The O'Donoghue Part 69

"And they were laughing then, and in good spirits?" said Kate.

"'Tis that you may call it. I never heerd such pleasant gentlemen before, and the sailors too was just the same--sorra bit would sarve them, but making us drink a bottle of rum apiece, for luck, I suppose--devil a one had a sorrowful face on him but Master Mark, whatever was the matter with him, he wouldn' eat anything either, and the only gla.s.s of wine he drank, you'd think it was poison, the face he made at it--more by token he flung the gla.s.s overboard when he finished it. And to be sure the Frenchmen weren't in fault, they treated him like a brother--one would be shaking hands wid him--another wid his arm round his shoulders, and"--here Tom blushed and stammered, and at last stopped dead short.

"Well, go on, what were you going to say?"

"Faix, I'm ashamed then--but 'tis true enough--saving your presence, I saw two of them kiss him."

Kate could not help laughing at Tom's astonishment at this specimen of French greeting--while for the first time, perhaps, did the feeling of the peasant occur to herself, and the practice she had often witnessed abroad, without remark, became suddenly repugnant to her delicacy.

"And did Master Mark come back alone," asked she, after a minute's hesitation.

"No, my lady, there was a little dark man wid gould epaulettes, and a sword on him, that came too. I heerd them call him, Mr. Morris, but sorra word of English or Irish he had."

"And where did they land, and which way did they take afterwards?"

"I put them ash.o.r.e at Glengariff, and they had horses there to take them up the country. I heerd they were going first to Father Rourke's in the glen."

"And then, after that?"

"Sorra a one of me knows. I never set eyes on them since--I was trying to get a warp out for one of the French ships, for the anchors was dragging--they came to the wrong side of the island, and got into the north channel, and that was the reason they had to cut their cables and stand out to sea till the gale is over, but there's not much chance of that for some time."

Kate did not speak for several minutes, and at length said--

"The people, tell me of them, were they in great numbers along the coast, were there a great many of them with Mr. Mark when he came down to the sh.o.r.e?"

"I'll tell you no He, my lady; there was not--there was some boys from Castletown, and down thereabouts, but the O'Learys and the Sullivans, the McCarthys--my own people--and the Neals wasn't there; and sure enough it was no wonder if Master Mark was angry, when he looked about and saw the fellows was following him. 'Be off,' says he, 'away wid ye, 'tis for pillage and robbery the likes of ye comes down here--if the men that should have heart and courage in the cause won't come forward, I'll never head ruffians like you to replace them.' Them's the words he said, and hard words they were."

"Poor fellow," said Kate, as she wiped away a tear from her eye, "none stand by him, not one, and why is this the case," asked she, eagerly, "have the people grown faint-hearted--are there cowards amongst them?"

"There's as bad," said M'Carthy, in a low, cautious whisper--.

"there's traitors, that would rather earn blood money, than live honestly--there's many a one among them scheming to catch Master Mark himself, and he is lucky if he escapes at last."

"There's horses now, coming up the road, and fast they're coming too,"

said one of the country people, and the quick clattering of a gallop could be heard along the plashy road.

Kate's heart beat almost audibly, and she bounded from the spot, and up the stairs. The noise of the approaching horses came nearer, and at last stopped before the door.

"It is him--it is Mark," said she to herself, in an ecstasy of delight, and with trembling fingers withdrew the heavy bolt, and undid the chain, while, with an effort of strength the emergency alone conferred, she threw wide the ma.s.sive door, clasped and framed with iron.

"Oh, how I have watched for you," exclaimed she, as a figure, dismounting hastily, advanced towards her, and the same instant the roice revealed Hemsworth, as he said--

"If I could think this greeting were indeed meant for me, Miss O'Donoghue, I should call this moment the happiest of my life."

"I thought it was my cousin," said Kate, as almost fainting, she fell back into a seat, "but you may have tidings of him, can you tell if he is safe?"

"I expected to have heard this intelligence from you," said he, as recovering from the chagrin of his disappointment, he resumed his habitual deference of tone; "has he not returned?"

"No, we have not seen him, nor has the messenger yet come back. Herbert also is away, and we are here alone."

As Hemsworth offered her his arm to return to the drawing-room, he endeavoured to rea.s.sure her on the score of Mark's safety, while he hinted that the French, who that morning had entered Bantry Bay with eleven vessels, unprepared for the active reception his measures had provided, had set sail again, either to await the remainder of the fleet, or perhaps return to France; "I would not wish to throw blame on those whose misfortune is already heavy, but I must tell you, Miss O'Donoghue, that every step of this business has been marked by duplicity and cowardice. I, of course, need not say, that in either of these, your friends stand guiltless, but your cousin has been a dupe throughout; the dupe of every one who thought it worth his while to trick and deceive him--he believed himself in the confidence of the leaders of the expedition--they actually never heard of his name.

He thought himself in a position of trust and influence--he is not recognized by any--unnoticed by his own party, and unacknowledged by the French, his only notoriety will be the equivocal one of martyrdom."

Every word of this speech, uttered in a voice of sad, regretful meaning, as though the speaker were sorrowing over the mistaken opinions of a dear friend, cut deeply into Kate's heart--she knew not well at the instant, whether she should not better have faced actual danger for her cousin, than have seen him thus deceived and played upon. Hemsworth saw the effect his words created, and went on--

"Would that the danger rested here, and that the fate of one rash, but high-spirited boy, was all that hung on the crisis"--as he spoke he threw a cautious look around the roomy apartment to see that they were, indeed, alone.

"Great Heaven! there is not surely worse than this in store for us,"

cried Kate, in a voice of heartrending affliction.

"There is far worse, Miss O'Donoghue; the ruin that threatens is that of a whole house--a n.o.ble and honoured name--your uncle is unhappily no stranger to these mischievous intentions--I was slow to put faith in the a.s.sertion."

"It is false--I know it is false," said Kate, pa.s.sionately--"My poor dear uncle, overwhelmed with many calamities, has borne up patiently and n.o.bly, but of any partic.i.p.ation in schemes of danger or enterprize he is incapable--think of his age--his infirmity."

"I am aware of both, young lady, but I am also aware that for years past, his pecuniary difficulties have been such that he would hesitate at nothing which should promise the chance of extrication. Many have imagined like him, that even a temporary triumph over England would lead to some new settlement between the two countries, concessions of one kind or other, laws revoked and repealed, and confiscations withdrawn; nor were the expectations, perhaps, altogether unfounded. Little has ever been accorded to Ireland as a grace--much has been obtained by her by menace."

"He never calculated on such an issue to the struggle, sir; depend upon it, no unworthy prospect of personal gain ever induced an O'Donoghue to adopt a cause like this. You have convinced me, now, that he is unconnected with this plot."

"I sincerely wish my own convictions could follow yours, madam, but it is an ungrateful office I have undertaken. Would to heaven I knew how to discharge it more fittingly. To be plain, Miss O'Donoghue, the statute of high treason, which will involve the confiscation of your uncle's estate, will, if measures be not speedily taken, rob you of your fortune; to prevent this--

"Stay, sir, I may save you some trouble on my account. I have no fortune, nor any claim upon my uncle's estate."

"Pardon me, young lady, but the circ.u.mstance of my position has made me acquainted with matters connected with your family; your claim extends to a very considerable, and a very valuable property."

"Once more, sir, I must interrupt you--I have none."

"If I dare contradict you I would say----"

"Nay, nay, sir," cried she, blushing, partly from shame, and partly from anger--"this must cease, I know not what right you have to press the avowal from me. The property you speak of is no longer mine; my uncle did me the honour to accept it from me, would that the gift could express the thousandth part of the love I bear him."

"You gave over your claim to your uncle!" said Hemsworth, leaving a pause between every word of the sentence, while a look of malignant anger settled on his brow.

"Who dares to question me on such a subject," said Kate, for the insulting expression so suddenly a.s.sumed by Hemsworth, roused all her indignation.

"Is this, then, really so," said Hemsworth, who, so unaccustomed as he ever was to be overreached, felt all the poignancy of a deception in his disappointment.

Kate made no answer, but moved towards the door, while Hemsworth sprang forward before her, and placed his back against it.

"What means this, or how comes it, that you dare to treat me thus beneath my uncle's roof?"

"One word only, Miss O'Donoghue," said Hemsworth, with an effort to a.s.sume his habitual tone of deference; "May I ask was this transfer of property made legally and formally."

"Sir," said Kate, as drawing herself up, she stared full at him, without another word of reply.

"I see it all," said Hemsworth, rapidly, and as if thinking, aloud.

"This was the money that paid off Hickson--in this way the mortgage was redeemed, and the bond for two thousand also recovered--duped and cheated at every step. And so, madam,"--here he turned a look of insulting menace towards her--"I have been the fool in your hands all this time; and not content with thwarting my views, you have endeavoured to sap the source of my fortune. Yes, you need not affect ignorance; I know of Sir Archibald's kind interference in my behalf: Sir Marmaduke Travers has withdrawn his agency from me; he might have paused to inquire where was the property from which he has removed me--how much of it owns him the master, or me. This was your uncle's doing. I have it under his own hand, and the letter addressed to yourself."

"And you dared, sir, to break the seal of my letter!"