lavengro-第16章

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runs　out　of　the　house；　and　stares　at　the　rocks；　at　the　trees；　and　

sometimes　at　the　clouds；　as　they　run　a　race　across　the　bright　moon；　

and；　the　more　I　stares；　the　more　frighted　I　grows；　till　I　screeches　

and　holloas。　　And　last　night　I　went　into　the　barn；　and　hid　my　face　

in　the　straw；　and　there；　as　I　lay　and　shivered　in　the　straw；　I　

heard　a　voice　above　my　head　singing　out　〃To　whit；　to　whoo！〃　and　

then　up　I　starts；　and　runs　into　the　house；　and　falls　over　my　

brother　Denis；　as　he　lies　at　the　fire。　　〃What's　that　for？〃　says　he。　　

〃Get　up；　you　thief！〃　says　I；　〃and　be　helping　me。　　I　have　been　out　

into　the　barn；　and　an　owl　has　crow'd　at　me！〃'



'And　what　has　this　to　do　with　playing　cards？'



'Little　enough；　Shorsha　dear！　…　If　there　were　card…playing；　I　

should　not　be　frighted。'



'And　why　do　you　not　play　at　cards？'



'Did　I　not　tell　you　that　the　thief；　my　uncle　Phelim；　stole　away　the　

pack？　　If　we　had　the　pack；　my　brother　Denis　and　the　gossoons　would　

be　ready　enough　to　get　up　from　their　sleep　before　the　fire；　and　

play　cards　with　me　for　ha'pence；　or　eggs；　or　nothing　at　all；　but　

the　pack　is　gone　…　bad　luck　to　the　thief　who　took　it！'



'And　why　don't　you　buy　another？'



'Is　it　of　buying　you　are　speaking？　　And　where　am　I　to　get　the　

money？'



'Ah！　that's　another　thing！'



'Faith　it　is；　honey！　…　And　now　the　Christmas　holidays　is　coming；　

when　I　shall　be　at　home　by　day　as　well　as　night；　and　then　what　am　I　

to　do？　　Since　I　have　been　a　saggarting；　I　have　been　good　for　

nothing　at　all　…　neither　for　work　nor　Greek　…　only　to　play　cards！　　

Faith；　it's　going　mad　I　will　be！'



'I　say；　Murtagh！'



'Yes；　Shorsha　dear！'



'I　have　a　pack　of　cards。'



'You　don't　say　so；　Shorsha　ma　vourneen？　…　you　don't　say　that　you　

have　cards　fifty…two？'



'I　do；　though；　and　they　are　quite　new　…　never　been　once　used。'



'And　you'll　be　lending　them　to　me；　I　warrant？'



'Don't　think　it！　…　But　I'll　sell　them　to　you；　joy；　if　you　like。'



'Hanam　mon　Dioul！　am　I　not　after　telling　you　that　I　have　no　money　

at　all！'



'But　you　have　as　good　as　money；　to　me；　at　least；　and　I'll　take　it　

in　exchange。'



'What's　that；　Shorsha　dear？'



'Irish！'



'Irish？'



'Yes；　you　speak　Irish；　I　heard　you　talking　it　the　other　day　to　the　

cripple。　　You　shall　teach　me　Irish。'



'And　is　it　a　language…master　you'd　be　making　of　me？'



'To　be　sure！　…　what　better　can　you　do？　…　it　would　help　you　to　pass　

your　time　at　school。　　You　can't　learn　Greek；　so　you　must　teach　

Irish！'



Before　Christmas；　Murtagh　was　playing　at　cards　with　his　brother　

Denis；　and　I　could　speak　a　considerable　quantity　of　broken　Irish。







CHAPTER　XI







Templemore　…　Devil's　Mountain　…　No　companion　…　Force　of　

circumstance　…　Way　of　the　world　…　Ruined　castle　…　Grim　and　desolate　

…　The　donjon　…　Old　woman　…　My　own　house。



WHEN　Christmas　was　over；　and　the　new　year　commenced；　we　broke　up　

our　quarters；　and　marched　away　to　Templemore。　　This　was　a　large　

military　station；　situated　in　a　wild　and　thinly　inhabited　country。　　

Extensive　bogs　were　in　the　neighbourhood；　connected　with　the　huge　

bog　of　Allen；　the　Palus　Maeotis　of　Ireland。　　Here　and　there　was　

seen　a　ruined　castle　looming　through　the　mists　of　winter；　whilst；　

at　the　distance　of　seven　miles；　rose　a　singular　mountain；　

exhibiting　in　its　brow　a　chasm；　or　vacuum；　just；　for　all　the　world；　

as　if　a　piece　had　been　bitten　out；　a　feat　which；　according　to　the　

tradition　of　the　country；　had　actually　been　performed　by　his　

Satanic　majesty；　who；　after　flying　for　some　leagues　with　the　morsel　

in　his　mouth；　becoming　weary；　dropped　it　in　the　vicinity　of　Cashel；　

where　it　may　now　be　seen　in　the　shape　of　a　bold　bluff　hill；　crowned　

with　the　ruins　of　a　stately　edifice；　probably　built　by　some　ancient　

Irish　king。



We　had　been　here　only　a　few　days；　when　my　brother；　who；　as　I　have　

before　observed；　had　become　one　of　his　Majesty's　officers；　was　sent　

on　detachment　to　a　village　at　about　ten　miles'　distance。　　He　was　

not　sixteen；　and；　though　three　years　older　than　myself；　scarcely　my　

equal　in　stature；　for　I　had　become　tall　and　large…limbed　for　my　

age；　but　there　was　a　spirit　in　him　which　would　not　have　disgraced　a　

general；　and；　nothing　daunted　at　the　considerable　responsibility　

which　he　was　about　to　incur；　he　marched　sturdily　out　of　the　

barrack…yard　at　the　head　of　his　party；　consisting　of　twenty　light…

infantry　men；　and　a　tall　grenadier　sergeant；　selected　expressly　by　

my　father；　for　the　soldier…like　qualities　which　he　possessed；　to　

accompany　his　son　on　this　his　first　expedition。　　So　out　of　the　

barrack…yard；　with　something　of　an　air；　marched　my　dear　brother；　

his　single　drum　and　fife　playing　the　inspiring　old　melody；





Marlbrouk　is　gone　to　the　wars；

He'll　never　return　no　more！





I　soon　missed　my　brother；　for　I　was　now　alone；　with　no　being；　at　

all　assimilating　in　age；　with　whom　I　could　exchange　a　word。　　Of　

late　years；　from　being　almost　constantly　at　school；　I　had　cast　

aside；　in　a　great　degree；　my　unsocial　habits　and　natural　reserve；　

but　in　the　desolate　region　in　which　we　now　were　there　was　no　

school；　and　I　felt　doubly　the　loss　of　my　brother；　whom；　moreover；　I　

tenderly　loved　for　his　own　sake。　　Books　I　had　none；　at　least　such　

'as　I　cared　about'；　and　with　respect　to　the　old　volume；　the　wonders　

of　which　had　first　beguiled　me　into　common　reading；　I　had　so　

frequently　pored　over　its　pages；　that　I　had　almost　got　its　contents　

by　heart。　　I　was　therefore　in　danger　of　falling　into　the　same　

predicament　as　Murtagh；　becoming　'frighted'　from　having　nothing　to　

do！　　Nay；　I　had　not　even　his　resources；　I　cared　not　for　cards；　even　

if　I　possessed　them　and　could　find　people　disposed　to　play　with　

them。　　However；　I　made　the　most　of　circumstances；　and　roamed　about　

the　desolate　fields　and　bogs　in　the　neighbourhood；　sometimes　

entering　the　cabins　of　the　peasantry；　with　a　'God's　blessing　upon　

you；　good　people！'　where　I　would　take　my　seat　on　the　'stranger's　

stone'　at　the　corner　of　the　hearth；　and；　looking　them　full　in　the　

face；　would　listen　to　the　carles　and　carlines　talking　Irish。



Ah；　that　Irish！　　How　frequently　do　circumstances；　at　first　sight　

the　most　trivial　and　unimportant；　exercise　a　mighty　and　permanent　

influence　on　our　habits　and　pursuits！　…　how　frequently　is　a　stream　

turned　aside　from　its　natural　course　by　some　little　rock　or　knoll；　

causing　it　to　make　an　abrupt　turn！　　On　a　wild　road　in　Ireland　I　had　

heard　Irish　spoken　for　the　first　time；　and　I　was　seized　with　a　

desire　to　learn　Irish；　the　acquisition　of　which；　in　my　case；　became　

the　stepping…stone　to　other　languages。　　I　had　previously　learnt　

Latin；　or　rather　Lilly；　but　neither　Latin　nor　Lilly　made　me　a　

philologist。　　I　had　frequently　heard　French　and　other　languages；　

but　had　felt　little　desire　to　become　acquainted　with　them；　and　

what；　it　may　be　asked；　was　there　connected　with　the　Irish　

calculated　to　recommend　it　to　my　attention？



First　of　all；　and　principally；　I　believe；　the　strangeness　and　

singularity　of　its　tones；　then　there　was　something　mysterious　and　

uncommon　associated　with　its　use。　　It　was　not　a　school　language；　to　

acquire　which　was　considered　an　imperative　duty；　no；　no；　nor　was　it　

a　drawing…room　language；　drawled　out　occasionally；　in　shreds　and　

patches；　by　the　ladies　of　generals　and　other　great　dignitaries；　to　

the　ineffable　dismay　of　poor　officers'　wives。　　Nothing　of　the　kind；　

but　a　speech　spoken　in　out…of…the…way　desolate　places；　and　in　cut…

throat　kens；　where　thirty　ruffians；　at　the　sight　of　the　king's　

minions；　would　spring　up　with　brandished　sticks　and　an　'ubbubboo　

like　the　blowing　up　of　a　powder…magazine。'　　Such　were　the　points　

connected　with　the　Irish；　which　first　awakened　in　my　mind　the　

desire　of　acquiring　it；　and　by　acquiring　it　I　became；　as　I　have　

already　said；　enamoured　of　languages。　　Having　learnt　one　by　choice；　

I　speedily；　as　the　reader　will　perceive；　learnt　others；　some　of　

which　were　widely　different　from　Irish。



Ah；　that　Irish！　　I　am　much　indebted　to　it　in　more　ways　than　one。　　

But　I　am　afraid　I　have　followed　the　way　of　the　world；　which　is　very　

much　wont　to　neglect　original　friends　and　benefactors。　　I　

frequently　find　myself；　at　present；　turning　up　my　nose　at　Irish　

when　I　hear　it　in　the　street；　yet　I　have　still　a　kind　of　regard　for　

it；　the　fine　old　language：





A　labhair　Padruic　n'insefail　nan　riogh。





One　of　the　most　peculiar　features　of　this　part　of　Ireland　is　the　

ruined　castles；　which　are　so　thick　and　numerous　that　the　face　of　

the　country　appears　studded　with　them；　it　being　difficult　to　choose　

any　situation　from　which　one；　at　least；　may　not　be　descried。　　They　

are　of　various　ages　and　styles　of　architecture；　some　of　great　

antiquity；　like　the　stately　remains　which　crown　the　Crag　of　Cashel；　

others　built　by　the　early　English　conquerors；　others；　and　probably　

the　greater　part；　erections　of　the　times　of　Elizabeth　and　Cromwell。　　

The　whole　speaking　monuments　of　the　troubled　and　insecure　state　of　

the　country；　from　the　most　remote　periods　to　a　comparatively　modern　

time。



From　the　windows　of　the　room　where　I　slept　I　had　a　view　of　one　of　

these　old　places　…　an　indistinct　one；　it　is　true；　the　distance　

being　too　great　to　permit　me　to　distinguish　more　than　the　general　

outline。　　I　had　an　anxious　desire　to　explore　it。　　It　stood　to　the　

south…east；　in　which　direction；　however；　a　black　bog　intervened；　

which　had　more　than　once　baffled　all　my　attempts　to　cross　it。　　One　

morning；　however；　when　the　sun　shone　brightly　upon　the　old　

building；　it　appeared　so　near；　that　I　felt　ashamed　at　not　being　

able　to　accomplish　a　feat　seemingly　so　easy；　I　determined；　

therefore；　upon　another　trial。　　I　reached　the　bog；　and　was　about　to　

venture　upon　its　black　surface；　and　to　pick　my　way　amongst　its　

innumerable　holes；　yawning　horribly；　and　half　filled　with　water　

black　as　soot；　when　it　suddenly　occurred　to　me　that　there　was　a　

road　to　the　south；　by　following　which　I　might　find　a　more　

convenient　route　to　the　object　of　my　wishes。　　The　event　justified　

my　expectations；　for；　after　following　the　road　for　some　three　

miles；　seemingly　in　the　direction　of　the　Devil's　Mountain；　I　

suddenly　beheld　the　castle　on　my　left。



I　diverged　from　the　road；　and；　crossing　two　or　three　fields；　came　

to　a　small　grassy　plain；　in　the　midst　of　which　stood　the　castle。　　

About　a　gun…shot　to　the　south　was　a　small　village；　which　had；　

probably；　in　ancient　days；　sprung　up　beneath　its　protection。　　A　

kind　of　awe　came　over　me　as　I　approached　the　old　building。　　The　sun　

no　longer　shone　upon　it；　and　it　looked　so　grim；　so　desolate　and　

solitary；　and　here　was　I；　in　that　wild　country；　alone　with　that　

grim　building　before　me。　　The　village　was　within　sight；　it　is　true；　

but　it　might　be　a　village　of　the　dead　for　what　I　knew；　no　sound　

issued　from