第8章

ImmediatelyonLadyArdagh’sseeinghersisters，shestartedup，fellontheirnecks，andkissedthemagainandagainwithoutspeaking，andthentakingthemeachbyahand，stillweepingbitterly，sheledthemintoasmallroomadjoiningthehall，inwhichburnedalight，and，havingclosedthedoor，shesatdownbetweenthem。Afterthankingthemforthehastetheyhadmade，sheproceededtotellthem，inwordsincoherentfromagitation，thatSirRoberthadinprivate，andinthemostsolemnmanner，toldherthatheshoulddieuponthatnight，andthathehadoccupiedhimselfduringtheeveningingivingminutedirectionsrespectingthearrangementsofhisfuneral。LadyD——heresuggestedthepossibilityofhislabouringunderthehallucinationsofafever；buttothisLadyArdaghquicklyreplied：

’Oh!no，no!WouldtoGodIcouldthinkit。Oh!no，no!Waittillyouhaveseenhim。Thereisafrightfulcalmnessaboutallhesaysanddoes；andhisdirectionsareallsoclear，andhismindsoperfectlycollected，itisimpossible，quiteimpossible。’Andsheweptyetmorebitterly。

AtthatmomentSirRobert’svoicewasheardinissuingsomedirections，ashecamedownstairs；andLadyArdaghexclaimed，hurriedly：

’Gonowandseehimyourself。Heisinthehall。’

LadyD——accordinglywentoutintothehall，whereSirRobertmether；and，salutingherwithkindpoliteness，hesaid，afterapause：

’Youarecomeuponamelancholymission——

thehouseisingreatconfusion，andsomeofitsinmatesinconsiderablegrief。’

Hetookherhand，andlookingfixedlyinherface，continued：’Ishallnotlivetoseeto-morrow’ssunshine。’

’Youareill，sir，Ihavenodoubt，’

repliedshe；’butIamverycertainweshallseeyoumuchbetterto-morrow，andstillbetterthedayfollowing。’

’IamNOTill，sister，’repliedhe。’Feelmytemples，theyarecool；layyourfingertomypulse，itsthrobisslowandtemperate。Ineverwasmoreperfectlyinhealth，andyetdoIknowthaterethreehoursbepast，Ishallbenomore。’

’Sir，sir，’saidshe，agooddealstartled，butwishingtoconcealtheimpressionwhichthecalmsolemnityofhismannerhad，inherowndespite，madeuponher，’Sir，youshouldnotjest；youshouldnotevenspeaklightlyuponsuchsubjects。Youtriflewithwhatissacred——youaresportingwiththebestaffectionsofyourwife——’

’Stay，mygoodlady，’saidhe；’ifwhenthisclockshallstrikethehourofthree，I

shallbeanythingbutahelplessclod，thenupbraidme。Prayreturnnowtoyoursister。LadyArdaghis，indeed，muchtobepitied；butwhatispastcannotnowbehelped。Ihavenowafewpaperstoarrange，andsometodestroy。IshallseeyouandLadyArdaghbeforemydeath；

trytocomposeher——hersufferingsdistressmemuch；butwhatispastcannotnowbemended。’

Thussaying，hewentupstairs，andLadyD——returnedtotheroomwherehersistersweresitting。

’Well，’exclaimedLadyArdagh，asshere-entered，’isitnotso？——doyoustilldoubt？——doyouthinkthereisanyhope？“

LadyD——wassilent。

’Oh!none，none，none，’continuedshe；

’Isee，Iseeyouareconvinced。’Andshewrungherhandsinbitteragony。

’Mydearsister，’saidLadyD——，’thereis，nodoubt，somethingstrangeinallthathasappearedinthismatter；butstillIcannotbuthopethattheremaybesomethingdeceptiveinalltheapparentcalmnessofSirRobert。Istillmustbelievethatsomelatentfeverhasaffectedhismind，orthat，owingtothestateofnervousdepressionintowhichhehasbeensinking，sometrivialoccurrencehasbeenconverted，inhisdisorderedimagination，intoanauguryforebodinghisimmediatedissolution。’

Insuchsuggestions，unsatisfactoryeventothosewhooriginatedthem，anddoublysotoherwhomtheywereintendedtocomfort，morethantwohourspassed；andLadyD——wasbeginningtohopethatthefatedtermmightelapsewithouttheoccurrenceofanytragicalevent，whenSirRobertenteredtheroom。Oncomingin，heplacedhisfingerwithawarninggestureuponhislips，asiftoenjoinsilence；andthenhavingsuccessivelypressedthehandsofhistwosisters-in-law，hestoopedsadlyoverthefaintingformofhislady，andtwicepressedhercold，paleforehead，withhislips，andthenpassedsilentlyoutoftheroom。

LadyD——，startingup，followedtothedoor，andsawhimtakeacandleinthehall，andwalkdeliberatelyupthestairs。Stimulatedbyafeelingofhorriblecuriosity，shecontinuedtofollowhimatadistance。Shesawhimenterhisownprivateroom，andheardhimcloseandlockthedoorafterhim。

Continuingtofollowhimasfarasshecould，sheplacedherselfatthedoorofthechamber，asnoiselesslyaspossible，whereafteralittletimeshewasjoinedbyhertwosisters，LadyArdaghandMissF——d。

Inbreathlesssilencetheylistenedtowhatshouldpasswithin。TheydistinctlyheardSirRobertpacingupanddowntheroomforsometime；andthen，afterapause，asoundasifsomeonehadthrownhimselfheavilyuponthebed。AtthismomentLadyD——，forgettingthatthedoorhadbeensecuredwithin，turnedthehandleforthepurposeofentering；whensomeonefromtheinside，closetothedoor，said，’Hush!

hush!’Thesamelady，nowmuchalarmed，knockedviolentlyatthedoor；therewasnoanswer。Sheknockedagainmorevio-

lently，withnofurthersuccess。LadyArdagh，nowutteringapiercingshriek，sankinaswoonuponthefloor。Threeorfourservants，alarmedbythenoise，nowhurriedupstairs，andLadyArdaghwascarriedapparentlylifelesstoherownchamber。Theythen，afterhavingknockedlongandloudlyinvain，appliedthemselvestoforcinganentranceintoSirRobert’sroom。Afterresistingsomeviolentefforts，thedooratlengthgaveway，andallenteredtheroomnearlytogether。Therewasasinglecandleburninguponatableatthefarendoftheapartment；andstretcheduponthebedlaySirRobertArdagh。Hewasacorpse——theeyeswereopen——noconvulsionhadpassedoverthefeatures，ordistortedthelimbs——itseemedasifthesoulhadspedfromthebodywithoutastruggletoremainthere。Ontouchingthebodyitwasfoundtobecoldasclay——

alllingeringofthevitalheathadleftit。

Theyclosedtheghastlyeyesofthecorpse，andleavingittothecareofthosewhoseemtoconsideritaprivilegeoftheirageandsextogloatovertherevoltingspectacleofdeathinallitsstages，theyreturnedtoLadyArdagh，nowawidow。

Thepartyassembledatthecastle，buttheatmospherewastaintedwithdeath。Grieftherewasnotmuch，butaweandpanicwereexpressedineveryface。Thegueststalkedinwhispers，andtheservantswalkedontiptoe，asifafraidoftheverynoiseoftheirownfootsteps。

Thefuneralwasconductedalmostwithsplendour。Thebody，havingbeenconveyed，incompliancewithSirRobert’slastdirections，toDublin，wastherelaidwithintheancientwallsofSt。Audoen’sChurch——whereIhavereadtheepitaph，tellingtheageandtitlesofthedeparteddust。

Neitherpaintedescutcheon，normarbleslab，haveservedtorescuefromoblivionthestoryofthedead，whoseverynamewillerelongmoulderfromtheirtracery’Etsuntsuafatasepulchris。’[1]

[1]Thisprophecyhassincebeenrealised；fortheaisleinwhichSirRobert’sremainswerelaidhasbeensufferedtofallcompletelytodecay；andthetombwhichmarkedhisgrave，andothermonumentsmorecurious，formnowoneindistinguishablemassofrubbish。

TheeventswhichIhaverecordedarenotimaginary。TheyareFACTS；andtherelivesonewhoseauthoritynonewouldventuretoquestion，whocouldvindicatetheaccuracyofeverystatementwhichI

havesetdown，andthat，too，withallthecircumstantialityofaneye-

witness。[2]

[2]Thispaper，fromamemorandum，Ifindtohavebeenwrittenin1803。Theladytowhomallusionismade，IbelievetobeMissMaryF——d。Shenevermarried，andsurvivedbothhersisters，livingtoaveryadvancedage。

THELASTHEIROFCASTLECONNOR。

BeingathirdExtractfromthelegacyofthelateFrancisPurcell，P。P。ofDrumcoolagh。

Thereissomethinginthedecayofancientgrandeurtointeresteventhemostunconcernedspectator——theevidencesofgreatness，ofpower，andofpridethatsurvivethewreckoftime，proving，inmournfulcontrastwithpresentdesolationanddecay，whatWASinotherdays，appeal，witharesistlesspower，tothesympathiesofournature。Andwhen，aswegazeonthescionofsomeruinedfamily，thefirstimpulseofnaturethatbidsusregardhisfatewithinterestandrespectisjustifiedbytherecollectionofgreatexertionsandself-devotionandsacrificesinthecauseofalostcountryandofadespisedreligion——sacrificesandeffortsmadewithallthemotivesoffaithfulnessandofhonour，andterminatinginruin——insuchacaserespectbecomesveneration，andtheinterestwefeelamountsalmosttoapassion。

Itisthisfeelingwhichhasthrownthemagicveilofromanceovereveryrooflesscastleandruinedturretthroughoutourcountry；itisthisfeelingthat，solongasatowerremainsabovethelevelofthesoil，solongasonescionofaprostrateandimpoverishedfamilysurvives，willneversufferIrelandtoyieldtothestrangermorethanthe’mouthhonour’whichfearcompels。[3]I

whohaveconversedvivavoceetpropriapersonawiththosewhoserecollectionscouldrunbacksofarasthetimesprevioustotheconfiscationswhichfollowedtheRevolutionof1688——whosememorycouldrepeoplehallslongrooflessanddesolate，andpointouttheplaceswheregreatnessoncehadbeen，mayfeelallthismorestrongly，andwithamorevividinterest，thancanthosewhosesympathiesareawakenedbythefeeblerinfluenceofwhatmaybecalledthePICTURESQUEeffectsofruinanddecay。

[3]Thispassageserves(mirabiledictu)tocorroborateastatementofMr。O’Connell’s，whichoccursinhisevidencegivenbeforetheHouseofCommons，whereinheaffirmsthattheprinciplesoftheIrishpriesthood’AREdemocratic，andwerethoseofJacobinism。’——SeedigestoftheevidenceuponthestateofIreland，givenbeforetheHouseofCommons。

Theredo，indeed，stillexistsomefragmentsoftheancientCatholicfamiliesofIreland；but，alas!whatVERYfragments!

Theylingerliketheremnantsofheraboriginalforests，reftindeedoftheirstrengthandgreatness，butproudevenindecay。Everywinterthinstheirranks，andstrewsthegroundwiththewreckoftheirloftiestbranches；theyareatbestbuttoleratedinthelandwhichgavethembirth——objectsofcuriosity，perhapsofpity，tooneclass，butofvenerationtoanother。

TheO’Connors，ofCastleConnor，wereanancientIrishfamily。Thenamerecursfrequentlyinourhistory，andisgenerallytobefoundinaprominentplacewheneverperiodsoftumultorofperilcalledforththecourageandtheenterpriseofthiscountry。AftertheaccessionofWilliamIII。，thestormofconfiscationwhichsweptoverthelandmadewoefulhavocintheirbroaddomains。Somefragmentsofproperty，however，didremaintothem，andwithitthebuildingwhichhadforagesformedthefamilyresidence。

Abouttheyear17——，myuncle，aCatholicpriest，becameacquaintedwiththeinmatesofCastleConnor，andafteratimeintroducedme，thenaladofaboutfifteen，fullofspirits，andlittledreamingthataprofessionsograveashisshouldeverbecomemine。

Thefamilyatthattimeconsistedofbuttwomembers，awidowladyandheronlyson，ayoungmanagedabouteighteen。Inourearlydaystheprogressfromacquaintancetointimacy，andfromintimacytofriendshipisproverbiallyrapid；andyoungO’ConnorandIbecame，inlessthanamonth，closeandconfidentialcompanions——

anintercoursewhichripenedgraduallyintoanattachmentardent，deep，anddevoted——

suchasIbelieveyoungheartsonlyarecapableofforming。

Hehadbeenleftearlyfatherless，andtherepresentativeandheirofhisfamily。

Hismother’saffectionforhimwasintenseinproportionasthereexistednootherobjecttodivideit——indeed——suchloveasthatsheborehimIhaveneverseenelsewhere。Herlovewasbetterbestowedthanthatofmothersgenerallyis，foryoungO’Connor，notwithoutsomeofthefaults，hadcertainlymanyofthemostengagingqualitiesofyouth。Hehadallthefranknessandgaietywhichattract，andthegenerosityofheartwhichconfirmsfriendship；indeed，Ineversawapersonsouniversallypopular；hisveryfaultsseemedtorecommendhim；hewaswild，extravagant，thoughtless，andfearlesslyadventurous——defectsofcharacterwhich，amongthepeasantryofIreland，arehonouredasvirtues。Thecombinationofthesequalities，andthepositionwhichO’ConnoroccupiedasrepresentativeofanancientIrishCatholicfamily——apeculiarlyinterestingonetome，oneoftheoldfaith