The Absentee [91]
such nonsense!'
'I'd be sorry to trouble him. Then take it on my word, and believe me, sir; for I would not tell a lie, nor cheat rich or poor, if in my power, for the whole estate, nor the whole world: for there's an eye above.'
'Cant! nonsense!--Take those leases off the table; I never will sign them. Walk off; ye canting hag; it's an imposition--I will never sign them.'
'You WILL then, sir,' cried Brian, growing red with indignation; 'for the law shall make you, so it shall; and you'd as good have been civil to my mother, whatever you did--for I'll stand by her while I've life; and I know she has right, and shall have law. I saw the memorandum written before ever it went into your hands, sir, whatever became of it after; and will swear to it, too.'
'Swear away, my good friend; much your swearing will avail in your own case in a court of justice,' continued old Nick.
'And against a gentleman of my brother's established character and property,' said St. Dennis. 'What's your mother's character against a gentleman's like his?'
'Character! take care how you go to that, anyway, sir,' cried Brian.
Grace put her hand before his mouth, to stop him. 'Grace, dear, I must speak, if I die for it; sure it's for my mother,' said the young man, struggling forward, while his mother held him back; 'I must speak.'
'Oh, he's ruin'd, I see it,' said Grace, putting her hand before her eyes, 'and he won't mind me.'
'Go on, let him go on, pray, young woman,' said Mr. Garraghty, pale with anger and fear, his lips quivering; 'I shall be happy to take down his words.'
'Write them; and may all the world read it, and welcome!' His mother and wife stopped his mouth by force.
'Write you, Dennis,' said Mr. Garraghty, giving the pen to his brother; for his hand shook so he could not form a letter. 'Write the very words, and at the top' (pointing) after warning, WITH MALICE PREPENSE.'
'Write, then--mother, Grace--let me,' cried Brian, speaking in a smothered voice, as their hands were over his mouth. 'Write then, that, if you'd either of you a character like my mother, you might defy the world; and your word would be as good as your oath.'
'OATH! mind that, Dennis,' said Mr. Garraghty.
'Oh, sir! sir! won't you stop him?' cried Grace, turning suddenly to Lord Colambre.
'Oh dear, dear, if you haven't lost your feeling for us,' cried the widow.
'Let him speak,' said Lord Colambre, in a tone of authority; 'let the voice of truth be heard.'
'TRUTH!' cried St. Dennis, and dropped the pen.
'And who the devil are you, sir?' said old Nick.
'Lord Colambre, I protest! ' exclaimed a female voice; and Mrs. Raffarty at this instant appeared at the open door.
'Lord Colambre!' repeated all present, in different tones.
'My lord, I beg pardon;' continued Mrs. Raffarty, advancing as if her legs were tied; 'had I known you was down here, I would not have presumed. I'd better retire; for I see you're busy.'
'You'd best; for you're mad, sister,' said St. Dennis, pushing her back; 'and we are busy; go to your room, and keep quiet, if you can.'
'First, madam,' said Lord Colambre, going between her and the door, 'let me beg that you will consider yourself as at home in this house, whilst any circumstances make it desirable to you. The hospitality you showed me you cannot think that I now forget.'
'Oh, my lord, you're too good--how few--too kind-- kinder than my own,' and bursting into tears, she escaped out of the room.
Lord Colambre returned to the party round the table, who were in various attitudes of astonishment, and with faces of fear, horror, hope, joy, doubt.
'Distress,' continued his lordship, 'however incurred, if not by vice, will always find a refuge in this house. I speak in my father's name, for I know I speak his sentiments. But never more shall vice,' said he, darting such a look at the brother agents as they felt to the backbone--'never more shall vice, shall fraud enter here.'
He paused, and there was a momentary silence.
'There spoke the true thing! and the
'I'd be sorry to trouble him. Then take it on my word, and believe me, sir; for I would not tell a lie, nor cheat rich or poor, if in my power, for the whole estate, nor the whole world: for there's an eye above.'
'Cant! nonsense!--Take those leases off the table; I never will sign them. Walk off; ye canting hag; it's an imposition--I will never sign them.'
'You WILL then, sir,' cried Brian, growing red with indignation; 'for the law shall make you, so it shall; and you'd as good have been civil to my mother, whatever you did--for I'll stand by her while I've life; and I know she has right, and shall have law. I saw the memorandum written before ever it went into your hands, sir, whatever became of it after; and will swear to it, too.'
'Swear away, my good friend; much your swearing will avail in your own case in a court of justice,' continued old Nick.
'And against a gentleman of my brother's established character and property,' said St. Dennis. 'What's your mother's character against a gentleman's like his?'
'Character! take care how you go to that, anyway, sir,' cried Brian.
Grace put her hand before his mouth, to stop him. 'Grace, dear, I must speak, if I die for it; sure it's for my mother,' said the young man, struggling forward, while his mother held him back; 'I must speak.'
'Oh, he's ruin'd, I see it,' said Grace, putting her hand before her eyes, 'and he won't mind me.'
'Go on, let him go on, pray, young woman,' said Mr. Garraghty, pale with anger and fear, his lips quivering; 'I shall be happy to take down his words.'
'Write them; and may all the world read it, and welcome!' His mother and wife stopped his mouth by force.
'Write you, Dennis,' said Mr. Garraghty, giving the pen to his brother; for his hand shook so he could not form a letter. 'Write the very words, and at the top' (pointing) after warning, WITH MALICE PREPENSE.'
'Write, then--mother, Grace--let me,' cried Brian, speaking in a smothered voice, as their hands were over his mouth. 'Write then, that, if you'd either of you a character like my mother, you might defy the world; and your word would be as good as your oath.'
'OATH! mind that, Dennis,' said Mr. Garraghty.
'Oh, sir! sir! won't you stop him?' cried Grace, turning suddenly to Lord Colambre.
'Oh dear, dear, if you haven't lost your feeling for us,' cried the widow.
'Let him speak,' said Lord Colambre, in a tone of authority; 'let the voice of truth be heard.'
'TRUTH!' cried St. Dennis, and dropped the pen.
'And who the devil are you, sir?' said old Nick.
'Lord Colambre, I protest! ' exclaimed a female voice; and Mrs. Raffarty at this instant appeared at the open door.
'Lord Colambre!' repeated all present, in different tones.
'My lord, I beg pardon;' continued Mrs. Raffarty, advancing as if her legs were tied; 'had I known you was down here, I would not have presumed. I'd better retire; for I see you're busy.'
'You'd best; for you're mad, sister,' said St. Dennis, pushing her back; 'and we are busy; go to your room, and keep quiet, if you can.'
'First, madam,' said Lord Colambre, going between her and the door, 'let me beg that you will consider yourself as at home in this house, whilst any circumstances make it desirable to you. The hospitality you showed me you cannot think that I now forget.'
'Oh, my lord, you're too good--how few--too kind-- kinder than my own,' and bursting into tears, she escaped out of the room.
Lord Colambre returned to the party round the table, who were in various attitudes of astonishment, and with faces of fear, horror, hope, joy, doubt.
'Distress,' continued his lordship, 'however incurred, if not by vice, will always find a refuge in this house. I speak in my father's name, for I know I speak his sentiments. But never more shall vice,' said he, darting such a look at the brother agents as they felt to the backbone--'never more shall vice, shall fraud enter here.'
He paused, and there was a momentary silence.
'There spoke the true thing! and the