第4章

roundfacin’myfather，“isityouthat’sinit？——an’how’sallwithyou，TerryNeil？“

’“Atyourhonour’ssarvice，“saysmyfather(aswellasthefrightidlethim，forhewasmoredeadthanalive)，“an’

it’sproudIamtoseeyourhonourto-

night，“sayshe。

’“Terence，“saysthesquire，“you’rearespectableman“(an’itwasthrueforhim)，“anindusthrious，soberman，an’anexampleofinebrietytothewholeparish，“

sayshe。

’“Thankyourhonour，“saysmyfather，gettin’courage，“youwerealwaysacivilspokengintleman，Godrestyourhonour。“

’“RESTmyhonour？“saysthesperit(fairlygettin’redinthefacewiththemadness)，“Restmyhonour？“sayshe。

“Why，youignorantspalpeen，“sayshe，“youmane，niggarlyignoramush，“sayshe，“wheredidyoulaveyourmanners？“

sayshe。“IfIAMdead，it’snofaultivmine，“sayshe；“an’it’snottobethruninmyteethateveryhand’sturn，bythelikesivyou，“sayshe，stampin’hisfootantheflure，thatyou’dthinktheboordsidsmashundtherhim。

’“Oh，“saysmyfather，“I’monlyafoolish，ignorantpoorman，“sayshe。

’“You’renothingelse，“saysthesquire：

“butanyway，“sayshe，“it’snottobelistenin’toyourgosther，norconvarsin’

withthelikesivyou，thatIcameUP——

downImane，“sayshe——(an’aslittleasthemistakewas，myfathertuknoticeivit)。“Listentomenow，TerenceNeil，“

sayshe：“IwasalwaysagoodmasthertoPathrickNeil，yourgrandfather，“sayshe。

’“’Tisthrueforyourhonour，“saysmyfather。

’“And，moreover，IthinkIwasalwaysasober，riglargintleman，“saysthesquire。

’“That’syourname，sureenough，“saysmyfather(thoughitwasabiglieforhim，buthecouldnothelpit)。

’“Well，“saysthesperit，“althoughI

wasassoberasmostmen——atlasteasmostgintlemin，“sayshe；“an’thoughI

wasatdifferentpariodsamostextemporyChristian，andmostcharitableandinhumantothepoor，“sayshe；“forallthatI’mnotasasywhereIamnow，“sayshe，“asIhadarighttoexpect，“sayshe。

’“An’more’sthepity，“saysmyfather。

“MaybeyourhonouridwishtohaveawordwithFatherMurphy？“

’“Houldyourtongue，youmisherablebliggard，“saysthesquire；“it’snotivmysowlI’mthinkin’——an’Iwondtheryou’dhavetheimpitencetotalktoagintlemanconsarnin’hissowl；andwhenIwantTHATfixed，“sayshe，slappin’histhigh，“I’llgotothemthatknowswhatbelongstothelikes，“sayshe。“It’snotmysowl，“

sayshe，sittin’downopossitemyfather；

“it’snotmysowlthat’sannoyin’memost——I’munasyonmyrightleg，“sayshe，“thatIbrukatGlenvarlochcoverthedayIkilledblackBarney。“

’Myfatherfoundoutafther，itwasafavouritehorsethatfellundherhim，aftherleapin’thebigfencethatrunsalongbytheglin。

’“Ihope，“saysmyfather，“yourhonour’snotunasyaboutthekillin’ivhim？“

’“Houldyourtongue，yefool，“saidthesquire，“an’I’lltellyouwhyI’munasyonmyleg，“sayshe。“Intheplace，whereI

spendmostivmytime，“sayshe，“exceptthelittleleisureIhaveforlookin’aboutmehere，“sayshe，“IhavetowalkagreatdalemorethanIwaseverusedto，“sayshe，“andbyfarmorethanisgoodformeeither，“

sayshe；“forImusttellyou，“sayshe，“thepeoplewhereIamisancommonlyfondivcowldwather，forthereisnothin’

betthertobehad；an’，moreover，theweatherishotterthanisaltogetherplisant，“

sayshe；“andI’mappinted，“sayshe，“toassistincarryin’thewather，an’getsamightypoorshareivitmyself，“sayshe，“an’amightythroublesome，wearin’jobitis，Icantellyou，“sayshe；“forthey’reallivthemsurprisinlydthry，an’dthrinksitasfastasmylegscancarryit，“sayshe；

“butwhatkillsmeintirely，“sayshe，“isthewakenessinmyleg，“sayshe，“an’I

wantyoutogiveitapullortwotobringittoshape，“sayshe，“andthat’sthelongan’theshortivit，“sayshe。

’“Oh，plaseyourhonour，“saysmyfather(forhedidn’tliketohandlethesperitatall)，“Iwouldn’thavetheimpidencetodothelikestoyourhonour，“

sayshe；“it’sonlytopoorcrathurslikemyselfI’ddoitto，“sayshe。

’“Noneivyourblarney，“saysthesquire。“Here’smyleg，“sayshe，cockin’

ituptohim——“pullitforthebarelife，“

sayshe；an’“ifyoudon’t，bytheimmortialpowersI’llnotlaveaboneinyourcarcishI’llnotpowdher，“sayshe。

’Whenmyfatherheerdthat，heseentherewasnouseinpurtendin’，sohetukhouldivtheleg，an’hekep’pullin’an’

pullin’，tillthesweat，Godblessus，beginnedtopourdownhisface。

’“Pull，youdivil!“saysthesquire。

’“Atyoursarvice，yourhonour，“saysmyfather。

“’Pullharder，“saysthesquire。

’Myfatherpulledlikethedivil。

’“I’lltakealittlesup，“saysthesquire，rachin’overhishandtothebottle，“tokeepupmycourage，“sayshe，lettin’antobeverywakeinhimselfintirely。But，ascuteashewas，hewasouthere，forhetukthewrongone。“Here’stoyourgoodhealth，Terence，“sayshe；“an’nowpullliketheverydivil。“An’withthatheliftedthebottleofholywather，butitwashardlytohismouth，whinheletascreechout，you’dthinktheroomidfairlysplitwithit，an’madeonechuckthatsentthelegclaneaffhisbodyinmyfather’shands。

Downwintthesquireoverthetable，an’

bangwintmyfatherhalf-wayacrosstheroomonhisback，upontheflure。Whinhekemtohimselfthecheerfulmornin’sunwasshinin’throughthewindyshutthers，an’hewaslyingflatanhisback，withthelegivoneofthegreatouldchairspulledclaneoutivthesocketan’tightinhishand，pintin’uptotheceilin’，an’ouldLarryfastasleep，an’snorin’asloudasever。Myfatherwintthatmornin’toFatherMurphy，an’fromthattothedayofhisdeath，heneverneglectedconfissionnormass，an’whathetouldwasbettherbelievedthathespakeavitbutseldom。

An’，asforthesquire，thatisthesperit，whetheritwasthathedidnotlikehisliquor，orbyrasonivthelossivhisleg，hewasneverknowntowalkagin。’

THEFORTUNESOFSIRROBERTARDAGH。

BeingasecondExtractfromthePapersofthelateFatherPurcell。

’Theearthhathbubblesasthewaterhath——

Andtheseareofthem。’

InthesouthofIreland，andonthebordersofthecountyofLimerick，thereliesadistrictoftwoorthreemilesinlength，whichisrenderedinterestingbythefactthatitisoneoftheveryfewspotsthroughoutthiscountry，inwhichsomevestigesofaboriginalforeststillremain。IthaslittleornoneofthelordlycharacteroftheAmericanforest，fortheaxehasfelleditsoldestanditsgrandesttrees；butintheclosewoodwhichsurvives，liveallthewildandpleasingpeculiaritiesofnature：

itscompleteirregularity，itsvistas，inwhoseperspectivethequietcattlearepeacefullybrowsing；itsrefreshingglades，wherethegreyrocksarisefromamidthenoddingfern；thesilveryshaftsoftheoldbirchtrees；theknottedtrunksofthehoaryoak，thegrotesquebutgracefulbrancheswhichnevershedtheirhonoursunderthetyrantpruning-hook；thesoftgreensward；thechequeredlightandshade；thewildluxuriantweeds；thelichenandthemoss——all，allarebeautifulalikeinthegreenfreshnessofspring，orinthesadnessandsereofautumn。Theirbeautyisofthatkindwhichmakestheheartfullwithjoy——appealingtotheaffectionswithapowerwhichbelongstonatureonly。

Thiswoodrunsup，frombelowthebase，totheridgeofalonglineofirregularhills，havingperhaps，inprimitivetimes，formedbuttheskirtingofsomemightyforestwhichoccupiedthelevelbelow。

Butnow，alas!whitherhavewedrifted？

whitherhasthetideofcivilisationborneus？Ithaspassedoveralandunpreparedforit——ithasleftnakednessbehindit；wehavelostourforests，butourmaraudersremain；wehavedestroyedallthatispicturesque，whilewehaveretainedeverythingthatisrevoltinginbarbarism。Throughthemidstofthiswoodlandthererunsadeepgullyorglen，wherethestillnessofthesceneisbrokeninuponbythebrawlingofamountain-stream，which，however，inthewinterseason，swellsintoarapidandformidabletorrent。

Thereisonepointatwhichtheglenbecomesextremelydeepandnarrow；thesidesdescendtothedepthofsomehundredfeet，andaresosteepastobenearlyperpendicular。Thewildtreeswhichhavetakenrootinthecranniesandchasmsoftherockhavesointersectedandentangled，thatonecanwithdifficultycatchaglimpseofthestream，whichwheels，flashes，andfoamsbelow，asifexultinginthesurroundingsilenceandsolitude。

Thisspotwasnotunwiselychosen，asapointofnoordinarystrength，fortheerectionofamassivesquaretowerorkeep，onesideofwhichrisesasifincontinuationoftheprecipitouscliffonwhichitisbased。

Originally，theonlymodeofingresswasbyanarrowportalintheverywallwhichovertoppedtheprecipice，openinguponaledgeofrockwhichaffordedaprecariouspathway，cautiouslyintersected，however，byadeeptrenchcutwithgreatlabourinthelivingrock；sothat，initsoriginalstate，andbeforetheintroductionofartilleryintotheartofwar，thistowermighthavebeenpronounced，andthatnotpresumptuously，almostimpregnable。

Theprogressofimprovementandtheincreasingsecurityofthetimeshad，however，tempteditssuccessiveproprietors，ifnottoadorn，atleasttoenlargetheirpremises，andataboutthemiddleofthelastcentury，whenthecastlewaslastinhabited，theoriginalsquaretowerformedbutasmallpartoftheedifice。

Thecastle，andawidetractofthesur-

roundingcountry，hadfromtimeimmemorialbelongedtoafamilywhich，fordistinctness，weshallcallbythenameofArdagh；andowingtotheassociationswhich，inIreland，almostalwaysattachtosceneswhichhavelongwitnessedaliketheexerciseofsternfeudalauthority，andofthatsavagehospitalitywhichdistinguishedthegoodoldtimes，thisbuildinghasbecomethesubjectandthesceneofmanywildandextraordinarytraditions。OneofthemIhavebeenenabled，byapersonalacquaintancewithaneye-witnessoftheevents，totracetoitsorigin；andyetitishardtosaywhethertheeventswhichIamabouttorecordappearmorestrangeorimprobableasseenthroughthedistortingmediumoftradition，orintheappallingdimnessofuncertaintywhichsurroundsthereality。

Traditionsaysthat，sometimeinthelastcentury，SirRobertArdagh，ayoungman，andthelastheirofthatfamily，wentabroadandservedinforeignarmies；andthat，havingacquiredconsiderablehonourandemolument，hesettledatCastleArdagh，thebuildingwehavejustnowattemptedtodescribe。HewaswhatthecountrypeoplecallaDARKman；thatis，hewasconsideredmorose，reserved，andill-tempered；and，asitwassupposedfromtheuttersolitudeofhislife，wasuponnotermsofcordialitywiththeothermembersofhisfamily。

Theonlyoccasionuponwhichhebrokethroughthesolitarymonotonyofhislifewasduringthecontinuanceoftheracingseason，andimmediatelysubsequenttoit；

atwhichtimehewastobeseenamongthebusiestuponthecourse，bettingdeeplyandunhesitatingly，andinvariablywithsuccess。SirRobertwas，however，toowellknownasamanofhonour，andoftoohighafamily，tobesuspectedofanyunfairdealing。Hewas，moreover，asoldier，andamanofanintrepidaswellasofahaughtycharacter；andnoonecaredtohazardasurmise，theconsequencesofwhichwouldbefeltmostprobablybyitsoriginatoronly。

Gossip，however，wasnotsilent；itwasremarkedthatSirRobertneverappearedattherace-ground，whichwastheonlyplaceofpublicresortwhichhefrequented，exceptincompanywithacertainstrange-