The Absentee Part 25

'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, pus.h.i.+ng 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 circ.u.mstances 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 att.i.tudes of astonishment, and with faces of fear, horror, hope, joy, doubt.

'Distress,' continued his lords.h.i.+p, '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 RAEL gentleman; my own heart's satisfied,' said Brian, folding his arms, and standing erect.

'Then so is mine,' said Grace, taking breath, with a deep sigh.

The widow advancing, put on her spectacles, and, looking up close at Lord Colambre's face--'Then it's a wonder I didn't know the family likeness.'

Lord Colambre now recollecting that he still wore the old greatcoat, threw it off.

'Oh, bless him! Then now I'd know him anywhere. I'm willing to die now, for we'll all be happy.'

'My lord, since it is so--my lord, may I ask you,' said Mr. Garraghty, now sufficiently recovered to be able to articulate, but scarcely to express his ideas; 'if what your lords.h.i.+p hinted just now--'

'I hinted nothing, sir; I spoke plainly.'

'I beg pardon, my lord,' said old Nick;--'respecting vice, was levelled at me; because, if it was, my lord,' trying to stand erect; 'let me tell your lords.h.i.+p, if I could think it was--'

'If it did not hit you, sir, no matter at whom it was levelled.'

'And let me ask, my lord, if I may presume, whether, in what you suggested by the word fraud, your lords.h.i.+p had any particular meaning?'

said St. Dennis.

'A very particular meaning, sir,--feel in your pocket for the key of this widow's house, and deliver it to her.'

'Oh, if that's all the meaning, with all the pleasure in life. I never meant to detain it longer than till the leases were signed,' said St.

Dennis.

'And I'm ready to sign the leases this minute,' said the brother.

'Do it, sir, this minute; I have read them; I will be answerable to my father.'

'Oh, as to that, my lord, I have power to sign for your father.' He signed the leases; they were duly witnessed by Lord Colambre.

'I deliver this as my act and deed,' said Mr. Garraghty;--'My lord,'

continued he, 'you see, at the first word from you; and had I known sooner the interest you took in the family, there would have been no difficulty; for I'd make it a principle to oblige you, my lord.'

'Oblige me!' said Lord Colambre, with disdain.

'But when gentlemen and n.o.blemen travel INCOGNITO, and lodge in cabins,'

added St. Dennis, with a satanic smile, glancing his eye on Grace, 'they have good reasons, no doubt.'

'Do not judge my heart by your own, sir,' said Lord Colambre, coolly; 'no two things in nature can, I trust, be more different. My purpose in travelling INCOGNITO has been fully answered: I was determined to see and judge how my father's estates were managed; and I have seen, compared, and judged. I have seen the difference between the Clonbrony and the Colambre property; and I shall represent what I have seen to my father.'

'As to that, my lord, if we are to come to that but I trust your lords.h.i.+p will suffer me to explain these matters.--Go about your business, my good friends; you have all you want;--and, my lord, after dinner, when you are cool, I hope I shall be able to make you sensible that things have been represented to your lords.h.i.+p in a mistaken light; and I flatter myself I shall convince you I have not only always acted the part of a friend to the family, but am particularly willing to conciliate your lords.h.i.+p's goodwill,' said he, sweeping the rouleaus of gold into a bag; 'any accommodation in my power, at any time.'

'I want no accommodation, sir,--were I starving, I would accept of none from you. Never can you conciliate my goodwill; for you can never deserve it.'

'If that be the case, my lord, I must conduct myself accordingly; but it's fair to warn you, before you make any representation to my Lord Clonbrony, that if he should think of changing his agent, there are accounts to be settled between us--that may be a consideration.'

'No, sir; no consideration--my father never shall be the slave of such a paltry consideration.'

'Oh, very well, my lord; you know best. If you choose to make an a.s.sumpsit, I'm sure I shall not object to the security. Your lords.h.i.+p will be of age soon, I know--I'm sure I'm satisfied--but,' added he with a malicious smile, 'I rather apprehend you don't know what you undertake; I only premise that the balance of accounts between us is not what can properly be called a paltry consideration.'

'On that point, perhaps, sir, you and I may differ.'