castle rackrent-第25章

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hope　you　will　not　be　offended　at　what　I　have　brought　here　in　my　pocket；'　and　he　pulls　out　two　long　rolls；　and　showers　down　golden　guineas　upon　the　bed。

'What's　this？'　said　Sir　Condy；　'it's　long　since'but　his　pride　stops　him。

'All　these　are　your　lawful　property　this　minute；　Sir　Condy；　if　you　please；'　said　Jason。

'Not　for　nothing；　I'm　sure；'　said　Sir　Condy；　and　laughs　a　little。　'Nothing　for　nothing；　or　I'm　under　a　mistake　with　you；　Jason。'

'Oh；　Sir　Condy；　we'll　not　be　indulging　ourselves　in　any　unpleasant　retrospects；'　says　Jason；　'it's　my　present　intention　to　behave；　as　I'm　sure　you　will；　like　a　gentleman　in　this　affair。　Here's　two　hundred　guineas；　and　a　third　I　mean　to　add　if　you　should　think　proper　to　make　over　to　me　all　your　right　and　title　to　those　lands　that　you　know　of。'

'I'll　consider　of　it；'　said　my　master；　and　a　great　deal　more；　that　I　was　tired　listening　to；　was　said　by　Jason；　and　all　that；　and　the　sight　of　the　ready　cash　upon　the　bed；　worked　with　his　honour；　and　the　short　and　the　long　of　it　was；　Sir　Condy　gathered　up　the　golden　guineas；　and　tied　them　up　in　a　handkerchief；　and　signed　some　paper　Jason　brought　with　him　as　usual；　and　there　was　an　end　of　the　business：　Jason　took　himself　away；　and　my　master　turned　himself　round　and　fell　asleep　again。

I　soon　found　what　had　put　Jason　in　such　a　hurry　to　conclude　this　business。　The　little　gossoon　we　had　sent　off　the　day　before　with　my　master's　compliments　to　Mount　Juliet's　Town；　and　to　know　how　my　lady　did　after　her　accident；　was　stopped　early　this　morning；　coming　back　with　his　answer　through　O'Shaughlin's　Town；　at　Castle　Rackrent；　by　my　son　Jason；　and　questioned　of　all　he　knew　of　my　lady　from　the　servant　at　Mount　Juliet's　Town；　and　the　gossoon　told　him　my　Lady　Rackrent　was　not　expected　to　live　over　night；　so　Jason　thought　it　high　time　to　he　moving　to　the　Lodge；　to　make　his　bargain　with　my　master　about　the　jointure　afore　it　should　be　too　late；　and　afore　the　little　gossoon　should　reach　us　with　the　news。　My　master　was　greatly　vexedthat　is；　I　may　say；　as　much　as　ever　I　seen　him　when　he　found　how　he　had　been　taken　in；　but　it　was　some　comfort　to　have　the　ready　cash　for　immediate　consumption　in　the　house；　anyway。

And　when　Judy　came　up　that　evening；　and　brought　the　childer　to　see　his　honour；　he　unties　the　handkerchief；　andGod　bless　him！　whether　it　was　little　or　much　he　had；　'twas　all　the　same　with　himhe　gives　'em　all　round　guineas　apiece。

'Hold　up　your　head；'　says　my　shister　to　Judy；　as　Sir　Condy　was　busy　filling　out　a　glass　of　punch　for　her　eldest　boy'Hold　up　your　head；　Judy；　for　who　knows　but　we　may　live　to　see　you　yet　at　the　head　of　the　Castle　Rackrent　estate？'

'Maybe　so；'　says　she；　'but　not　the　way　you　are　thinking　of。'

I　did　not　rightly　understand　which　way　Judy　was　looking　when　she　made　this　speech　till　a　while　after。

'Why；　Thady；　you　were　telling　me　yesterday　that　Sir　Condy　had　sold　all　entirely　to　Jason；　and　where　then　does　all　them　guineas　in　the　handkerchief　come　from？'

'They　are　the　purchase…money　of　my　lady's　jointure；'　says　I。

Judy　looks　a　little　bit　puzzled　at　this。　'A　penny　for　your　thoughts；　Judy；'　says　my　shister；　'hark；　sure　Sir　Condy　is　drinking　her　health。'

He　was　at　the　table　in　the　room　＇THE　ROOMthe　principal　room　in　the　house＇；　drinking　with　the　excise…man　and　the　gauger；　who　came　up　to　see　his　honour；　and　we　were　standing　over　the　fire　in　the　kitchen。

'I　don't　much　care　is　he　drinking　my　health　or　not；'　says　Judy；　'and　it　is　not　Sir　Condy　I'm　thinking　of；　with　all　your　jokes；　whatever　he　is　of　me。'

'Sure　you　wouldn't　refuse　to　be　my　Lady　Rackrent；　Judy；　if　you　had　the　offer？'　　says　I。

'But　if　I　could　do　better！'　says　she。

'How　better？'　says　I　and　my　shister　both　at　once。

'How　better？'　says　she。　'Why；　what　signifies　it　to　be　my　Lady　Rackrent　and　no　castle？　　Sure　what　good　is　the　car；　and　no　horse　to　draw　it？'

'And　where　will　ye　get　the　horse；　Judy？'　　says　I。

'Never　mind　that；'　says　she；　'maybe　it　is　your　own　son　Jason　might　find　that。'

'Jason！'　says　I；　'don't　be　trusting　to　him；　Judy。　　Sir　Condy；　as　I　have　good　reason　to　know；　spoke　well　of　you　when　Jason　spoke　very　indifferently　of　you；　Judy。'

'No　matter；'　says　Judy；　'it's　often　men　speak　the　contrary　just　to　what　they　think　of　us。'

'And　you　the　same　way　of　them；　no　doubt；'　answered　I。　　'Nay；　don't　he　denying　it；　Judy；　for　I　think　the　better　of　ye　for　it；　and　shouldn't　be　proud　to　call　ye　the　daughter　of　a　shister's　son　of　mine；　if　I　was　to　hear　ye　talk　ungrateful；　and　anyway　disrespectful　of　his　honour。'

'What　disrespect；'　says　she；　'to　say　I'd　rather；　if　it　was　my　luck；　be　the　wife　of　another　man？'

'You'll　have　no　luck；　mind　my　words；　Judy；'　says　I；　and　all　I　remembered　about　my　poor　master's　goodness　in　tossing　up　for　her　afore　he　married　at　all　came　across　me；　and　I　had　a　choking　in　my　throat　that　hindered　me　to　say　more。

'Better　luck；　anyhow；　Thady；'　says　she；　'than　to　be　like　some　folk；　following　the　fortunes　of　them　that　have　none　left。'

Oh！　King　of　Glory！'　says　I；　'hear　the　pride　and　ungratitude　of　her；　and　he　giving　his　last　guineas　but　a　minute　ago　to　her　childer；　and　she　with　the　fine　shawl　on　her　he　made　her　a　present　of　but　yesterday！'

'Oh；　troth；　Judy；　you're　wrong　now；'　says　my　shister；　looking　at　the　shawl。

'And　was　not　he　wrong　yesterday；　then；'　says　she；　'to　be　telling　me　I　was　greatly　altered；　to　affront　me？'

'But；　Judy；'　says　I；　'what　is　it　brings　you　here　then　at　all。　in　the　mind　you　are　in；　is　it　to　make　Jason　think　the　better　of　you？'

'I'll　tell　you　no　more　of　my　secrets；　Thady；'　says　she；　'nor　would　have　told　you　this　much；　had　I　taken　you　for　such　an　unnatural　fader　as　I　find　you　are；　not　to　wish　your　own　son　prefarred　to　another。'

'Oh；　troth；　you　are　wrong　now；　Thady；'　says　my　shister。

Well；　I　was　never　so　put　to　it　in　my　life：　between　these　womens；　and　my　son　and　my　master；　and　all　I　felt　and　thought　just　now；　I　could　not；　upon　my　conscience；　tell　which　was　the　wrong　from　the　right。　　So　I　said　not　a　word　more；　but　was　only　glad　his　honour　had　not　the　luck　to　hear　all　Judy　had　been　saying　of　him；　for　I　reckoned　it　would　have　gone　nigh　to　break　his　heart；　not　that　I　was　of　opinion　he　cared　for　her　as　much　as　she　and　my　shister　fancied；　but　the　ungratitude　of　the　whole　from　Judy　might　not　plase　him；　and　he　could　never　stand　the　notion　of　not　being　well　spoken　of　or　beloved　like　behind　his　back。　　Fortunately　for　all　parties　concerned；　he　was　so　much　elevated　at　this　time；　there　was　no　danger　of　his　understanding　anything；　even　if　it　had　reached　his　ears。　　There　was　a　great　horn　at　the　Lodge；　ever　since　my　master　and　Captain　Moneygawl　was　in　together；　that　used　to　belong　originally　to　the　celebrated　Sir　Patrick；　his　ancestor；　and　his　honour　was　fond　often　of　telling　the　story　that　he　learned　from　me　when　a　child；　how　Sir　Patrick　drank　the　full　of　this　horn　without　stopping；　and　this　was　what　no　other　man　afore　or　since　could　without　drawing　breath。　　Now　Sir　Condy　challenged　the　gauger；　who　seemed　to　think　little　of　the　horn；　to　swallow　the　contents；　and　had　it　filled　to　the　brim　with　punch；　and　the　gauger　said　it　was　what　he　could　not　do　for　nothing；　but　he'd　hold　Sir　Condy　a　hundred　guineas　he'd　do　it。

'Done；'　says　my　master；　'I'll　lay　you　a　hundred　golden　guineas　to　a　tester　you　don't。'　＇TESTER：　sixpence；　from　the　French　word　TETE；　a　heada　piece　of　silver　stamped　with　a　head；　which　in　old　French　was　called　UN　TESTION；　and　which　was　about　the　value　of　an　old　English　sixpence。　　'Tester'　is　used　in　Shakspeare。＇

'Done；'　says　the　gauger；　and　done　and　done's　enough　between　two　gentlemen。　　The　gauger　was　cast；　and　my　master　won　the　bet；　and　thought　he'd　won　a　hundred　guineas；　but　by　the　wording　it　was　adjudged　to　be　only　a　tester　that　was　his　due　by　the　exciseman。　It　was　all　one　to　him；　he　was　as　well　pleased；　and　I　was　glad　to　see　him　in　such　spirits　again。

The　gaugerbad　luck　to　him！was　the　man　that　next　proposed　to　my　master　to　try　himself；　could　he　take　at　a　draught　the　contents　of　the　great　horn。

'Sir　Patrick's　horn！'　said　his　honour；　'hand　it　to　me：　I'll　hold　you　your　own　bet　over　again　I'll　swallow　it。'

'Done；'　says　the　gauger；　'I'll　lay　ye　anything　at　all　you　do　no　such　thing。'