the purcell papers-2-第10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！



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