　like　a　promise　of　marriage　to　her。　　Anyhow；　I　could　not　but　pity　my　poor　master；　who　was　so　bothered　between　them；　and　he　an　easy…　hearted　man；　that　could　not　disoblige　nobodyGod　bless　him！　　To　be　sure；　it　was　not　his　place　to　behave　ungenerous　to　Miss　Isabella；　who　had　disobliged　all　her　relations　for　his　sake；　as　he　remarked；　and　then　she　was　locked　up　in　her　chamber；　and　forbid　to　think　of　him　any　more；　which　raised　his　spirit；　because　his　family　was；　as　he　observed；　as　good　as　theirs　at　any　rate；　and　the　Rackrents　a　suitable　match　for　the　Moneygawls　any　day　in　the　year；　all　which　was　true　enough。　　But　it　grieved　me　to　see　that；　upon　the　strength　of　all　this；　Sir　Condy　was　growing　more　in　the　mind　to　carry　off　Miss　Isabella　to　Scotland；　in　spite　of　her　relations；　as　she　desired。

'It's　all　over　with　our　poor　Judy！'　　said　I；　with　a　heavy　sigh；　making　bold　to　speak　to　him　one　night　when　he　was　a　little　cheerful；　and　standing　in　the　servants'　hall　all　alone　with　me　as　was　often　his　custom。

'Not　at　all；'　said　he；　'I　never　was　fonder　of　Judy　than　at　this　present　speaking；　and　to　prove　it　to　you；'　said　heand　he　took　from　my　hand　a　halfpenny　change　that　I　had　just　got　along　with　my　tobacco'and　to　prove　it　to　you；　Thady；'　says　he；　'it's　a　toss…　up　with　me　which　I　should　marry　this　minute；　her　or　Mr。　Moneygawl　of　Mount　Juliet's　Town's　daughterso　it　is。'

Oh…boo！　boo！'　＇Boo！　Boo！an　exclamation　equivalent　to　PSHAW　or　NONSENSE＇　says　I；　making　light　of　it；　to　see　what　he　would　go　on　to　next；　'your　honour's　joking；　to　be　sure；　there's　no　compare　between　our　poor　Judy　and　Miss　Isabella；　who　has　a　great　fortune；　they　say。'

'I'm　not　a　man　to　mind　a　fortune；　nor　never　was；'　said　Sir　Condy；　proudly；　'whatever　her　friends　may　say；　and　to　make　short　of　it；'　says　he；　'I'm　come　to　a　determination　upon　the　spot。'　　With　that　he　swore　such　a　terrible　oath　as　made　me　cross　myself。　　'And　by　this　book；'　said　he；　snatching　up　my　ballad…book；　mistaking　it　for　my　prayer…book；　which　lay　in　the　window；'and　by　this　book；'　says　he；　'and　by　all　the　books　that　ever　were　shut　and　opened；　it's　come　to　a　toss…up　with　me；　and　I'll　stand　or　fall　by　the　toss；　and　so　Thady；　hand　me　over　that　pin　＇PIN；　read　PEN。It　formerly　was　　vulgarly　pronounced　PIN　in　Ireland＇　out　of　the　ink…horn；'　and　he　makes　a　cross　on　the　smooth　side　of　the　halfpenny；　'Judy　M'Quirk；'　says　he；　'her　mark。'

＇HER　MARK。It　was　the　custom　in　Ireland　for　those　who　could　not　write　to　make　a　cross　to　stand　for　their　signature；　as　was　formerly　the　practice　of　our　English　monarchs。　The　Editor　inserts　the　facsimile　of　an　Irish　mark；　which　may　hereafter　be　valuable　to　a　judicious　antiquary　　　　　Her　Judy　X　M'Quirk；　　　　Mark。　In　bonds　or　notes　signed　in　this　manner　a　witness　is　requisite；　as　the　name　is　frequently　written　by　him　or　her。＇

God　bless　him！　　his　hand　was　a　little　unsteadied　by　all　the　whisky…punch　he　had　taken；　but　it　was　plain　to　see　his　heart　was　for　poor　Judy。　　My　heart　was　all　as　one　as　in　my　mouth　when　I　saw　the　halfpenny　up　in　the　air；　but　I　said　nothing　at　all；　and　when　it　came　down　I　was　glad　I　had　kept　myself　to　myself；　for　to　be　sure　now　it　was　all　over　with　poor　Judy。

'Judy's　out　a　luck；'　said　I；　striving　to　laugh。

'I'm　out　a　luck；'　said　he；　and　I　never　saw　a　man　look　so　cast　down：　　he　took　up　the　halfpenny　off　the　flag；　and　walked　away　quite　sober…like　by　the　shock。　　Now；　though　as　easy　a　man；　you　would　think；　as　any　in　the　wide　world；　there　was　no　such　thing　as　making　him　unsay　one　of　these　sort　of　vows；　which　he　had　learned　to　reverence　when　young；　as　I　well　remember　teaching　him　to　toss　up　for　bog…berries　on　my　knee。　＇VOWS。It　has　been　maliciously　and　unjustly　hinted　that　the　lower　classes　of　the　people　of　Ireland　pay　but　little　regard　to　oaths；　yet　it　is　certain　that　some　oaths　or　vows　have　great　power　over　their　minds。　　Sometimes　they　swear　they　will　be　revenged　on　some　of　their　neighbours；　this　is　an　oath　that　they　are　never　known　to　break。　　But；　what　is　infinitely　more　extraordinary　and　unaccountable；　they　sometimes　make　and　keep　a　vow　against　whisky；　these　vows　are　usually　limited　to　a　short　time。　　A　woman　who　has　a　drunken　husband　is　most　fortunate　if　she　can　prevail　upon　him　to　go　to　the　priest；　and　make　a　vow　against　whisky　for　a　year；　or　a　month；　or　a　week；　or　a　day。＇　　So　I　saw　the　affair　was　as　good　as　settled　between　him　and　Miss　Isabella；　and　I　had　no　more　to　say　but　to　wish　her　joy；　which　I　did　the　week　afterwards；　upon　her　return　from　Scotland　with　my　poor　master。

My　new　lady　was　young；　as　might　be　supposed　of　a　lady　that　had　been　carried　off　by　her　own　consent　to　Scotland；　but　I　could　only　see　her　at　first　through　her　veil；　which；　from　bashfulness　or　fashion；　she　kept　over　her　face。

'And　am　I　to　walk　through　all　this　crowd　of　people；　my　dearest　love？'　　said　she　to　Sir　Condy；　meaning　us　servants　and　tenants；　who　had　gathered　at　the　back　gate。

'My　dear；'　said　Sir　Condy；　'there's　nothing　for　it　but　to　walk；　or　to　let　me　carry　you　as　far　as　the　house；　for　you　see　the　back　road　is　too　narrow　for　a　carriage；　and　the　great　piers　have　tumbled　down　across　the　front　approach；　so　there's　no　driving　the　right　way；　by　reason　of　the　ruins。'

'Plato；　thou　reasonest　well！'　said　she；　or　words　to　that　effect；　which　I　could　noways　understand；　and　again；　when　her　foot　stumbled　against　a　broken　bit　of　a　car…wheel；　she　cried　out；　'Angels　and　ministers　of　grace　defend　us！'　　Well；　thought　I；　to　be　sure；　if　she's　no　Jewish；　like　the　last；　she　is　a　mad　woman　for　certain；　which　is　as　bad：　　it　would　have　been　as　well　for　my　poor　master　to　have　taken　up　with　poor　Judy；　who　is　in　her　right　mind　anyhow。

She　was　dressed　like　a　mad　woman；　moreover；　more　than　like　any　one　I　ever　saw　afore　or　since；　and　I　could　not　take　my　eyes　off　her；　but　still　followed　behind　her；　and　her　feathers　on　the　top　of　her　hat　were　broke　going　in　at　the　low　back　door　and　she　pulled　out　her　little　bottle　out　of　her　pocket　to　smell　when　she　found　herself　in　the　kitchen；　and　said；　'I　shall　faint　with　the　heat　of　this　odious；　odious　place。'

'My　dear；　it's　only　three　steps　across　the　kitchen；　and　there's　a　fine　air　if　your　veil　was　up；'　said　Sir　Condy；　and　with　that　threw　back　her　veil；　so　that　I　had　then　a　full　sight　of　her　face。　She　had　not　at　all　the　colour　of　one　going　to　faint；　but　a　fine　complexion　of　her　own；　as　I　then　took　it　to　be；　though　her　maid　told　me　after　it　was　all　put　on；　but　even；　complexion　and　all　taken　in；　she　was　no　way；　in　point　of　good　looks；　to　compare　to　poor　Judy；　and　withal　she　had　a　quality　toss　with　her；　but　maybe　it　was　my　over…partiality　to　Judy；　into　whose　place　I　may　say　she　stepped；　that　made　me　notice　all　this。

To　do　her　justice；　however；　she　was；　when　we　came　to　know　her　better；　very　liberal　in　her　housekeepingnothing　at　all　of　the　skinflint　in　her；　she　left　everything　to　the　housekeeper；　and　her　own　maid；　Mrs。　Jane；　who　went　with　her　to　Scotland；　gave　her　the　best　of　characters　for　generosity。　　She　seldom　or　ever　wore　a　thing　twice　the　same　way；　Mrs。　Jane　told　us；　and　was　always　pulling　her　things　to　pieces　and　giving　them　away；　never　being　used；　in　her　father's　house；　to　think　of　expense　in　anything；　and　she　reckoned　to　be　sure　to　go　on　the　same　way　at　Castle　Rackrent；　but　when　I　came　to　inquire；　I　learned　that　her　father　was　so　mad　with　her　for　running　off；　after　his　locking　her　up　and　forbidding　her　to　think　any　more　of　Sir　Condy；　that　he　would　not　give　her　a　farthing；　and　it　was　lucky　for　her　she　had　a　few　thousands　of　her　own；　which　had　been　left　to　her　by　a　good　grandmother；　and　these　were　very　convenient　to　begin　with。　　My　mas