第9章

endearedhimtomesomuchthatIhaveneverfeltthepangsofpartingmorekeenlythanwhenitbecamenecessary，forthefinishingofhiseducation，thatheshouldgoabroad。

ThreeyearshadpassedawaybeforeI

sawhimagain。Duringtheinterval，however，Ihadfrequentlyheardfromhim，sothatabsencehadnotabatedthewarmthofourattachment。Whocouldtelloftherejoicingsthatmarkedtheeveningofhisreturn？Thehorseswereremovedfromthechaiseatthedistanceofamilefromthecastle，whileitanditscontentswerebornerapidlyonwardalmostbythepressureofthemultitude，likealoguponatorrent。Bonfiresblaredfarandnear——

bagpipesroaredandfiddlessqueaked；and，amidthethunderingshoutsofthousands，thecarriagedrewupbeforethecastle。

InaninstantyoungO’Connorwasupontheground，crying，’Thankyou，boys——

thankyou，boys；’whileathousandhandswerestretchedoutfromallsidestograspevenafingerofhis。Still，amidshoutsof’Godblessyourhonour——longmayyoureign!’and’Makeroomthere，boys!cleartheroadforthemasther!’hereachedthethresholdofthecastle，wherestoodhismotherweepingforjoy。

Oh!whocoulddescribethatembrace，ortheenthusiasmwithwhichitwaswitnessed？’Godblesshimtoyou，mylady——

glorytoyeboth!’and’Oh，butheisafineyounggentleman，Godblesshim!’

resoundedonallsides，whilehatsflewupinvolleysthatdarkenedthemoon；andwhenatlength，amidthebroaddelightedgrinsofthethrongingdomestics，whosesenseofdecorumprecludedanymoreboisterousevidenceofjoy，theyreachedtheparlour，thengivingwaytothefulnessofherjoythewidowedmotherkissedandblessedhimandweptinturn。WellmightanyparentbeproudtoclaimassonthehandsomestriplingwhonowrepresentedtheCastleConnorfamily；buttoherhisbeautyhadapeculiarcharm，foritboreastrikingresemblancetothatofherhusband，thelastO’Connor。

Iknownotwhetherpartialityblindedme，orthatIdidnomorethanjusticetomyfriendinbelievingthatIhadneverseensohandsomeayoungman。Iaminclinedtothinkthelatter。Hewasrathertall，veryslightlyandelegantlymade；hisfacewasoval，andhisfeaturesdecidedlySpanishincastandcomplexion，butwithfarmorevivacityofexpressionthangenerallybelongstothebeautyofthatnation。

Theextremedelicacyofhisfeaturesandthevariedanimationofhiscountenancemadehimappearevenyoungerthanhisyears——anillusionwhichthetotalabsenceofeverythingstudiedinhismannersseemedtoconfirm。Timehadwroughtnosmallchangeinme，alikeinmindandspirits；butinthecaseofO’Connoritseemedtohavelostitspowertoalter。

Hisgaietywasundamped，hisgenerosityunchilled；andthoughthespacewhichhadintervenedbetweenourpartingandreunionwasbutbrief，yetattheperiodoflifeatwhichwewere，evenashorterintervalthanthatofthreeyearshasfrequentlyservedtoformorDEformacharacter。

WeekshadpassedawaysincethereturnofO’Connor，andscarceadayhadelapsedwithoutmyseeinghim，whentheneighbourhoodwasthrownintoanunusualstateofexcitementbytheannouncementofarace-balltobecelebratedattheassembly-

roomofthetownofT——，distantscarcelytwomilesfromCastleConnor。

YoungO’Connor，asIhadexpected，determinedatoncetoattendit；andhavingdirectedinvainallthepowersofhisrhetorictopersuadehismothertoaccompanyhim，heturnedthewholebatteryofhislogicuponme，who，atthattime，feltareluctancestrongerthanthatofmereapathytomixinginanyofthesescenesofnoisypleasureforwhichformanyreasonsIfeltmyselfunfitted。Hewassourgentandpersevering，however，thatIcouldnotrefuse；andIfoundmyselfreluctantlyobligedtomakeupmymindtoattendhimupontheimportantnighttothespaciousbutill-finishedbuilding，whichthefashionandbeautyofthecountywerepleasedtotermanassembly-

room。

Whenweenteredtheapartment，wefoundaselectfew，surroundedbyacrowdofspectators，busilyperformingaminuet，withallthecongeesandflourisheswhichbelongedtothatcourtlydance；andmycompanion，infectedbythecontagionofexample，wassoon，asIhadanticipated，wavinghischapeaubras，andgracefullybowingbeforeoneoftheprettiestgirlsintheroom。Ihadneitherskillnorspiritstoqualifymetofollowhisexample；andasthefulnessoftheroomrenderediteasytodosowithoutitsappearingsingular，I

determinedtobemerelyaspectatorofthescenewhichsurroundedme，withouttakinganactivepartinitsamusements。

Theroomwasindeedverymuchcrowded，sothatitsvariousgroups，formedasdesignoraccidenthadthrownthepartiestogether，affordednosmallfundofentertainmenttothecontemplativeobserver。Therewerethedancers，allgaietyandgood-humour；alittlefurtheroffwerethetablesatwhichsatthecard-

players，someplyingtheirvocationwithdeepandsilentanxiety——forinthosedaysgamingoftenranveryhighinsuchplaces——andothersdisputingwithallthevociferouspertinacityofundisguisedill-

temper。There，again，werethesallow，blue-nosed，grey-eyeddealersinwhisperedscandal；and，inshort，thereisscarcelyagrouporcombinationtobemetwithinthecourtofkingswhichmightnothavefoundahumbleparallelintheassembly-

roomofT。

Iwasallowedtoindulgeinundisturbedcontemplation，forIsupposeIwasnotknowntomorethanfiveorsixintheroom。Ithushadleisurenotonlytoobservethedifferentclassesintowhichthecompanyhaddivideditself，buttoamusemyselfbyspeculatingastotherankandcharacterofmanyoftheindividualactorsinthedrama。

Amongmanywhohavelongsincepassedfrommymemory，onepersonforsometimeengagedmyattention，andthatperson，formanyreasons，Ishallnotsoonforget。Hewasatall，square-shoulderedman，whostoodinacarelessattitude，leaningwithhisbacktothewall；heseemedtohavesecludedhimselffromthebusymultitudeswhichmovednoisilyandgailyaroundhim，andnobodyseemedtoobserveortoconversewithhim。Hewasfashionablydressed，butperhapsratherextravagantly；hisfacewasfullandheavy，expressiveofsullennessandstupidity，andmarkedwiththelinesofstrongvulgarity；hisagemightbesomewherebetweenfortyandfifty。SuchasI

haveendeavouredtodescribehim，heremainedmotionless，hisarmsdoggedlyfoldedacrosshisbroadchest，andturninghissulleneyesfromcornertocorneroftheroom，asifeagertodetectsomeobjectonwhichtoventhisill-humour。

Itisstrange，andyetitistrue，thatonesometimesfindseveninthemostcommonplacecountenanceanundefinablesomething，whichfascinatestheattention，andforcesittorecuragainandagain，whileitisimpossibletotellwhetherthepeculiaritywhichthusattractsusliesinfeatureorinexpression。orinbothcombined，andwhyitisthatourobservationshouldbeengrossedbyanobjectwhich，whenanalysed，seemstopossessnoclaimtointerestoreventonotice。ThisunaccountablefeelingIhaveoftenexperienced，andIbelieveIamnotsingular。butneverinsoremarkableadegreeasuponthisoccasion。MyfriendO’Connor，havingdisposedofhisfairpartner，wascrossingtheroomforthepurposeofjoiningme，indoingwhichIwassurprisedtoseehimexchangeafamiliar，almostacordial，greetingwiththeobjectofmycuriosity。

IsayIwassurprised，forindependentofhisveryquestionableappearance，itstruckmeasstrangethatthoughsoconstantlyassociatedwithO’Connor，and，asI

thought，personallyacquaintedwithallhisintimates，Ihadneverbeforeevenseenthisindividual。Ididnotfailimmediatelytoaskhimwhothisgentlemanwas。Ithoughtheseemedslightlyembarrassed，butafteramoment’spausehelaughinglysaidthathisfriendoverthewaywastoomysteriousapersonagetohavehisnameannouncedinsogiddyasceneasthepresent；butthatonthemorrowhewouldfurnishmewithalltheinformationwhichIcoulddesire。Therewas，Ithought，inhisaffectedjocularityarealawkwardnesswhichappearedtomeunaccountable，andconsequentlyincreasedmycuriosity；itsgratification，however，I

wasobligedtodefer。Atlength，weariedwithwitnessingamusementsinwhichI

couldnotsympathise，Ilefttheroom，anddidnotseeO’Connoruntillateinthenextday。

IhadriddendowntowardsthecastleforthepurposeofvisitingtheO’Connors，andhadnearlyreachedtheavenueleadingtothemansion，whenImetmyfriend。

Hewasalsomounted；andhavingansweredmyinquiriesrespectinghismother，heeasilypersuadedmetoaccompanyhiminhisramble。Wehadchattedasusualforsometime，when，afterapause，O’Connorsaid：

’Bytheway，Purcell，youexpressedsomecuriosityrespectingthetall，handsomefellowtowhomIspokelastnight。’

’IcertainlydidquestionyouaboutaTALLgentleman，butwasnotawareofhisclaimstobeauty，’repliedI。

’Well，thatisasitmaybe，’saidhe；

’theladiesthinkhimhandsome，andtheiropinionuponthatscoreismorevaluablethanyoursormine。Doyouknow，’hecontinued，’IsometimesfeelhalfsorrythatIevermadethefellow’sacquaintance：

heisquiteamarkedmanhere，andtheytellstoriesofhimthatareanythingbutreputable，thoughIamsurewithoutfoundation。IthinkIknowenoughabouthimtowarrantmeinsayingso。’

’MayIaskhisname？’inquiredI。

’Oh!didnotItellyouhisname？’

rejoinedhe。’Youshouldhaveheardthatfirst；heandhisnameareequallywellknown。YouwillrecognisetheindividualatoncewhenItellyouthathisnameis——Fitzgerald。’

’Fitzgerald!’Irepeated。’Fitzgerald!——

canitbeFitzgeraldtheduellist？’

’Uponmywordyouhavehitit，’repliedhe，laughing；’butyouhaveaccompaniedthediscoverywithalookofhorrormoretragicthanappropriate。Heisnotthemonsteryoutakehimfor——hehasagooddealofoldIrishpride；histemperishasty，andhehasbeenunfortunatelythrowninthewayofmenwhohavenotmadeallowanceforthesethings。IamconvincedthatineverycaseinwhichFitzgeraldhasfought，ifthetruthcouldbediscovered，hewouldbefoundtohaveactedthroughoutuponthedefensive。Nomanismadenoughtoriskhisownlife，exceptwhenthedoingsoisanalternativetosubmittingtamelytowhatheconsidersaninsult。Iamcertainthatnomaneverengagedinaduelundertheconsciousnessthathehadactedanintentionallyaggressivepart。’

’Whendidyoumakehisacquaintance？’

saidI。

’Abouttwoyearsago，’hereplied。’I

methiminFrance，andyouknowwhenoneisabroaditisanungracioustasktorejecttheadvancesofone’scountryman，otherwiseIthinkIshouldhaveavoidedhissociety——lessuponmyownaccountthanbecauseIamsuretheacquaintancewouldbeasourceofcontinualthoughgroundlessuneasinesstomymother。Iknow，therefore，thatyouwillnotunnecessarilymentionitsexistencetoher。’

Igavehimthedesiredassurance，andadded：

’MayIaskyou。O’Connor，if，indeed，itbeafairquestion，whetherthisFitzgeraldatanytimeattemptedtoengageyouinanythinglikegaming？’

ThisquestionwassuggestedbymyhavingfrequentlyheardFitzgeraldmentionedasanotedgambler，andsometimesevenasablackleg。O’Connorseemed，I

thought，slightlyembarrassed。Heanswered：

’No，no——Icannotsaythatheeverattemptedanythingofthekind。I

certainlyhaveplayedwithhim，butneverlosttoanyseriousamount；norcanI

recollectthatheeversolicitedme——indeedheknowsthatIhaveastrongobjectiontodeepplay。YOUmustbeawarethatmyfinancescouldnotbearmuchpruningdown。Ineverlostmoretohimatasittingthanaboutfivepounds，whichyouknowisnothing。No，youwronghimifyouimaginethatheattachedhimselftomemerelyforthesakeofsuchcontemptiblewinningsasthosewhichabroken-downIrishgentlemancouldaffordhim。Come，Purcell，youaretooharduponhim——youjudgeonlybyreport；youmustseehim，anddecideforyourself——Supposewecalluponhimnow；heisattheinn，intheHighStreet，notamileoff。’

Ideclinedtheproposaldrily。

’Yourcautionistooeasilyalarmed，’

saidhe。’Idonotwishyoutomakethismanyourbosomfriend：Imerelydesirethatyoushouldseeandspeaktohim，andifyouformanyacquaintancewithhim，itmustbeofthatslightnaturewhichcanbedroppedorcontinuedatpleasure。’

FromthetimethatO’ConnorhadannouncedthefactthathisfriendwasnootherthanthenotoriousFitzgerald，aforebodingofsomethingcalamitoushadcomeuponme，anditnowoccurredtomethatifanyunpleasantnessweretobefearedaslikelytoresulttoO’Connorfromtheirconnection，Imightfindmyattemptstoextricatehimmuchfacilitatedbymybeingacquainted，howeverslightly，withFitzgerald。Iknownotwhethertheideawasreasonable——itwascertainlynatural；