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第11章

the purcell papers-2-第11章

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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 to

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