第34章

InthispartofhishistoryIinterruptedMurtagh，sayingthatIwasafraidhewastellinguntruths，andthatitwashighlyimprobablethatthePopewouldleavetheVaticantoplaycardswithIrishattheirreligioushouse，andthatI

wassure，ifonhis，Murtagh’sauthority，Iweretotelltheworldso，theworldwouldneverbelieveit。

"Thentheworld，Shorsha，wouldbeafool，evenasyouwerejustnowsayingyouhadfrequentlybelievedittobe；thegrandthing，Shorsha，istobeabletobelieveoneself；ifyecandothat，itmattersverylittlewhethertheworldbelieveyeorno。ButapurtythingforyouandtheworldtostickleatthePope’splayingatcardsatareligioushouseofIrish；

och！ifIweretotellyouandtheworld，whatthePopehasbeensometimesat，atthereligioushouseofEnglishthaives，Iwouldexcuseyouandtheworldforturningupyoureyes。

However，IwishtosaynothingagainstthePope。Iamasonofthechurch，andifthePopedon’tinterferewithmycards，divilabitwillIhavetosayagainsthim；butIsawthePopeplaying，orabouttoplay，withthepackwhichhadbeentakenfromme，andwhenItoldthePope，thePopedidnot—

Yehadbetterletmegoonwithmyhistory，Shorsha；whetheryouortheworldbelieveitornot，Iamsureitisquiteastrueasyourtaleofthesnake，orsayingthatFinngothisburntfingerfromthethaivesofLoughlin；andwhateveryoumaysay，Iamsuretheworldwillthinksotoo。"

IapologizedtoMurtaghforinterruptinghim，andtellinghimthathishistory，whethertrueornot，wasinfinitelydiverting，beggedhimtocontinueit。

CHAPTERXLVI

Murtagh’sStorycontinued—ThePriest，Exorcist，andThimble—engro—HowtoCheckaRebellion。

IWAStellingye，Shorsha，whenyeinterruptedme，thatI

foundthePope，therector，thesub—rector，andthealmonerseatedatthetable，therectorwithmypackofcardsinhishands，abouttodealouttothePopeandtherest，notforgettinghimself，forwhomheintendedallthetrump—cards，nodoubt。Nosoonerdidtheyperceivemethantheyseemedtakenallaback；buttherector，suddenlystartingupwiththecardsinhishand，askedmewhatIdidthere，threateningtohavemewelldisciplinedifIdidnotgoaboutmybusiness；’Iamcomeformypack，’saidI，’yeouldthaif，andtotellhisHolinesshowIhavebeentreatedbyye；’thengoingdownonmykneesbeforehisHoliness，Isaid，’Arrah，now，yourHoliness！willyenotseejusticedonetoapoorboywhohasbeensadlymisused？Thepackofcardswhichthatoldruffianhasinhishandaremycards，whichhehastakenfromme，inordertochatewith。Arrah！don’tplaywithhim，yourHoliness，forhe’llonlychateye—therearedirtymarksuponthecardswhichbearthetrumps，putthereinordertoknowthemby；andtheouldthaifindalingoutwillgivehimselfallthegoodcards，andchateyeofthelastfarthinginyourpocket；soletthembetakenfromhim，yourHoliness，andgivenbacktome；andorderhimtolavetheroom，andthen，ifyourHolinessbeforanhonestgame，don’tthinkIamtheboytobaulkye。I’lltaketheoldruffian’splace，andplaywithyetillevening，andallnightbesides，anddivilanadvantagewillItakeofthedirtymarks，thoughIknowthemall，havingplacedthemonthecardsmyself。’I

wasgoingoninthiswaywhentheouldthaifofarector，flingingdownthecards，madeatmeasiftokickmeoutoftheroom，whereuponIstartedupandsaid，’Ifyeareforkicking，suretwocanplayatthat；’andthenIkickedathisreverence，andhisreverenceatme，andtherewasaregularscrimmagebetweenus，whichfrightenedthePope，who，gettingup，saidsomewordswhichIdidnotunderstand，butwhichthecookafterwardstoldmewere，’Englishextravagance，andthisisthesecondedition；’foritseemsthat，alittletimebefore，hisHolinesshadbeenfrightenedinSt。Peter’sChurchbytheservantofanEnglishfamily，whichthosethaivesoftheEnglishreligioushousehadbeenendeavouringtobringovertotheCatholicfaith，andwhodidn’tapproveoftheirbeingconverted。Och！hisHolinessdidusallsoreinjusticetocallusEnglish，andtoconfoundourhousewiththeother；forhoweverdirtyourhousemightbe，ourhousewasaclanehousecomparedwiththeEnglishhouse，andwehonestpeoplecomparedwiththoseEnglishthaives。Well，hisHolinesswasfrighted，andthealmonerranout，andbroughtinhisHoliness’sattendants，andtheylaidholdofme，butI

struggledhard，andsaid，’Iwillnotgowithoutmypack；

arrah，yourHoliness！makethemgivememypack，whichShorshagavemeinDungarvontimesofold；’butmystruggleswereofnouse。Iwaspulledawayandputoutintheoulddungeon，andhisHolinesswentawaysorefrighted，crossinghimselfmuch，andneverreturnedagain。

"IntheolddungeonIwasfastenedtothewallbyachain，andthereIwasdisciplinedonceeveryotherdayforthefirstthreeweeks，andthenIwaslefttomyself，andmychain，andhunger；andthereIsatinthedungeon，sometimesscreeching，sometimeshallooing，forIsoonbecamefrighted，havingnothinginthecelltodivertme。Atlastthecookfoundhiswaytomebystealth，andcomfortedmealittle，bringingmetidbitsoutofthekitchen；andhevisitedmeagainandagain—notoften，however，forhedareonlycomewhenhecouldstealawaythekeyfromthecustodyofthethaifofaporter。Iwasthreeyearsinthedungeon，andshouldhavegonemadbutforthecook，andhiswordsofcomfort，andhistidbits，andnicebookswhichhebroughtmeoutofthelibrary，whichwerethe’CalendarsofNewgate，’

andthe’LivesofIrishRoguesandRaparees，’theonlyEnglishbooksinthelibrary。However，attheendofthreeyears，theouldthaifofarector，wishingtolookatthembooks，missedthemfromthelibrary，andmadeaperquisitionaboutthem，andthethaifofaportersaidthatheshouldn’twonderifIhadthem；sayingthathehadonceseenmereading；andthentherectorcamewithotherstomycell，andtookmybooksfromme，fromundermystraw，andaskedmehowIcamebythem；andonmyrefusaltotell，theydisciplinedmeagaintillthebloodrandownmyback；andmakingmoreperquisitiontheyatlastaccusedthecookofhavingcarriedthebookstome，andnotdenying，hewasgivenwarningtoleavenextday，butheleftthatnight，andtookmeawaywithhim；forhestolethekey，andcametomeandcutmychainthrough，andthenheandIescapedfromthereligioushousethroughawindow—thecookwithabundle，containingwhatthingshehad。Nosoonerhadwegotoutthanthehonestcookgavemealittlebitofmoneyandaloaf，andtoldmetofollowawaywhichhepointedout，whichhesaidwouldleadtothesea；andthen，havingembracedmeaftertheItalianway，heleftme，andIneversawhimagain。SoIfollowedthewaywhichthecookpointedout，andintwodaysreachedaseaportcalledChiviterVik，terriblyfoot—foundered，andthereImetasailorwhospokeIrish，andwhobelongedtoavesseljustreadytosailforFrance；andthesailortookmeonboardhisvessel，andsaidIwashisbrother，andthecaptaingavemeapassagetoaplaceinFrancecalledMarseilles；andwhenIgotthere，thecaptainandsailorgotalittlemoneyformeandapassport，andItravelledacrossthecountrytowardsaplacetheydirectedmetocalledBayonne，fromwhichtheysaidImight，perhaps，gettoIreland。Coming，however，toaplacecalledPau，allmymoneybeinggone，IenlistedintoaregimentcalledtheArmyoftheFaith，whichwasgoingintoSpain，fortheKingofSpainhadbeendethronedandimprisonedbyhisownsubjects，asperhapsyoumayhaveheard；andtheKingofFrance，whowashiscousin，wassendinganarmytohelphim，underthecommandofhisownson，whomtheEnglishcalledPrinceHilt，becausewhenhewastoldthathewasappointedtothecommand，heclappedhishandonthehiltofhissword。SoI

enlistedintotheregimentoftheFaith，whichwasmadeupofSpaniards，manyofthempriestswhohadrunoutofSpain，andbrokenGermans，andfoot—founderedIrish，likemyself。Itwassaidtobeablackguardregiment，thatsameregimentoftheFaith；but，’faith，Isawnothingblackguardlygoingoninit，foryouwouldhardlyreckoncard—playinganddominoes，andpitchandtossblackguardly，andIsawnothingelseinit。TherewasonethinginitwhichIdisliked—thepriestsdrawingtheirSpanishknivesoccasionally，whentheylosttheirmoney。AfterwehadbeensometimeatPau，thearmyoftheFaithwassentacrossthemountainsintoSpain，asthevanguardoftheFrench；andnosoonerdidtheSpaniardsseetheFaiththantheymadeadashatit，andtheFaithranaway，myselfalongwithit，andgotbehindtheFrencharmy，whichtoldittokeepthere，andtheFaithdidso，andfollowedtheFrencharmy，whichsoonscatteredtheSpaniards，andintheendplacedthekingonhisthroneagain。WhenthewarwasovertheFaithwasdisbanded；someoftheforeigners，however，amongstwhomIwasone，wereputintoaGuardregiment，andthereIcontinuedformorethanayear。

"Oneday，beingataplacecalledtheEscurial，Itookstock，asthetradesmensay，andfoundIpossessedthesumofeightydollarswonbyplayingatcards，forthoughIcouldnotplaysowellwiththeforeigncardsaswiththepackyougaveme，Shorsha，IhadyetcontrivedtowinmoneyfromthepriestsandsoldiersoftheFaith。Findingmyselfpossessedofsuchacapital，Ideterminedtoleavetheservice，andtomakethebestofmywaytoIreland；soIdeserted，butcominginanevilhourtoaplacetheycallsTorreLodones，Ifoundthepriestplayingatcardswithhisparishioners。Thesightofthecardsmademestop，andthen，foollike，notwithstandingthetreasureIhadaboutme，Imustwishtoplay，sonotbeingabletospeaktheirlanguage，Imadesignstothemtoletmeplay，andthepriestandhisthaivesconsentedwillingly；soIs