"I scarcely understand your note, Maurice," said young Nelligan, as heentered the little room where the other sat at breakfast.
"Have you breakfasted?" said Scanlan.
"Yes, an hour ago."
"Will you taste that salmon? Well, then, just try Poll Hanigan's attemptat a grouse-pie; let me tell you, there is genius in the very ambition;she got the receipt from the cook at Cro' Martin, and the imitation ishighly creditable. You 're wrong to decline it." And he helped himselfamply as he spoke.
"But this note?" broke in the other, half impatiently.
"Oh--ay--the note; I 'm sure I forget what I wrote; what was it about?Yes, to be sure, I remember now. I want you to make yourself known, upthere. It is downright folly, if not worse, to be keeping up these feudsand differences in Ireland any longer; such a course might suit thesmall politicians of Oughterard, but you and I know better, and Martinhimself knows better."
"But I never took any part in the conflict you speak of; I lived out ofit,--away from it."
"And are therefore, exactly suited to repair a breach to which younever contributed. I assure you, my boy, the gentry--and I know themwell--will meet you more than half-way. There is not a prouder fellowliving than Martin there; he has throughout his whole life held his headhigher than any man in our county, and yet he is quite ready tomake advances towards you. Of course, what I say is strictly betweenourselves; but my opinion is, that, if you like it, you may be asintimate up there as ever you were at old Hayes's, at the Priory."
"Then, what would you have me do?" asked Nelligan.
"Just pay a visit there this morning; say that you are curious to seethat great picture,--and it is a wonderful thing, if only for the sizeof it; or that you 'd like to have a look at Arran Island out of the bigtelescope at the top of the house; anything will serve as a reason, andthen,--why, leave the rest to chance."
"But really, Maurice, I see no sufficient cause for all this," said theyouth, timidly.
"Look now, Joe," said the other, drawing his chair closer to him, andtalking in the low and measured tone of a confidence,--"look now, you'renot going to pass your life as the successor to that excellent man, DanNelligan, of Oughterard, selling hides and ropes and ten-penny-nails,and making an estate the way old ladies make a patchwork quilt. You'llbe able to start in life with plenty of tin and plenty of talent; you'llhave every advantage that money and education can give, and only onedrawback on your road to success,--the mere want of blood,--that dash ofbirth which forms the only real freemasonry in this world. Now mind me,Joe; the next best thing to having this oneself is to live and associatewith those who have; for in time, what with catching up their prejudicesand learning their ways, you come to feel very much as they do; and,what is better still, they begin to regard you as one of themselves."
"But if I do not ambition this,--if I even reject it?" said the other,impatiently.
"Then all I say is that Trinity College may make wonderful scholars, butturns out mighty weak men of the world!"
"Perhaps so!" said Nelligan, dryly, and with a half-nettled air.
"I suppose you fancy there would be something like slavery in such aposition?" said Scanlan, with a derisive look.
"I know it!" responded the other, firmly.
"Then what do you say to the alternative,--and there is but one onlyopen to you,--what do you think of spending your life as a follower ofDaniel O'Connell; of being reminded every day and every hour that youhave not a privilege nor a place that he did n't win for you; that heopened Parliament to you, and made you free of every guild where menof ability rise to honor? Ay, Joe! and what 's a thousand timesworse,--knowing it all to be true, my boy! Take service with him once,and if you leave him you 're a renegade; remember that, and bethink youthat there's no saying what crotchet he may have in store for futureagitation."
"But I never purposed any such part for myself," broke in Nelligan.
"Never mind, it will fall to your lot for all that, if you don't quicklydecide against it. What's Simmy Crow staring at? Look at him down there,he's counting every window in the street like a tax-gatherer." Andhe pointed to the artist, who, shading his eyes with one hand, stoodpeering at every house along the little street. "What's the matter,Simmy?" cried he, opening the casement.
"It's a house I'm looking for, down here, and I forget which it is;bother them, they 're all so like at this time of the year when they 'reempty."
"Are you in search of a lodging, Simmy?"
"No, it is n't that!" said the other, curtly, and still intent on hispursuit. "Bad luck to the architect that would n't vary what they callthe 'facade,' and give one some chance of finding the place again."
"Who is it you want, man?"
"Faix, and I don't even know that same!" replied the artist; "but"--andhe lowered his voice to a whisper as he spoke--"he's an elegant study,--as fine a head and face and as beautiful a beard as ever you saw. I methim at Kyle's Wood a week ago, begging; and what with his fine foreheadand deep-set blue eyes, his long white hair, and his great shaggyeyebrows, I said to myself: 'Belisarius,' says I, 'by all that'sgrand,--a Moses, a Marino Faliero, or a monk in a back parlordiscoursing to an old skull and a vellum folio,--any one of these,' saysI, 'not to speak of misers, money-lenders, or magicians, as well;' andso I coaxed him down here on Saturday last, and put him somewhere tosleep, with a good supper and a pint of spirits, and may I never, if Iknow where I left him."
"Three days ago?"
"Just so; and worse than all, I shut up the place quite dark, and onlymade a hole in the roof, just to let a fine Rembrandt light fall down onhis head. Oh, then, it's no laughing matter, Maurice! Sure if anythinghappened to him--"
"Your life wouldn't be worth sixpence before any jury in the county."
"Begad! it's what I was thinking; if they wouldn't take it as apractical joke."
"You're looking for ould Brennan!" cried a weather-beaten hag; "but he'sgone to Oughterard for a summons. You'll pay dear for your tricks thistime, anyhow."
"Come up here, Simmy, and never mind her," said Scanlan; then, turningto Nelligan, he added, "There's not such a character in the county!
"I want my friend, Mr. Nelligan, here--Mr. Nelligan--Mr. Crow--I wanthim, I say, to come up and have a look at the great 'Historical '--eh,Simmy!--would n't it astonish him?"
"Are you a votary of art, sir?" asked Crow, modestly.
"I 've never seen what could be called a picture, except those portraitsin the College Examination Hall might be deemed such."
"Indeed, and they're not worthy the name, sir. Flood, mayhap, is like,but he's hard and stiff, and out of drawing; and Lord Clare is worse.It's in the Low Countries you 'd see portraits, real portraits! men thatlook down on you out of the canvas, as if _you_ were the intruder there,and that _they_ were waiting to know what brought you. A sturdy oldBurgomaster, for instance, with a red-brown beard and a fierce pairof eyes, standing up firm as a rock on a pair of legs that made many adrawbridge tremble as he walked home to dinner on the Grand Canal, atRotterdam, after finishing some mighty bargain for half a spice island,or paying a million of guilders down as a dowry for that flaxen-haired,buxom damsel in the next frame. Look at the dimples in her neck, andmark the folds in her satin. Is n't she comely, and calm, and haughty,and house-wifery, all together? Mind her foot, it isn't small, but seethe shape of it, and the way it presses the ground--ay, just so--myservice to you; but you are one there 's no joking with, even if one wasalone with you." And he doffed his hat, and bowed obsequiously as hespoke.
"You're an enthusiast for your art?" said Nelligan, interested by theunmistakable sincerity of his zeal.
"I am, sir," was the brief reply.
"And the painter's is certainly a glorious career."
"If for nothing else," burst in Crow, eagerly, "that it can make of onelike me--poor, ignorant, and feeble, as I am--a fellow-soldier inthe same army with Van Dyke and Titian and Velasquez--to know that insomething that they thought, or hoped, or dared, or tried to do, I toohav
e my share! You think me presumptuous to say this; you are sneeringat such a creature as Simmy Crow for the impudence of such a boast, butit's in humility I say it, ay, in downright abject humility; for I 'drather have swept out Rembrandt's room, and settled his rough boards onCuyp's easel, than I 'd be a--a--battle-axe guard, or a lord-in-waiting,or anything else you like, that's great and grand at court."
"I envy you a pursuit whose reward is in the practice rather than in thepromise," said Nelligan, thoughtfully. "Men like myself labor that theymay reach some far-away land of rewards and successes, and bear thepresent that they may enjoy the future."
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"Ay, but it will repay you well, by all accounts," said Crow. "Miss Marytold us last night how you had beat every one out of the field, and hadn't left a single prize behind you."
"Who said this?" cried Joe, eagerly.
"Miss Mary,--Miss Martin. She said it was a credit to us all of thewest, here, that there was one, at least, from Galway, who could dosomething besides horse-racing and cock-fighting--"
"So she did," said Scanlan, interrupting, with some confusion. "Shesaid somebody had told her of young Nelligan. She called you 'YoungNelligan.'"
"No, no; it was to myself she said it, and the words were, 'Mr. JosephNelligan;' and then, when her uncle said, 'Why don't we know him? '--"
"My dear Simmy, you make a most horrible confusion when you attempt astory,--out of canvas. Mind, I said out of canvas; for I confess that inyour grand 'Historical' the whole incident is admirably detailed. I 'vejust said to my friend here, that he has a great pleasure before him inseeing that picture."
"If you 'll do me the honor to look at it," said Crow, bowingcourteously, "when you come to dinner to-day."
"Attend to _me_, Joe," said Scanlan, passing an arm within Nelligan's,and leading him away to another part of the room; "that fellow is littlebetter than an idiot. But I was just going to tell you what Martin said.'You are intimate with young Nelligan,' said he; 'you know him well, andyou could possibly do without awkwardness what with more formalitymight be difficult. Don't you think, then, that he would possibly waiveceremony--'"
"I must be off," broke in Crow, hastily. "I have a sitting at twelveo'clock, so I hope we shall see you at seven, Mr. Nelligan; your notesaid seven, sharp." And without waiting for more, he seized his hat andhurried down the stairs.
"A downright fool!" said Scanlan, angrily. "Mr. Martin said he 'd writeto you, if--if--if, in fact, you stood upon that punctilio; but thathe'd be all the better pleased if you 'd just accept acquaintance asfreely as he offered it, and come and dine there to-day, like a friend."
"Is n't there, or has there not been, some difference between him and myfather?" asked Joe.
"A trifle,--and a mistake; the kind of thing that two men of calm headsand common sense could have settled in five minutes, and which, to saythe truth, Martin was right in throughout. It's all passed and over now,however, and it would be worse than foolish to revive it. There 's MissMartin!" cried he, "and I have a word to say to her;" and hurried offwithout waiting for more. As he passed from the room, however, a letterfell from his pocket; and as Nelligan stooped to take it up, he saw thatit was addressed to himself. He looked hesitatingly at it for a momentor two, scarcely knowing whether or not he ought to break the seal. "Itwas meant for me, at all events," said he, and opened it. The contentswere as follows;--
"Mr. Martin presents his respects to Mr. Joseph Nelligan, and will feelhappy if--excusing the want of formal introduction--Mr. Nelligan willadmit him to the honor of acquaintance, and give him the pleasure ofhis society at dinner, to-morrow, at seven o'clock. Mr. Martin does nothesitate to say that to accept this unceremonious proposal will be feltas a very great favor indeed by him and his family."
"What does Scanlan mean by all this? Why not have handed me this note atonce?" was Nelligan's question to himself, as he descended the stairsand gained the street. He was not sorry that Scanlan was not in sight,and hastened homeward to think over this strange communication. Joe wellknew that his mother was not peculiarly endowed with worldly wisdom oracuteness; and yet such was his need of counsel at the moment, thathe determined, at least in part, to lay the case before her. "Shecan certainly tell me," said he, "if there be any reason why I shoulddecline this proposal." And with this resolve he entered the cottage.
"Don't you remember Catty Henderson, Joe?" said his mother, as he cameinto the room, and presenting a young girl, very plainly butneatly dressed, who arose to receive him with an air of well-bredcomposure,--"Catty, that used to be your playfellow long ago?"
"I didn't know you were in Ireland, Miss Henderson. I should never haverecognized you," said Nelligan, in some confusion.
"Nor was I till a few days back," said she, in an accent very slightlytinged with a foreign pronunciation. "I came home on Tuesday."
"Isn't she grown, joe? and such a fine girl, too. I always said she 'dbe so; and when the others would have it that your nose was too long forthe rest of your features, I said, 'Wait till she grows up,--wait tillshe 's a woman;' and see now if I 'm not right."
It must be owned that Joe Nelligan's confusion during the delivery ofthis prophetic criticism was far greater than Catty's own, who receivedthe speech with a low, gentle laugh, while Mrs. Nelligan went on: "Imade her stay till you came back, Joe, for I wanted her to see whata tall creature you are, and not more than twenty,--her own age toa month; and I told her what a genius you turned out, indeed, to thesurprise of us all, and myself, especially."
"Thank you, mother," said he, smiling.
"No, indeed, my dear, 't is your father you may thank for all yourtalents and abilities; a wonderful man he is, beginning the worldwithout a sixpence; and there he is now, with I 'm sure I don't know howmany hundreds a year in land,--ay, Catty, in broad acres; just like anysquire in the county. Well, well, there 's many a change come over thecountry since you were here,--how many years is it now?"
"Upwards of twelve," said the young girl. "Dear me, how time flies! Itseems like yesterday that you and Joe had the measles together, in theyellow room up at Broom Lodge, and your poor mother was alive then, andwould insist on giving you everything cool to drink, just because youliked it, though I told her that was exactly the reason it was sure tobe bad for you; for there 's nothing so true in life,--that everythingwe wish for is wrong."
"An unpleasant theory, certainly," said Catty, laughing; "but I hopenot of universal application, for I have been long wishing to see youagain."
"Well, well, who knows whether it may be good or bad," said she,sighing; "not but I 'm pleased to see you growing up the image ofyour poor dear mother,--taller, maybe, but not so handsome, nor sogenteel-looking; but when you have your trials and troubles, as she had,maybe that will come, too, for I often remarked, there 's nothing likeaffliction to make one genteel."
"Why, mother, you are profuse in unhappy apothegms this morning," saidJoe.
"And you are coming to stay amongst us now, Catty; or are you going backto France again?" said Mrs. Nelligan, not heeding the remark.
"I scarcely know, as yet," replied the young girl. "My father's letterto summon me home said something about placing me as a governess, if Iwere capable of the charge."
"Of course you are, my dear, after all your advantages; not but that I'd rather see you anything else,--a nice light business; for instance,in baby-linen or stationery, or in Miss Busk's establishment, if thatcould be accomplished."
A very slight flush--so slight as to be nearly imperceptible--crossedthe young girl's cheek, but not a syllable escaped her, as Mrs. Nelliganresumed,--
"And there was an excellent opening the other day at the Post here, inthe circulating-library way, and lending out a newspaper or two. I don'tknow how much you might make of it. Not but maybe you 'd rather becompanion to a lady, or what they call a 'nervous invalid.'"
"That, too, has been thought of," said the girl, smiling; "but I havelittle choice in the matter, and, happily, as little preference for oneas the oth
er of these occupations. And now I must take my leave, for Ipromised to be back by two o'clock."
"Well, there's Joe will see you home with pleasure, and I 'm sure youhave plenty to say to each other about long ago; not but I hope you 'llagree better than you did then. You were the torment of my life, the wayyou used to fight."
"I couldn't think of trespassing on Mr. Joseph's time; I should bequite ashamed of imposing such trouble on him. So good-bye, godmamma;good-bye, Mr. Joseph," said she, hurriedly throwing her shawl aroundher.
"If you will allow me to accompany you," said Joseph, scarcely knowingwhether she rejected or accepted his escort.
"To be sure she will, and you have both more sense than to fall out now;and mind, Joseph, you 're to be here at four, for I asked Mrs. Cronan todinner."
"Oh, that reminds me of something," said Joe, hurriedly; and he leanedover his mother's chair, and whispered to her, "Mr. Martin has invitedme to dine with him to-day; here is his note, which came to me in rathera strange fashion."
"To dine at the Nest! May I never! But I scarcely can believe my eyes,"said Mrs. Nelligan, in ecstasy. "And the honor, and the pleasure, too;well, well, you 're the lucky boy."
"What shall I do, mother; is n't there something between my father andhim?"
"What will you do but go; what else would you do, I 'd like to know?What will they say at the Post when they hear it?"
"But I want you to hear how this occurred."
"Well, well; I don't care,--go you must, Joe. But there 's poor Cattywalking away all alone; just overtake her, and say that a suddeninvitation from the Martins--mention it as if you were up there everyday--"
But young Nelligan did not wait for the conclusion of this artfulcounsel, but hurrying after Catty Henderson, overtook her as she hadgained the beach.
"I have no need of an escort, Mr. Joseph," said she, good-humoredly. "Iknow every turn of the way here."
"But you'll not refuse my companionship?" said he. "We have scarcelyspoken to each other yet." And as he spoke he drew his arm within herown, and they walked along in silence.
"My mother thinks we did nothing but quarrel long ago," said he, after apause; "but if my memory serves me truly, it was upon this very pathwaywe once swore to each other vows of a very different kind. Do yourecollect anything of that, Miss Henderson?"
"I do, Mr. Joseph," said she, with a sly half-glance as she uttered thelast word.
"Then why 'Mr. Joseph'?" said he, half reproachfully.
"Why 'Miss Henderson'?" said she, with a malicious smile at the other'sconfusion; for somehow Joseph's manner was far less easy than her own.
"I scarcely know why," replied he, after a short silence, "except thatyou seem so changed; and I myself, too, am probably in your eyes as muchaltered--from what we both were, that--that--"
"That, in short, it would be impossible to link the past with thepresent," said she, quickly; "and you were quite right. I 'm convincedthe effort is always a failure, and prejudices in a hundred ways thegood qualities of those who attempt it. Let us, therefore, begin ouracquaintance here; learn to know each other as we are,--that is, if weare to know each other at all."
"Why do you say that?" asked he, eagerly.
"For many reasons. We may not meet often; perhaps not at all; perhapsunder circumstances where to renew intimacy might be difficult.Assuredly, although the path here might once have sufficed us, our roadsin life lie widely apart now, and the less we travel together the morewe shall each go towards his own goal, and--and the less regret we shallfeel at parting; and so now good-bye."
"You wish it?" said he, reproachfully. "You desire this?"
"What matters it whether I wish it or not? I know it must be. Good-bye."
"Good-bye, then,--good-bye," said he, affecting as much indifference ashe could; and then, slightly raising his hat, he turned away on the roadhomeward.
Joseph Nelligan's reflections were not of the pleasantest as hesauntered slowly back. He was not exactly satisfied with himself; hefelt, he could not just say how, that the young girl had had the masteryover him; she was more calm or self-possessed; she had more tact, or sheknew more of life; had more of self-control, or breeding, or some otherquality, whatever it might be, than he had. At all events, he was illat ease and discontented. Then he doubted whether he ought to have takenher at her word when she talked of parting. It might, possibly, havebeen meant by her to evoke some show of resistance on his part; thatsame inequality of station she seemed to hint at might, perhaps, demandfrom him a greater deference. In fact, whichever way he turned thematter over, he saw little cause for self-gratulation; nor did hediscover that it mended matters when he tried to accuse her of Frenchfrivolity, and such other traits as he fancied of foreign origin.
In this not over-pleasant mood was it that he re-entered the cottage,where his mother was busy in preparing a very formidable cravat for theapproaching dinner-party.
"Ah, Joe!" said she, anxiously, "if you were to dress now, and then stayquiet, you 'd be quite fresh when the time came; for, remember, it's notlike your father you are, that has the world about him, and can converseabout everything that comes uppermost; but with all your learning, youknow, you always feel somehow--"
"Stupid, mother?"
"Not stupid, my dear, but depressed,--out of spirits in society; sothat my advice to you is, now, dress yourself in good time, take a smallglass of ginger-cordial, and throw your eye over the second chapter of'Social Hints,' with an account of conversation before and at dinner,and some excellent advice about'compliments, meet for every season ofthe year.'"
"Do you think such preparations quite necessary, mother?" asked Joe,slyly; for he rather relished the simplicity of her counsels.
"To be sure, I do; for yours is no common difficulty, Joe. If you talkof country matters, you 'll get into Kyle's Wood and the Chancery suit;if you touch politics or religion, it will be worse again. The Martins,I hear, never play cards, so you can't allude to them; and they 'llbe too grand to know anything about poor Miss Cuddy going off with thesergeant of police, or what Con Kelly did with his aunt's furniture."
"So that really the topics open to me are marvellously few."
"Well, there's shooting; but to be sure you know nothing about that, norfishing, either; and I suppose farming, if you did understand it, wouldn't be genteel. Indeed, I see little that is n't dangerous, except thedearness of everything. I remark that's a subject nobody ever tires of,and all can take their share in."
"And I conclude it to be fact, mother?"
"A very melancholy fact, my dear; and so I said to Betty Gargan,yesterday. 'It's well for _you_,' said I, 'and the likes of you, thatuse nothing but potatoes; but think of us, that have to pay sixpence apound for mutton, six-and-a-half for the prime pieces, and veal not tobe had under eightpence.' They talk of the poor, indeed! but sure theynever suffer from a rise in butcher's meat, and care nothing at all whattea costs. I assure you I made the tears come into her eyes, with theway I described our hardships."
"So that this will be a safe subject for me, mother?"
"Perfectly safe, my dear, and no ways mean, either; for I alwaysremarked that the higher people are, the stingier they are, and the morepleasure they take in any little sharp trick that saves them sixpence.And when that 's exhausted, just bring in the Rams."
"The Rams?"
"I mean my aunt Ram, and my relations in Wexford. I 'm sure, with alittle address, you 'll be able to show how I came to be married beneathme, and all the misery it cost me."
"Well, mother, I believe I have now ample material," said Joe, rising,with a lively dread of an opening which he knew well boded a lengthyexposition; "and to my own want of skill must it be ascribed if I do notemploy it profitably." And with this he hurried to his room to preparefor the great event.
The "Gentlemen of England" do not deem it a very formidable circumstanceto repair towards seven, or half-past, to a dinner-party, even of thedullest and most rigid kind. There is a sombre "routine" in these cases,so
recognized that each goes tolerably well prepared for the speciesof entertainment before him. There is nothing very exhilarating in theprospect, and as little to depress. It is a leaf torn out of one of thetamest chapters in life's diary, where it is just as rare to record anew dish as a new idea, and where the company and the cookery are bothforeknown.
No one goes with any exaggerated expectations of enjoyment; but aslittle does he anticipate anything to discompose or displease him.The whole thing is very quiet and well-bred; rather dull, but notunpleasant. Now, Joseph Nelligan had not graduated as a "diner-out;" hewas about as ignorant of these solemn festivals as any man well couldbe. He was not, therefore, without a certain sense of anxiety as to theconversational requisites for such occasions. Would the company rise tothemes and places and people of which he had never as much as heard?or would they treat of ordinary events, and if so, on what terms? Ifpolitics came to be discussed, would Mr. Martin expect him to hear insilence opinions from which he dissented? Dare he speak his sentiments,at the cost of directing attention to himself?--a course he would fainhave avoided. These, and innumerable other doubts, occupied him as hewas dressing, and made him more than once regret that he had determinedto accept this invitation; and when the hour at last came for him to setout, he felt a sense of shrinking terror of what was before him greaterthan he had ever known as he mounted the dreaded steps of the CollegeExamination Hall.
He might, it is true, have bethought him of the fact that where SimmyCrow and Maurice Scanlan were guests, he too might pass muster withoutreproach; but he did not remember this, or, at least, it failed toimpress him sufficiently. Nor was his dread without a certain dash ofvanity, as he thought of the contrast between the humble place he wasperhaps about to occupy at a great man's table, and the proud one hehad achieved in the ranks of scholarship and science. Thus musing, hesauntered slowly along till he found himself in front of the littlegarden of the Osprey's Nest. He looked at his watch,--it was exactlyseven; so he pulled the bell, and entered.