Valentine M'Clutchy, The Irish Agent Part 37

"'Don't go, sir,' said he; 'I have something to propose to you by and by.' I accordingly took my seat.

"When the gentleman entered, he looked about, and selecting Phil, bowed to him, and then to us.

"'Ah, Mr. Hartley! how do you do?' said Val, shaking hands with him; 'and how is your cousin, whom we hope to have the pleasure of beating soon?--ha, ha, ha. Take a seat.'

"'Thank you,'said the other; 'but the fact is, that time's just now precious, and I wish to have a few words with Mr. Philip here.'

"'What is it, Hartley? How are you, Hartley? I'm glad to see you.'

"'Quite well, Phil; but if you have no objection, I would rather speak to you in another room. It's a matter of some importance, and of some delicacy, too.'

"'Oh, curse the delicacy, man; out with it.'

"'I really cannot, Phil, unless by ourselves.'

"They both then withdrew to the back parlor, where, after a period of about ten minutes, Phil came rus.h.i.+ng in with a face on him, and in a state of trepidation utterly indescribable; Hartley, on the other hand, cool and serious, following him.

"'Phil,' said he, 'think of what you are about to do. Don't exclude yourself hereafter from the rank and privileges of a gentleman.

Pause, if you respect yourself, and regard your reputation as a man of courage.'

"'D----d fine talk in you--who--who's a fire-eater, Hartley. What do you think, father--?' Hartley put, or rather attempted to put his hand across his mouth, to prevent his cowardly and degrading communication; but in vain. 'What do you think, father,' he continued, 'but there's that cowardly scoundrel, young M'Loughlin, has sent me a challenge?

Isn't the country come to a pretty pa.s.s, when a Papist durst do such a thing?'

"'Why not a Papist?' said Hartley. 'Has not a Papist flesh, and blood, and bones, like another man? Is a Papist to be insensible to insult? Is he to sit down tamely and meanly under disgrace and injury? Has he no soul to feel the dignity of just resentment? Is he not to defend his sister, when her character has been basely and treacherously ruined? Is he to see her stretched on her death-bed, by your villainy, and not to avenge her? By heavens, if, under the circ.u.mstances of the provocation which you gave him, and his whole family, he would be as mean and cowardly a poltroon as I find you to be--if he suffered--'

"'Do you call me a poltroon?' said Phil, so s.h.i.+vering and pale, that his voice betrayed his cowardice.

"'Yes,' said the other, 'as arrant a poltroon as ever I met. I tell you, you must either fight him, or publish a statement of your own unparalleled disgrace. Don't think you shall get out of it.'

"'I tell you, sir,' said Val, 'that he shall not fight him. I would not suffer a son of mine to put himself on a level with such a person as young M'Loughlin.'

"'On a level with him he never will be, for no earthly advantage could raise him to it; but pray, Mr. M'Clutchy, who are you?'

"'Val's brow fell, and his lip paled and quivered, as the fine young fellow looked him steadily in the face.

"'Never mind him, father,' said Phil 'you know he's a fire-eater.'

"'There is no use in altercations of this sort,' replied Val, calmly.

'As for young M'Loughlin, or old M'Loughlin, if they think themselves injured, they have the laws of the land to appeal to for redress. As for us, we will fight them with other weapons besides pistols and firearms.'

"'D---- my honor,' said, Phil, 'if I'd stoop to fight any Papist. Aren't they all rebels? And what gentleman would fight a rebel?'

"'Honor!' exclaimed Hartley; 'don't profane that sacred word--I can have no more patience with such a craven-hearted rascal, who could stoop to such base revenge against the unsullied reputation of a virtuous and admirable girl, because she spurned your scoundrelly addresses.'

"'He never paid his addresses to her,' said Val;--'never.'

"'No I didn't,'said Phil. 'At any rate I never had any notion of marrying her.'

"'You are a dastardly liar, sir,' responded Hartley. 'You know you had.

How can your father and you look each other in the face, when you say so?'

"'Go on,' said Phil, 'you're a fire-eater: so you may say what you like.'

"'Didn't your father, in your name, propose for her upon some former occasion, in the fair of Castle c.u.mber, and he remembers the answer he got.'

"'Go on,' said Phil, 'you're a fire-eater; that's all I have to say to you.'

"'And now, having ruined her reputation by a base and cowardly plot concocted with a wicked old woman, who would blast the whole family if she could, because M'Loughlin transported her felon son; you, now, like a paltry clown as you are, skulk out of the consequences of your treachery, and refuse to give satisfaction for the diabolical injury you have inflicted on the whole family.'

"'Go on,' said Phil, 'you're a fire-eater.'

"'You forget,' said Val, 'that I am a magistrate, and what the consequences may be to yourself for carrying a hostile message.'

"'Ah,' said Hartley, 'you are a magistrate, and shame on the government that can stoop to the degradation of raising such rascals as you are to become dispensers of justice; it is you and the like of you, that are a curse to the country. As for you, Phil M'Clutchy, I now know, and always suspected, the stuff you are made of. You are a disgrace to the very Orangemen you a.s.sociate with; for they are, in general, brave fellows, although too often cruel and oppressive when hunted on and stimulated by such as you and your rascally upstart of a father.'

"'Go on,' said Phil, 'you are a fire-eater.'

"'I now leave you both,' continued the young Hotspur, with a blazing eye and flushed cheek, 'with the greatest portion of scorn and contempt which one man can bestow upon another.'

"'Go off,' said Phil, 'you are a fire-eater.'

"'Phil,' said the father, 'send for M'Murt, and let him get the ejectments from M'Slime--we shall not, at all events, be insulted and bearded by Papists, or their emissaries, so long as I can clear one of them off the estate.'

"'But, good G.o.d, Mr. M'Clutchy, surely these other Papists you speak of, have not partic.i.p.ated in the offences, if such they are, of M'Loughlin and Harman.'

"'Ay, but they're all of the same kidney,' said Phil; 'they hate us because we keep them down.'

"'And what can be more natural than that?' I observed; 'just reverse the matter--suppose they were in your place, and kept you down, would you love them for it?'

"'Why, what kind of talk is that,' said Phil, 'they keep us down! Are they not rebels?'

"'You observed,' I replied, getting tired of this sickening and senseless bigotry, 'that you wished to make a proposal of some kind to me before I went.'

"'Yes,' he replied, 'I wished, if it be a thing that you remain in the neighborhood, to propose that you should become an Orangeman, and join my father's lodge. You say you want a farm on the estate; now, if you do, take my advice and become an Orangeman; you will then have a stronger claim, for my father always gives them the preference.'

"'By Lord c.u.mber's desire, Phil; but I shall be very happy, indeed, sir,' proceeded Val, 'that is, provided you get an introduction--for, at present, you will pardon me for saying we are strangers.'

"'I should first wish to witness the proceedings of an Orange Lodge,'

I said, 'but I suppose that, of course, is impossible, unless to the initiated.'

"'Certainly, of course,' said M'Clutchy.

"'But, father,' said Phil, 'couldn't we admit him after the business of the lodge is concluded.'

"'It is not often done,' replied the father; 'but it sometimes is--however, we shall have the pleasure, Mr. Easel--(I forgot to say that I had sent in my card, so that he knew my name),--we shall have the pleasure of a better acquaintance, I trust.'

"'I tell you what,' said Phil, leaping off his chair, 'd---n my honor, but I was wrong to let young Hartley go without a thras.h.i.+ng. The cowardly scoundrel was exceedingly insulting.'

"'No, no, Phil,' said the father; 'you acted with admirable coolness and prudence.'