the purcell papers-2-第1章

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The　Purcell　Papers；　Volume　2


by　Joseph　Sheridan　Le　Fanu







With　a　Memoir　by

ALFRED　PERCEVAL　GRAVES






CONTENTS　OF　VOL。　II。



　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　　

PASSAGE　IN　THE　SECRET　HISTORY　OF　AN　IRISH　COUNTESS

THE　BRIDAL　OF　CARRIGVARAH

STRANGE　EVENT　IN　THE　LIFE　OF　SCHALKEN　THE　PAINTER

SCRAPS　OF　HIBERNIAN　BALLADS







THE　PURCELL　PAPERS。



PASSAGE　IN　THE

SECRET　HISTORY　OF　AN　IRISH

COUNTESS。



Being　a　Fifth　Extract　from　the　Legacy　of　the　late　Francis

Purcell；　P。P。　of　Drumcoolagh。



The　following　paper　is　written　in　a

female　hand；　and　was　no　doubt

communicated　to　my　much…regretted

friend　by　the　lady　whose　early

history　it　serves　to　illustrate；　the　Countess

D。　She　is　no　moreshe　long　since

died；　a　childless　and　a　widowed　wife；　and；

as　her　letter　sadly　predicts；　none　survive

to　whom　the　publication　of　this　narrative

can　prove　'injurious；　or　even　painful。'

Strange！　two　powerful　and　wealthy

families；　that　in　which　she　was　born；

and　that　into　which　she　had　married；

have　ceased　to　bethey　are　utterly

extinct。



To　those　who　know　anything　of　the

history　of　Irish　families；　as　they　were

less　than　a　century　ago；　the　facts　which

immediately　follow　will　at　once　suggest

THE　NAMES　of　the　principal　actors；　and　to

others　their　publication　would　be　useless

to　us；　possibly；　if　not　probably；　injurious。

I　have；　therefore；　altered　such　of　the

names　as　might；　if　stated；　get　us　into

difficulty；　others；　belonging　to　minor

characters　in　the　strange　story；　I　have　left

untouched。





My　dear　friend；You　have　asked　me　to

furnish　you　with　a　detail　of　the　strange

events　which　marked　my　early　history；

and　I　have；　without　hesitation；　applied

myself　to　the　task；　knowing　that；　while　I

live；　a　kind　consideration　for　my　feelings

will　prevent　your　giving　publicity　to　the

statement；　and　conscious　that；　when　I　am

no　more；　there　will　not　survive　one　to

whom　the　narrative　can　prove　injurious；　or

even　painful。



My　mother　died　when　I　was　quite　an

infant；　and　of　her　I　have　no　recollection；

even　the　faintest。　By　her　death；　my

education　and　habits　were　left　solely　to

the　guidance　of　my　surviving　parent；　and；

as　far　as　a　stern　attention　to　my　religious

instruction；　and　an　active　anxiety　evinced

by　his　procuring　for　me　the　best　masters

to　perfect　me　in　those　accomplishments

which　my　station　and　wealth　might　seem

to　require；　could　avail；　he　amply　discharged

the　task。



My　father　was　what　is　called　an　oddity；

and　his　treatment　of　me；　though　uniformly

kind；　flowed　less　from　affection　and

tenderness　than　from　a　sense　of　obligation

and　duty。　Indeed；　I　seldom　even　spoke

to　him　except　at　meal…times；　and　then　his

manner　was　silent　and　abrupt；　his

leisure　hours；　which　were　many；　were

passed　either　in　his　study　or　in　solitary

walks；　in　short；　he　seemed　to　take　no

further　interest　in　my　happiness　or

improvement　than　a　conscientious　regard　to

the　discharge　of　his　own　duty　would　seem

to　claim。



Shortly　before　my　birth　a　circumstance

had　occurred　which　had　contributed　much

to　form　and　to　confirm　my　father's

secluded　habitsit　was　the　fact　that　a

suspicion　of　MURDER　had　fallen　upon　his

younger　brother；　though　not　sufficiently

definite　to　lead　to　an　indictment；　yet

strong　enough　to　ruin　him　in　public

opinion。



This　disgraceful　and　dreadful　doubt　cast

upon　the　family　name；　my　father　felt

deeply　and　bitterly；　and　not　the　less　so

that　he　himself　was　thoroughly　convinced

of　his　brother's　innocence。　The　sincerity

and　strength　of　this　impression　he　shortly

afterwards　proved　in　a　manner　which

produced　the　dark　events　which　follow。

Before；　however；　I　enter　upon　the

statement　of　them；　I　ought　to　relate　the

circumstances　which　had　awakened　the

suspicion；　inasmuch　as　they　are　in　themselves

somewhat　curious；　and；　in　their

effects；　most　intimately　connected　with　my

after…history。



My　uncle；　Sir　Arthur　Tn；　was　a　gay

and　extravagant　man；　and；　among　other

vices；　was　ruinously　addicted　to　gaming；

this　unfortunate　propensity；　even　after　his

fortune　had　suffered　so　severely　as　to

render　inevitable　a　reduction　in　his

expenses　by　no　means　inconsiderable；

nevertheless　continued　to　actuate　him；　nearly

to　the　exclusion　of　all　other　pursuits；　he

was；　however；　a　proud；　or　rather　a　vain

man；　and　could　not　bear　to　make　the

diminution　of　his　income　a　matter　of

gratulation　and　triumph　to　those　with

whom　he　had　hitherto　competed；　and　the

consequence　was；　that　he　frequented　no

longer　the　expensive　haunts　of　dissipation；

and　retired　from　the　gay　world；　leaving

his　coterie　to　discover　his　reasons　as　best

they　might。



He　did　not；　however；　forego　his

favourite　vice；　for；　though　he　could　not

worship　his　great　divinity　in　the　costly

temples　where　it　was　formerly　his　wont　to

take　his　stand；　yet　he　found　it　very

possible　to　bring　about　him　a　sufficient

number　of　the　votaries　of　chance　to

answer　all　his　ends。　The　consequence

was；　that　Carrickleigh；　which　was　the

name　of　my　uncle's　residence；　was　never

without　one　or　more　of　such　visitors　as　I

have　described。



It　happened　that　upon　one　occasion　he

was　visited　by　one　Hugh　Tisdall；　a　gentleman

of　loose　habits；　but　of　considerable

wealth；　and　who　had；　in　early　youth；

travelled　with　my　uncle　upon　the　Con…

tinent；　the　period　of　his　visit　was　winter；

and；　consequently；　the　house　was　nearly

deserted　excepting　by　its　regular　inmates；

it　was　therefore　highly　acceptable；

particularly　as　my　uncle　was　aware　that　his

visitor's　tastes　accorded　exactly　with　his

own。



Both　parties　seemed　determined　to

avail　themselves　of　their　suitability　during

the　brief　stay　which　Mr。　Tisdall　had

promised；　the　consequence　was；　that　they

shut　themselves　up　in　Sir　Arthur's　private

room　for　nearly　all　the　day　and　the

greater　part　of　the　night；　during　the

space　of　nearly　a　week；　at　the　end　of

which　the　servant　having　one　morning；

as　usual；　knocked　at　Mr。　Tisdall's　bed…

room　door　repeatedly；　received　no　answer；

and；　upon　attempting　to　enter；　found　that

it　was　locked；　this　appeared　suspicious；

and；　the　inmates　of　the　house　having　been

alarmed；　the　door　was　forced　open；　and；

on　proceeding　to　the　bed；　they　found　the

body　of　its　occupant　perfectly　lifeless；　and

hanging　half…way　out；　the　head　downwards；

and　near　the　floor。　One　deep

wound　had　been　inflicted　upon　the　temple；

apparently　with　some　blunt　instrument

which　had　penetrated　the　brain；　and

another　blow；　less　effective；　probably　the

first　aimed；　had　grazed　the　head；　removing

some　of　the　scalp；　but　leaving　the　skull

untouched。　The　door　had　been　double…

locked　upon　the　INSIDE；　in　evidence　of　which

the　key　still　lay　where　it　had　been　placed

in　the　lock。



The　window；　though　not　secured　on　the

interior；　was　closeda　circumstance　not　a

little　puzzling；　as　it　afforded　the　only　other

mode　of　escape　from　the　room；　it　looked

out；　too；　upon　a　kind　of　courtyard；　round

which　the　old　buildings　stood；　formerly

accessible　by　a　narrow　doorway　and　passage

lying　in　the　oldest　side　of　the　quadrangle；

but　which　had　since　been　built　up；

so　as　to　preclude　all　ingress　or　egress；　the

room　was　also　upon　the　second　story；　and

the　height　of　the　window　considerable。

Near　the　bed　were　found　a　pair　of　razors

belonging　to　the　murdered　man；　one　of

them　upon　the　ground；　and　both　of　them

open。　The　weapon　which　had　inflicted

the　mortal　wound　was　not　to　be　found　in

the　room；　nor　were　any　footsteps　or　other

traces　of　the　murderer　discoverable。



At　the　suggestion　of　Sir　Arthur

himself；　a　coroner　was　instantly　summoned　to

attend；　and　an　inquest　was　held；　nothing；

however；　in　any　degree　conclusive　was

elicited；　the　walls；　ceiling；　and　floor　of　the

room　were　carefully　examined；　in　order　to

ascertain　whether　they　contained　a　trap…

door　or　other　concealed　mode　of　entrance

but　no　such　thing　appeared。



Such　was　the　minuteness　of　investigation

employed；　that；　although　the　grate

had　contained　a　large　fire　during　the　night；

they　proceeded　to　examine　even　the　very

chimney；　in　order　to　discover　whether

escape　by　it　were　possible；　but　this

attempt；　too；　was　fruitless；　for　the　chimney；

built　in　the　old　fashion；　rose　in　a　perfectly

perpendicular　line　from　the　hearth　to　a

height　of　nearly　fourteen　feet　above　the

roof；　affording　in　its　interior　scarcely　the

possibility　of　ascent；　the　flue　being

smoothly　plastered；　and　sloping　towards

the　top　like　an　inverted　funnel；　promising；

too；　even　if　the　summit　were　attained；

owing　to　its　great　height；　but　a　precarious

descent　upon　the　sharp　and　steep…ridged

roof；　the　ashes；　too；　which　lay　in　the

grate；　and　the　soot；　as　far　as　it　could　be

seen；　were　undisturbed；　a　circumstance

almost　conclusive　of　the　question。



Sir　Arthur　was　of　course　examined；　his

evidence　was　given　with　clearness　and

unreserve；　which　seemed　calculated　to　silence

all　suspicion。　He　stated　that；　up　to　the

day　and　night　immediately　preceding　the

catastrophe；　he　had　lost　to　a　heavy

amount；　but　that；　at　their　last　sitting；　he

had　not　only　won　back　his　original　loss；

but　upwards　of　four　thousand　pounds　in

addition；　in　evidence　of　which　he　produced

an　acknowledgment　of　debt　to　that

amount　in　the　handwriting　of　the　deceased；

and　bearing　the　date　of　the　fatal　night。

He　had　mentioned　the　circumstance　to　his

lady；　and　in　presence　of　some　of　the

domestics；　which　statement　was

supported　by　THEIR　respective　evidence。



One　of　the　jury　shrewdly　observed；　that

the　circumstance　of　Mr。　Tisdall's　having

sustained　so　heavy　a　loss　might　have

suggested　to　some　ill…minded　persons

accidentally　hearing　it；　the　plan　of　robbing

him；　after　having　murdered　him　in　such　a

manner　as　might　make　it　appear　that　he

had　committed　suicide；　a　supposition

which　was　strongly　supported　by　the

razors　having　been　found　thus　displaced；

and　removed　from　their　case。　Two　persons

had　probably　been　engaged　in　the

attempt；　one　watching　by　the　sleeping

man；　and　ready　to　strike　him　in　case　of

his　awakening　suddenly；　while　the　other

was　procuring　the　razors　and　employed　in

inflicting　the　fatal　gash；　so　as　to　make　it

appear　to　have　been　the　act　of　the

murdered　man　himself。　It　was　said　that

while　the　juror　was　making　this　suggestion

Sir　Arthur　changed　colour。



Nothing；　however；　like　legal　evidence

appeared　against　him；　and　the　consequence

was　that　the　verdict　was　found　against　a

person　or　persons　unknown；　and　for　some

time　the　matter　was　suffered　to　rest；　until；

after　about　five　months；　my　father

received　a　letter　from　a　person　signing

himself　Andrew　Collis；　and　representing

himself　to　be　the　cousin　of　the　deceased。　This

letter　stated　that　Sir　Arthur　was　likely　to

incur　not　merel