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tremendous retribution which; after long

delays of many years; finally overtook and

crushed them。 Wonderful and inscrutable

are the dealings of God with His creatures。



Deep and fervent as must always be my

gratitude to heaven for my deliverance;

effected by a chain of providential

occurrences; the failing of a single link of which

must have ensured my destruction; I was

long before I could look back upon it with

other feelings than those of bitterness;

almost of agony。



The only being that had ever really

loved me; my nearest and dearest friend;

ever ready to sympathise; to counsel; and

to assistthe gayest; the gentlest; the

warmest heartthe only creature on

earth that cared for meHER life had been

the price of my deliverance; and I then

uttered the wish; which no event of my

long and sorrowful life has taught me to

recall; that she had been spared; and that;

in her stead; _I_ were mouldering in the

grave; forgotten and at rest。







THE BRIDAL OF CARRIGVARAH。



Being a Sixth Extract from the Legacy of the late Francis

Purcell; P。 P。 of Drumcoolagh。



In a sequestered district of the

county of Limerick; there stood

my early life; some forty

years ago; one of those strong stone

buildings; half castle; half farm…house;

which are not unfrequent in the South of

Ireland; and whose solid masonry and

massive construction seem to prove at

once the insecurity and the caution of the

Cromwellite settlers who erected them。

At the time of which I speak; this

building was tenanted by an elderly man;

whose starch and puritanic mien and

manners might have become the morose

preaching parliamentarian captain; who

had raised the house and ruled the

household more than a hundred years

before; but this man; though Protestant

by descent as by name; was not so in

religion; he was a strict; and in outward

observances; an exemplary Catholic; his

father had returned in early youth to the

true faith; and died in the bosom of the

church。



Martin Heathcote was; at the time of

which I speak; a widower; but his house…

keeping was not on that account altogether

solitary; for he had a daughter; whose age

was now sufficiently advanced to warrant

her father in imposing upon her the

grave duties of domestic superintendence。



This little establishment was perfectly

isolated; and very little intruded upon by

acts of neighbourhood; for the rank of

its occupants was of that equivocal kind

which precludes all familiar association

with those of a decidedly inferior rank;

while it is not sufficient to entitle its

possessors to the society of established

gentility; among whom the nearest

residents were the O'Maras of Carrigvarah;

whose mansion…house; constructed

out of the ruins of an old abbey; whose

towers and cloisters had been levelled by

the shot of Cromwell's artillery; stood

not half a mile lower upon the river

banks。



Colonel O'Mara; the possessor of the

estates; was then in a declining state of

health; and absent with his lady from the

country; leaving at the castle; his son

young O'Mara; and a kind of humble

companion; named Edward Dwyer; who;

if report belied him not; had done in his

early days some PECULIAR SERVICES for the

Colonel; who had been a gay man

perhaps worsebut enough of recapitulation。



It was in the autumn of the year 17

that the events which led to the catastrophe

which I have to detail occurred。

I shall run through the said recital as

briefly as clearness will permit; and leave

you to moralise; if such be your mood;

upon the story of real life; which I even

now trace at this distant period not without

emotion。



It was upon a beautiful autumn evening;

at that glad period of the season when

the harvest yields its abundance; that

two figures were seen sauntering along

the banks of the winding river; which I

described as bounding the farm occupied

by Heathcote; they had been; as the rods

and landing…nets which they listlessly

carried went to show; plying the gentle;

but in this case not altogether solitary

craft of the fisherman。 One of those

persons was a tall and singularly handsome

young man; whose dark hair and

complexion might almost have belonged

to a Spaniard; as might also the proud but

melancholy expression which gave to his

countenance a character which contrasts

sadly; but not uninterestingly; with

extreme youth; his air; as he spoke with

his companion; was marked by that careless

familiarity which denotes a conscious

superiority of one kind or other; or which

may be construed into a species of

contempt; his comrade afforded to him in

every respect a striking contrast。 He

was rather low in staturea defect which

was enhanced by a broad and square…built

figurehis face was sallow; and his

features had that prominence and sharpness

which frequently accompany personal

deformitya remarkably wide mouth;

with teeth white as the fangs of a wolf;

and a pair of quick; dark eyes; whose

effect was heightened by the shadow of a

heavy black brow; gave to his face a

power of expression; particularly when

sarcastic or malignant emotions were to

be exhibited; which features regularly

handsome could scarcely have possessed。



'Well; sir;' said the latter personage;

'I have lived in hall and abbey; town

and country; here and abroad for forty

years and more; and should know a thing

or two; and as I am a living man; I

swear I think the girl loves you。'



'You are a fool; Ned;' said the

younger。



'I may be a fool;' replied the first

speaker; 'in matters where my own

advantage is staked; but my eye is keen

enough to see through the flimsy disguise

of a country damsel at a glance; and I

tell you; as surely as I hold this rod; the

girl loves you。'



'Oh I this is downright headstrong

folly;' replied the young fisherman。

'Why; Ned; you try to persuade me

against my reason; that the event which

is most to be deprecated has actually

occurred。 She is; no doubt; a pretty

girla beautiful girlbut I have not

lost my heart to her; and why should I

wish her to be in love with me? Tush;

man; the days of romance are gone; and

a young gentleman may talk; and walk;

and laugh with a pretty country maiden;

and never breathe aspirations; or vows; or

sighs about the matter; unequal matches

are much oftener read of than made; and

the man who could; even in thought;

conceive a wish against the honour of

an unsuspecting; artless girl; is a villain;

for whom hanging is too good。'



This concluding sentence was uttered

with an animation and excitement; which

the mere announcement of an abstract

moral sentiment could hardly account

for。



'You are; then; indifferent; honestly

and in sober earnest; indifferent to the

girl?' inquired Dwyer。



'Altogether so;' was the reply。



'Then I have a request to make;'

continued Dwyer; 'and I may as well urge

it now as at any other time。 I have

been for nearly twenty years the faithful;

and by no means useless; servant of your

family; you know that I have rendered

your father critical and important

services' he paused; and added hastily:

'you are not in the moodI tire you;

sir。'



'Nay;' cried O'Mara; 'I listen patiently

proceed。'



'For all these services; and they were

not; as I have said; few or valueless; I

have received little more reward than

liberal promises; you have told me often

that this should be mendedI'll make it

easily doneI'm not unreasonableI

should be contented to hold Heathcote's

ground; along with this small farm on

which we stand; as full quittance of all

obligations and promises between us。'



'But how the devil can I effect that

for you; this farm; it is true; I; or my

father; rather; may lease to you; but

Heathcote's title we cannot impugn; and

even if we could; you would not expect

us to ruin an honest man; in order to

make way for YOU; Ned。'



'What I am;' replied Dwyer; with the

calmness of one who is so accustomed to

contemptuous insinuations as to receive

them with perfect indifference; 'is to be

attributed to my devotedness to your

honourable familybut that is neither

here nor there。 I do not ask you to

displace Heathcote; in order to made

room for me。 I know it is out of your

power to do so。 Now hearken to me for

a moment; Heathcote's property; that

which he has set out to tenants; is worth;

say in rents; at most; one hundred

pounds: half of this yearly amount is

assigned to your father; until payment be

made of a bond for a thousand pounds;

with interest and soforth。 Hear me

patiently for a moment and I have done。

Now go you to Heathcote; and tell him

your father will burn the bond; and cancel

the debt; upon one conditionthat when

I am in possession of this farm; which you

can lease to me on what terms yo

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