the purcell papers-2-第8章

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I　cannot　describe。　There　was　no　other

means　of　escape；　so　I　advanced；　with　a

firm　step　and　collected　mind；　to　the

window。　I　noiselessly　withdrew　the　bars

and　unclosed　the　shuttersI　pushed　open

the　casement；　and；　without　waiting　to　look

behind　me；　I　ran　with　my　utmost　speed；

scarcely　feeling　the　ground　under　me；　down

the　avenue；　taking　care　to　keep　upon　the

grass　which　bordered　it。



I　did　not　for　a　moment　slack　my　speed；

and　I　had　now　gained　the　centre　point

between　the　park…gate　and　the　mansion…

house。　Here　the　avenue　made　a　wider

circuit；　and　in　order　to　avoid　delay；　I

directed　my　way　across　the　smooth　sward

round　which　the　pathway　wound；　intending；

at　the　opposite　side　of　the　flat；　at　a

point　which　I　distinguished　by　a　group　of

old　birch…trees；　to　enter　again　upon　the

beaten　track；　which　was　from　thence

tolerably　direct　to　the　gate。



I　had；　with　my　utmost　speed；　got　about

half　way　across　this　broad　flat；　when　the

rapid　treading　of　a　horse's　hoofs　struck

upon　my　ear。　My　heart　swelled　in　my

bosom　as　though　I　would　smother。　The

clattering　of　galloping　hoofs　approached

I　was　pursuedthey　were　now　upon　the

sward　on　which　I　was　runningthere　was

not　a　bush　or　a　bramble　to　shelter　me

and；　as　if　to　render　escape　altogether

desperate；　the　moon；　which　had　hitherto

been　obscured；　at　this　moment　shone　forth

with　a　broad　clear　light；　which　made　every

object　distinctly　visible。



The　sounds　were　now　close　behind　me。

I　felt　my　knees　bending　under　me；　with

the　sensation　which　torments　one　in

dreams。　I　reeledI　stumbledI　fell

and　at　the　same　instant　the　cause　of　my

alarm　wheeled　past　me　at　full　gallop。　It

was　one　of　the　young　fillies　which

pastured　loose　about　the　park；　whose

frolics　had　thus　all　but　maddened　me

with　terror。　I　scrambled　to　my　feet；　and

rushed　on　with　weak　but　rapid　steps；　my

sportive　companion　still　galloping　round

and　round　me　with　many　a　frisk　and　fling；

until；　at　length；　more　dead　than　alive；　I

reached　the　avenue…gate　and　crossed　the

stile；　I　scarce　knew　how。



I　ran　through　the　village；　in　which　all　was

silent　as　the　grave；　until　my　progress　was

arrested　by　the　hoarse　voice　of　a　sentinel；

who　cried：　'Who　goes　there？'　I　felt　that

I　was　now　safe。　I　turned　in　the　direction

of　the　voice；　and　fell　fainting　at　the

soldier's　feet。　When　I　came　to　myself；　I

was　sitting　in　a　miserable　hovel；

surrounded　by　strange　faces；　all　bespeaking

curiosity　and　compassion。



Many　soldiers　were　in　it　also：　indeed；

as　I　afterwards　found；　it　was　employed　as

a　guard…room　by　a　detachment　of　troops

quartered　for　that　night　in　the　town。　In

a　few　words　I　informed　their　officer　of　the

circumstances　which　had　occurred；　describing

also　the　appearance　of　the　persons

engaged　in　the　murder；　and　he；　without

loss　of　time；　proceeded　to　the　mansion…

house　of　Carrickleigh；　taking　with　him　a

party　of　his　men。　But　the　villains　had

discovered　their　mistake；　and　had　effected

their　escape　before　the　arrival　of　the

military。



The　Frenchwoman　was；　however；

arrested　in　the　neighbourhood　upon　the　next

day。　She　was　tried　and　condemned　upon

the　ensuing　assizes；　and　previous　to　her

execution；　confessed　that　'SHE　HAD　A

HAND　IN　MAKING　HUGH　TISDAL'S　BED。'　She

had　been　a　housekeeper　in　the　castle　at

the　time；　and　a　kind　of　chere　amie　of　my

uncle's。　She　was；　in　reality；　able　to　speak

English　like　a　native；　but　had　exclusively

used　the　French　language；　I　suppose　to

facilitate　her　disguise。　She　died　the　same

hardened　wretch　which　she　had　lived；

confessing　her　crimes　only；　as　she　alleged；　that

her　doing　so　might　involve　Sir　Arthur

Tn；　the　great　author　of　her　guilt　and

misery；　and　whom　she　now　regarded　with

unmitigated　detestation。



With　the　particulars　of　Sir　Arthur's　and

his　son's　escape；　as　far　as　they　are　known；

you　are　acquainted。　You　are　also　in

possession　of　their　after　fatethe　terrible；　the

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　t