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 THE 
 
 MILITIA MAJOK. 
 
 a iiml 
 
 IN THREE VOLUMES. 
 
 VOL. I. 
 
 LONDON: 
 THOMAS CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHER, 
 
 30, WELBECK STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE. 
 1852.
 
 
 ^ 
 V 
 
 PREFACE 
 
 At a time when the startling question is asked, 
 not only by our legislature, but by the en- 
 lightened and humane throughout civilised Europe — 
 echoed back from the far west — " why it is, that 
 Ireland, with her thousand advantages should still 
 be steeped in poverty and crime f The writer 
 of these unpretending pages, claims indulgence 
 from a philanthrophic public, for attempting to 
 embody, in a tale of fiction, some leading facts 
 connected with the "Social System'' that has 
 plunged this unhappy land in all the barbarism 
 of moral evil, beat back from her shores English 
 capital, and Scottish enterprise, whilst her own in-
 
 11 
 
 dustrial energies lie paralysed and collapsed ; an nn- 
 explained anomaly to other countries ; and *' a diffi- 
 culty'' to the profoundest statesmen of her own. 
 Fertile in her internal resources ; possessing the 
 
 advantages of soil and situation, for commercial 
 prosperity ; with an abundant population, admit- 
 tedly not devoid of intellect ; yet exhibited in our 
 own day, as a vast pauper house seeking almony 
 from the land whose people she has fed with her 
 grain, whose ports have been filled with her 
 produce; too poor herself, to retain sufficient 
 for the necessary, but disregarded purposes of 
 a home consumption. No party spirit induced 
 the task, but a fervent desire to rouse into 
 action the dawning promise of kindlier feelings 
 amongst us ; convey, by an imaginative illustration 
 of characters, but not of circumstances, this whole- 
 some truth to the landed interest, and destitute 
 peasant— that a people's prosperity and strength,
 
 m 
 
 necessatily grow out of impartial laws, and unshaken 
 confidence in those who administer them — a 
 reciprocity of good faith and good feeling between 
 the governing and governed; then, when the former 
 moralise over the social misery and agrarian outrage 
 of Irishmen, they will, in tracing the efect, with 
 the writer of this " o'er true story," pause to investi- 
 gate the cause ; and in this reforming age, we trust, 
 regardless of class, creed, or party, apply the 
 remedy. 
 
 January 16th, 1852.
 
 THE 
 
 MILITIA MAJOR 
 
 OR THE 
 
 SOCIAL SYSTEM IN TIPPERARY. 
 
 CHAPTER I. 
 
 PRESENT AND PAST. 
 
 It was the evening of Agnes Power's first 
 ball, somewhere about the Summer of 18 — 
 Few young ladies of seventeen can con- 
 template such an event with stoical indif- 
 ference, and it was hailed, by Agnes, with 
 all the rapture which the young, joyous 
 heart feels, for the first time, when, catching 
 a glimpse of that bright, fairy world, whose 
 VOL. I. Be
 
 2 THE MILITA MAJOR. 
 
 dazzling illusions, a few short years, spent 
 amongst its votaries, serve to dispel for ever. 
 Her life, hitherto, had been one of un- 
 broken solitude — the idol of a mother, 
 whose delicacy of constitution, and extreme 
 timidity of disposition, kept aloof from 
 the busy throng ; whilst her father, Major 
 Power, had too many, and too varied occu- 
 pations to permit his noticing or bringing 
 forward his only child; so that Agnes may 
 be said to have been brought up in the shade 
 cf a mother's love, her only other companion 
 being her cousin, Amy O'Brien, two years 
 her senior, and who shared alike her joys 
 and sorrows *'from childhood. And now 
 they stood beneath the flood of light that 
 issued from the central chandelier of the 
 drawing-room of Drumgar — j^gnes with 
 her arm locked in that of Amy — her 
 slight, sylph-like figure clinging, as if for 
 support, to that of her cousin. The bright 
 azure of her undimmed eyes, like the 
 mountain lakes of her own sunny land ; 
 the half parted lip, with its row of pearls
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 3 
 
 beneath ; the rich wavy curls, their hue of 
 the palest gold, shading her beautiful but al- 
 most child-like brow, would have formed a 
 study for a painter ; but a statuary would 
 have turned to her cousin, and chiselled his 
 model from the small classical head — the 
 calm, intellectual, and thoughtful brow — the 
 slightly curved lip — the clear, but almost 
 colourless cheek — save when emotion tinged 
 it with its varying dye — the noble propor- 
 tion of t'ic swan-like throat, only equalled 
 by the exquisitely formed bust — the slight 
 yielding figure of early girlhood, full of life 
 and promise; like the heroine of Byron's 
 dream. She now stood ''as the moon on the 
 verge of the horizon " on the very eve of 
 womanhood. 
 
 Hers had been a joyless youth — an 
 orphan from het birth — circumstances 
 rather than choice flung her upon the 
 bounty of Major Power. Hv-:r mother, who 
 was his niece, relinquished her own life, in 
 giving birth to her child, and her father, 
 the last of a junior branch of the Thomond 
 B 2
 
 4 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 family, possessed little save his sword, and 
 the name his ancestors had won : that little, 
 after her mother's death, he made over to 
 his child, and, placing her under the care of 
 her maternal uncle, sought active service in 
 a foreign land, inwardly vowing that the 
 innocent cause of the wreck of all his 
 wedded happiness should never claim him 
 as a parent. 
 
 When her uncle died, suddenly, Amy had 
 been removed from her nurse's care ; he had 
 never married, and his father's younger bro- 
 ther now set up to be his heir; nor did Charles 
 Power make any arrangement about his niece ; 
 so that Major Power, in taking possession 
 of Drumgar, and its three thousand a year, 
 had also to take under his protection Amy 
 O'Brien, then about six years old. This he 
 did, the more willingly, full well knowing, 
 that if he gave up all claim to her guardian- 
 ship, his own family, like most others, pos- 
 sessed some kind, meddling creature that 
 would seize on the child, and by insisting 
 on a refundment of the small property her
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 5 
 
 father had left, put him to very serious 
 inconvenience; or, what was worse, set up 
 and establish her claim, in right of her 
 mother, to the property he now enjoyed; 
 hitherto there had been very little danger of 
 his purse expiring of plethora. He had served 
 in the '^ Gallant Tipperary,'' and by some 
 legerdemain, only known to the militia 
 force, received a subaltern's half-pay, while 
 he rejoiced in the soubriquet of major ; he 
 had attained the sober age of forty-three 
 before he thought of sharing his honours, 
 and his pay, with any of the gentler sex. 
 And then, with all the habits and tastes of 
 an old bachelor, suddenly formed the reso- 
 lution of marrying a very lovely and gentle 
 being of less than half his own age ; he 
 was partly led to this by receiving a hint 
 from a friend, that the lady was entitled to 
 five thousand pounds of funded money, left 
 her by some relative ; and partly by admi- 
 ration, at witnessing the submission of 
 Miss Kudcliffe to the heartless tyranny of
 
 b THE MILITIA MAJOK. 
 
 a step-mother; tyranny as absolute as that of 
 Eastern Bashaw, as unquestioned as the 
 Lousianest by his Nigger. Not that the 
 sufferings of the victim ever awoke a feel- 
 ing of sympathy in the breast of her gallant 
 admirer ; far from it; he only reasoned, that 
 the girl who, from infancy, had been ac- 
 customed to submit, without a murmur, to 
 the despotism of an ill-tempered woman, 
 would not be likely, in her wedded life, to 
 question the authority of her lord and 
 master. 
 
 On this hypothesis he proposed,, and with 
 a feeling, on her part, that no change could 
 be for the worse, was joyfully accepted — if 
 joy could be said to dwell in the breast of 
 one whose feelings had been crushed from 
 her infancy — whose young heart had been 
 trampled on by the unprovoked tyranny of 
 the woman who sat in her mother's chair ; 
 was called by her mother's name, the wife 
 of her father — yet regarding his child with 
 but one feeling — that of jealous hate.
 
 THE MALTTIA MAJOR. 7 
 
 The Major's fortune, as a Benedict, was not 
 very ample; but " economy is the life of the 
 army/' And he very wisely thought, a mili- 
 tia half-pay was fully entitled to quarter it; 
 with his motto, it is true, his wife's health, in 
 after years, suffered sadly, from the effects 
 of the rigid regimen prescribed by the 
 Major, for his household, at this time, but 
 he was too strict a disciplinarian to relax, 
 in the slightest degree, what he considered 
 expedient, for any inconvenience, or ill 
 health, she might suffer. Woman — even 
 lovely woman — w^as but a very secondary 
 being with him, in the scale of creation ; 
 deeming her suited by nature to hold some 
 place in the domestic economy similar to 
 that of the household cat, her best recom- 
 mendation, a noiseless step, her highest 
 qualification, an unremitting attention to 
 preserve the property of her owner from 
 the human plunderers of his establishment. 
 ]\[rs. Power proved a very passive sort of
 
 8 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 wife ; the sovereign will of her spouse, was 
 as absolute to her as the law of the Medes 
 and Persians; and as unquestioned as the 
 truth of the Koran by the devoutest 
 Mussulman that ever bent knee at Mecca. 
 The Major, in plain English, had his oum 
 way; he, at times, indulged in a taste 
 common to military men, retired from the 
 service, that of shifting his abode, as if the 
 rout of by-gone days had actually arrived; 
 migrating, in this manner, for some years, 
 converting each house he occupied into 
 something like the interior of a river 
 steam-boat, modelling each news-room, he 
 subscribed to, according to his own taste. 
 and whim. 
 
 At length, he took possession of Drum- 
 gar, at the death of his nephew, and a dif- 
 ferent order of things was then intro- 
 duced : he became a magistrate, and grand 
 juror of the county, establishing a reading- 
 room, at the postmaster's house, at Bally- 
 voyle, the nearest village to Drumgar ; a 
 loan fund, and savings' bank, of all which
 
 THE MALITIA MAJOR. 9 
 
 he was the chief manager ; and by ingeni- 
 ously levying a number of fines at the 
 lending society, contrived to increase his 
 income considerably. 
 
 A petit sessions court was the next 
 thing that engaged his attention; without 
 local authority he would have found it 
 difficult to manage matters ; and the near- 
 est bench of magistrates, was some eight 
 or ten miles from Drumgar ; and, on more 
 occasions than one, he had found they did 
 not exactly coincide in his views ; besides, 
 he was particularly averse to the mode the 
 peasantry were in the habit of arranging their 
 diflPerences — by arbitration amongst them- 
 selves — sometimes calling in the aid of the 
 neighbouring gentry — and not, unfre- 
 quently, that of the rector of Builyvoyle — 
 but the major would have none of these 
 things ; he sat down and wrote a very 
 strong letter to government, representing 
 the lawless state of the district ; magnify- 
 ing the distance from the nearest town petit 
 B 5
 
 10 THE MTLITIA MAJOE. 
 
 sessions were held at, enclosing, at the same 
 time, a copy of every Kockite notice that 
 had been served for the last twelve months 
 in the neighbourhood, with the simple alte- 
 ration of dating them within a fortnight of 
 that of his own letter. A few posts after 
 brought the commission of the peace to the 
 agent of an absentee peer, with an order to 
 establish forthwith, a petit sessions court at 
 Ballyvoyle. 
 
 Year after year — court day after court 
 day — found the claimants for justice dis- 
 contented with the decrees and decisions of 
 the Major and his colleague— the latter, 
 too much immersed in his own private 
 affairs, and those of his employer, to inter- 
 fere with his brother magistrate's manage- 
 ment of the business of the public — these 
 secret discontents, at length, broke out in 
 murmurs, when the bench decreed a man of 
 the name of Sweeney, who went security 
 to the Loan Fund at Ballyvoyle, for atenant 
 of M:ijor Power's, whose land had run
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 11 
 
 deeply in arrear, and who was compelled to 
 raise money at the bank to enable him to 
 pay his landlord — the Major not permitting 
 him to sell his interest in the ground, until 
 all arrears were paid in full — Larry Costel- 
 loe had set his heart on visiting America; 
 and there were private reasons for his 
 doing so. Amongst the number of those 
 who were most anxious to see him com- 
 mence his voyage thither was his landlord, 
 and so get a bad boy out of the country. 
 Now, Larry was not held in sufficient 
 odour amongst his neighbours to succeed in 
 prevailing on any of them to go security 
 at the bank; and he, in despair, waited on 
 the Major to say he had met a plump de- 
 nial from all. That wily personage, no way 
 daunted with Larry's bad success, turned 
 over in his mind which of the small farm- 
 ers in the neighbourhood, that were solvent, 
 could be most readily induced to sign 
 Larry^s security ; and when that worthy 
 ran away to Anierica (as his landlord well 
 knew he would), wLich of them would bear
 
 12 THE M[LITIA MAJOK. 
 
 the seizure of their worldly goods with most 
 composure ; and, above all, which of them 
 belonged to no Faction. Any man that had 
 a strong party, at his back, the Major was 
 determined to avoid meddling with, on this 
 occasion, so, after a brief consultation with 
 Sergeant Wetherell, — his own man — they 
 both unanimously decidedon Mar dn Sweeney. 
 He and his forefathers had held a small piece 
 of land, of about fifteen acres, from the Power 
 family, and were considered to have some 
 interest in the holding, a thing the Major 
 was much averse to any of his tenantry 
 possessing; Sweeney's father had died 
 whilst he was quite a boy, and after for- 
 tuning off his sisters, and giving a trade to 
 his only brother, he found himself rich 
 enough to marry the prettiest and tidiest 
 girl in the parish. The young couple loved 
 each other fondly, and prized their home more 
 than Fair or Patron ; so that Martin had 
 never joined any of the lawless factions in 
 the neighbourhood ; and it was this circum- 
 stance, and his quiet, obliging manner, that
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 13 
 
 now pointed him out as a victim to his 
 landlord. Sergeant Wetherell took on him- 
 self to get Sweeney to sign the security, 
 and, unfortunately for the wretched man, 
 he succeeded. Some weeks had elasped, in 
 which Costelloe sold his farm, and was 
 himself on bis way to America, the note of 
 security became due, and Martin Sweeney 
 was decreed by the Beuch at Bally voyle; his 
 landlord, and Mr. Gibbon, the agent, sitting 
 in judgment. 
 
 When the awful decree of ruin was pro- 
 nounced against him, by these gentlemen, 
 he dared to murmur before the seat of 
 justice, and was ordered forthwith to the 
 Bridewell — released from durance vile, he 
 remonstrated outside the window of the 
 Major's study, at Drumgar, and distinctly 
 heard an order given to Dan Wetherell, "to 
 let the dogs loose on the miscreant, who had 
 dared to beard him at his own fire-side." 
 The order was promptly obeyed ; for Dun 
 never questioned those of the Major; he 
 hud been successively his servant and his
 
 14 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 sergeant in the " Gallant Tipperary/' and 
 now, that he had sheathed his sword, filled 
 no less than three posts of honour at Bally- 
 voyle, that of clerk to the Petit Sessions, 
 Savings' Baok, and Loan Fund, besides 
 being the Major's factotum at Drura- 
 gar.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOK. 15 
 
 CHAPTER 11. 
 
 IRISH REASONS FOH A BALL. 
 
 The Irish peasant is peculiarly tenacious of 
 legal right ; you may bailie him in one 
 court of justice, but he will lodge his appale, 
 if at ail within his power. The suppliant, 
 at the study window, though obliged to re- 
 tire at the appearance of Dan and the dogs, 
 did not consider his case hopeless. 
 
 The last gleam of the setting sun tinged 
 the bold heights of the Galties, the smoke 
 rose upwards in thin, voluminous clouds 
 from the cabin chimnies of the hamlet 
 below ; the evening meal was laid on the 
 peat fire, and around it sat the sons of toil, 
 — the rtckless laugh, that was wont to issue
 
 16 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 from the fire-side, where Shanahus was held, 
 now was hushed ; they spoke in a subdued 
 tone of the doins' of the Major; and Corny 
 Mac Carthy, the village school-master, de- 
 liberately withdrawing the black dhudheen 
 from his mouth, that he had been enjoying 
 for some time, holding it between his right 
 hand finger and thumb, while he propelled 
 the collected juice in his sunken jaws, 
 straight under the pot of potatoes that 
 simmered on the fire, declared — 
 
 " Before God, an' the blessid Vargin, 
 that it was both conthrary to law an 
 Gospil." 
 
 " An' if id be Corny,'' said Jim Sulli- 
 van, a neighbouring boy, " what hindhers 
 you frum bringin' the Major to rason ; 
 sure we all know, man, that ye'er more 
 than a match fur him, or fur the Lord 
 Liftinnant himself." 
 
 Corny elevated his eyebrows, until their 
 long, grey hairs, almost mingled with the 
 grizzled forelock that ornamented his fore- 
 head ; and drawing in his thin, hollow
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 17 
 
 jaws, until they nearly formed but one, 
 emitted a sound from his pursed-out lips, 
 that spoke his opinion on the subject, in 
 much stronger language, than any em- 
 bodied words.could possibly convey. 
 
 The pot on the lire now claimed the 
 attention of the woman of the house; and 
 its straining into the huge skeeagh^ pre- 
 pared for its contents, was the signal for 
 the party to break up. The etiquette on 
 those occasions in an Irish cabin is scrupu- 
 lously observed; and on the present one, 
 before the potatoes were deposited on the 
 table, all were in motion towards the 
 door. 
 
 " Good night to ye, and a pleasant appe- 
 tite to ye," said Corny Mac Carthy, as he 
 moved off from the fire; then sinking his 
 voice lower, so as to be heard only by the 
 man next him, after he crossed the 
 threshold, said, "Jim Sullivan, come over 
 to me in the mornin', before the school 
 assembles, and may be, I wou^t be afther
 
 18 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 havin a Kinnundlirum^ ready fur the 
 Major." 
 
 Whether Mr. Corny Mac. Carthy's con- 
 mindrum had anything to do with a very 
 civil notice, that appeared "the morning 
 after but one, on the hall door of Drurogar, 
 requesting the master of the mansion to 
 refrain from attending the Bench at Bally- 
 voyle, for the future ; unless he had pre- 
 pared the original of a black, oblong, sort 
 of drawing, that decorated the bottom of 
 the missive, I leave the gentle reader to 
 discover ; certain it was that Sergeant 
 Wetherell was not forgotten, the Noty 
 Beny giving a friendly hint to " Wan 
 Dan Witherill not to be showin' ov himsilf, 
 much afther sunset, or may be the dogs 
 wouldn't be afther knowin him, whin nixt 
 his masther ordher'd thim out/' 
 
 This notice, with its accompanying il- 
 lustration, which by-the-bye, conveyed to 
 the Major what it was intended to repre- 
 sent, quite as vividly as any portrait,
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 19 
 
 sketched by Sir Peter Lely, or the Law- 
 rence of our own days, was duly forwarded 
 to Government, with a very exaggerated 
 account of the insurrectionary, state of 
 the neighbourhood, and a pressing appli- 
 cation for troops, to protect the civil 
 power in putting down the midnight 
 meetings and Rockite spirit of the 
 peasantry. Before the close of the ensuing 
 week a large detachment of the 5 — th regi- 
 ment, stationed at Tipperary, marched into 
 Ballyvoyle and took possession of the very 
 strange accommodation provided for them 
 by the indefatigable major. It was to pro- 
 pitiate the officers of this corps, and recon- 
 cile them, in some degree, to the hardships 
 of their new quarters, that 2ifete at Drum- 
 gar had been projected — the original inten- 
 tion was a dinner with some show of cham- 
 pagne — but the Major remembered that, a- 
 the next assizes, he had a road job to carry- 
 before the grand jury ; and that, perhaps 
 it was quite as well not to entertain a mili- 
 tary party without extending the invitation
 
 20 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 to the wives and daughters of the men 
 whose opposition he so much dreaded. In 
 this emergency he called to his councils the 
 only one of womankind that had ever been 
 admitted to that honor ; this was the eldest 
 sister of Mrs. Power, and her senior by many 
 years. She had early escaped the bondage 
 of her step-mother by marrying the late 
 Mr. O'Brady, of Kilgroggy House, whose 
 sober hours were " few and far between ; 
 and, by the death of that gentleman, some 
 seven or eight years before the date of this 
 story, was left in the quiet enjoyment of a 
 jointure of six hundred a-year, three 
 charming daughters, and the guardianship 
 of an only son, who, at his father's demise, 
 wanted two years of his majority. The 
 young gentleman was so ungrateful, and 
 approved so little of his mama's mode of 
 managing his property during these two 
 years, that, on coming of age, he very 
 plainly intimated his wish to enjoy Kil- 
 groggy alone, and manage his own affairs 
 for the future. There was no mistaking his
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 21 
 
 meaning ; so, both mother and sisters had 
 nothing for it but to pack up; the three 
 latter rejoicing at the prospect of shewing 
 themselves to advantage at some country 
 town. The former, intent upon making a 
 very Napoleon-like distribution of the house, 
 linen and plate ; for, whose ever claims were 
 overlooked upon the occasion, it certainly 
 could not be said to be those of number 
 one. 
 
 Nick O'Brady, in the meantime, enjoyed 
 Kilgroggy, and its nominal fifteen hundred 
 a-jear, in true bachelor style ; deeply 
 dipped as the property was at his father's 
 death his son contrived, in less than five years 
 after attaining his majority, to more than 
 double the debts then contracted. Out of any 
 ready money that was at all come-at-able, 
 his mother contrived to have her own join- 
 ture paid, and the interest of each of his 
 sisters' two thousand pounds — the principal 
 was quite out of the question — but ready 
 money and Nick O'Brady had, for some time, 
 become, each day, less and less acquainted ;
 
 22 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 and might now be fairly said to have fallen 
 out ; so, though a thing to be expected, 
 yet a latitat, at the suit of his mother, 
 handed to Nick one morning, found him 
 quite unprepared to discharge the sum 
 mentioned therein. He now took the mat- 
 ter into his serious consideration; to baffle 
 it by the " law's delay ;" he had found to 
 his cost, before now, made a gentleman of 
 his attorney, but Ifft the client something 
 worse than a beggar. There was left him 
 but two alternatives, either to barricade 
 Ivilgroggy against a sheriff's siege, or in- 
 duce the ladies to visit it — if he possibly 
 could — with a promise of satisfying their 
 demands ; the former he could accomplish ; 
 but then, Nick knew well his mamma would 
 at any time, sacrifice his liberty rather 
 than lose a half year of her jointure ; and 
 he had a particular objection to being laid 
 up at Kilgroggy, during the siege, for an 
 indefinite space of time. So he determined 
 upon trying the latter expedient — fortu- 
 nately for him — the detachment to Bally-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 23 
 
 voyle just arrived at this crisis; and the 
 brilliant thought suggested itself that, if he 
 could set the four ladies in full cry after the 
 officers, matters might be arranged; at all 
 events, he would gain time by the move- 
 ment — and would be nothing the worse for 
 their coming. 
 
 A letter was written to Mrs. O'Brady, 
 such as her son hoped would prove irre- 
 sistible ; and, in an incredibly short pe- 
 ried from the date thereof, she, and her 
 three daughters were, once more, installed 
 at Kilgroggy. The major hailed her coming 
 as the harbinger of good — on former occa- 
 sions she had proved to him a very useful 
 ally ; and, in the present emergency, 
 her advice was not to be neglected ; 
 she boldly decided, at once, for a ball — 
 dinner parties were heavy, stupid con- 
 cerns, and the officers would find their 
 own mess-table just as amusing, besides, a 
 large dinner party was more expensive 
 than a supper ; then, there was the risk of 
 giving offence by asking some, and leaving
 
 24 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 out others — a thing that never was for- 
 gotten or forgiven, especially by the women, 
 with the edat^ et cetera attending such an 
 affaire, and the noise it would make in the 
 country, and so forth. These and sundry 
 other arguments, equally conclusive, were 
 used by the lady, and the Major had 
 nothing for it but to consent, making the 
 proviso, that she would take the manage- 
 ment of the affair into her own hands, and 
 that not one penny should be expended, that, 
 by any ingenuity on her part, could possibly 
 be avoided. Her exertions, from that hour, 
 to produce the most brilliant effects from 
 the smallest expenditure, were truly meri- 
 torious, with a vast outlay of trouble on 
 decoration, and a very slight sacrifice of pro- 
 vision. The supper-table presented a gay, 
 inviting appearance enough. The house was 
 oneof those large rambling sort of domiciles, 
 that had been modernized, extended, and, 
 perhaps, improved, by its successive pro- 
 prietors, for the last three or four genera- 
 tions, so that, if the architect who had
 
 THE MTLITIA MAJOR. 25 
 
 planned or executed the original building 
 was now permitted to survey his handi- 
 work, he would find some difficulty in dis- 
 covering any part that had not been altered 
 to gratify the tastes of its several owners. 
 A building so incongruous was well suited 
 to display the decorating genius of Mrs. 
 O'Brady; for though every individual in 
 and about Drumgar was pressed into the 
 service, hers was the master mind that 
 directed all. The long, narrow passages 
 that literally led to nothing, and but dimly 
 lighted in broad day-light, were now con- 
 verted into galleries of refreshment — gal- 
 leries pour le 'promenade — the white- 
 washed v;alls gaily decorated with laurels, 
 and tin sconces ; while, in some retired,, 
 out-of-the-way nook, was placed, by the 
 direction of the thoughtful mamma, one of 
 those low, comfortable seats, which no man, 
 after a champagne supper, at all in his 
 senses, would think of occupying with his 
 fair partner, surrounded, as it was, witli 
 laurels and tin sconces, the band of the 
 VOL. I. c
 
 26 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 " Gallant Tipperarj " playing all the while 
 to fill up the pauses, unless he had pre- 
 viously made up his mind to throw himself 
 and fortune at the lady's disposal. 
 
 Some such thoughts flitted across the 
 mind of Mrs. O'Brady, as she admiringly 
 contemplated her arrangement, and pointed 
 out the delightful seat to her fair daughters, 
 who had spared an hour from their dress- 
 maker to take a peep at the admirable 
 trap, designed by the maternal tactician, for 
 some one or other of the doomed .5 — th.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 27 
 
 CHAPTER III 
 
 THE BALL. 
 
 Peal after peal told upon the knocker ; 
 Agnes and her cousin had sought a distant 
 couch beside Mrs. Power, whose sister 
 had kindly relieved her from the fatigue 
 of doing the honours i\s3faitresse de Maison, 
 and who now stood a short distance from 
 the door, ready to greet each new arrival, 
 in a style she considered very imposing; 
 and which, the term, dashing, conveys an 
 idea of, more nearly than any other ; she 
 was a tall, showy-looking woman, with a 
 shrewd cast of countenance, over which 
 was thrown the gloss of frank, goodnature ; 
 mere surface, it is true, but enabling her 
 C 2
 
 28 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 to conceal from the casual observer an ut- 
 terly selfish and sordid mind. She now, all 
 smiles, resplendent in black satin, bugles, 
 and jet ornaments, surmounted by a very 
 awful-looking turban and plume, shared 
 the task of receiving, with the host, the 
 numerous guests that poured in from all 
 parts of the county, to witness and par- 
 take of the gaiety and festivity of Drumgar. 
 An inexperienced statesman, new to office, 
 would have received a very useful lesson, 
 from witnessing her mode of receiving each 
 new comer; from the careless, indifferent 
 curtsey bestowed on a common-place ac- 
 quaintance, the eye immediately withdrawn, 
 to the cordial greeting of her manner, to 
 Lady Glenmore, the she lion of the party, 
 there were a dozen, intermediate modes of 
 salutation which evinced the estimation 
 each individual was held in by the lady, as 
 plainly as if a herald's king at arms had 
 announced their several pretensions, ere 
 they passed the doorway ; nor should the 
 Major be forgotten all this time. His light
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 29 
 
 coloured wig, that took some ten years off 
 his age, was curled to a nioety ; frizzed 
 some two or three inches higher towards 
 the crown of his head, than on ordinary 
 occasions ; so that the five-feet-five he 
 measured, in his high-heeled boots, when 
 his toupee was undressed, was now increased 
 to something more than five-feet-six and a 
 half; unfortunately, it was at the wrong 
 end of the Major, this increase of stature 
 was effected; nature, in some frolic, had 
 thought proper to curtail his legs, in a 
 very marvellous degree, giving him a body 
 in no way proportioned tohispins; when seat- 
 ed, youwouldhave guessed hisheight at over 
 six feet, but when on his legs, he was not 
 unlike a scavenger's cart, dispossessed of its 
 wheels, or the knave of clubs, in more 
 senses than one. 
 
 Like most men, who have any peculia- 
 rity of figure, he was not at all aware of 
 its existence, and on the present occasion 
 walked and strutted about with a self- 
 satisfied air, an Apollo might have envied.
 
 30 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 He had on a dress coat, such as were some- 
 times worn by the disbanded officers of the 
 *' Gallant Tipperary," it was a dark, pecu- 
 liar shade of green, its ample skirts lined 
 with white silk; the initials corresponding 
 to *' Tlpperary Fusiliers," raised in relief 
 on its gaudy-looking button ; a high black 
 stock cut after a military fashion, decorated 
 his neck, deeply contrasting his white 
 Marseille waistcoat, in the pocket of which 
 reposed a watch of no ordinary dimensions; 
 its massive gold curb chain drawn across so 
 as to rest in the third button-hole of the 
 vest, from which was suspended a large 
 bunch of seals, that kept the owner's fingers 
 in active service, whilst he regaled his 
 friends with those stories of flood and field, 
 his being out with the Tipperary, had 
 given him a legitimate right to inflict on 
 any less favoured individual; besides this, 
 his vest was decorated with a broad black 
 ribbon, from which hung a tortoishell 
 reading glass, mounted in silver ; it swung 
 about with a pendulum sort of motion, keep-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 31 
 
 ing time to the very energetic action the 
 Major was wont to use, in relating a fixvo- 
 rite story ; dark pantaloons, with Welling- 
 ton boots, completed his outer man. The 
 index to the inner was difficult to describe ; 
 it was a countenance that would have 
 puzzled a physiognomist, and given years 
 of study to Lavater ; the high, ample fore- 
 head in no way harmonized with the quick 
 furtive looking eye, that peered cunningly 
 from beneath the lowering brow; the nose 
 was straight and well formed ; the expres- 
 sion of the mouth was that of broad humour 
 — the faceticus story teller revealed at a 
 glance — still, about its corners, there lurked, 
 at times, an expression of licence and 
 cruelty, that marked its owner as a ma- 
 licious, inveterate foe, not over scrupulous 
 in using the means to accomplish a favorite 
 object, but no such expression characterised 
 it at the present moment, he was now all 
 smiles and glee; the room was becoming 
 full to overflowing ; Sergeant Wetherell 
 who acted as armourer, (a post of no slight
 
 32 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 trust in Tipperary, on such occasions), 
 stood in the Major's study, receiving sundry 
 blunderbusses, pistols, dirks, cane swords, 
 and night protectors, from gentlemen who 
 wished to mingle in the dance, and would 
 have found such warlike accoutrements, 
 but awkward companions, though abso- 
 lutely necessary ones in travelling from 
 their own houses after sunset. The offi- 
 cers had not yet arrived, much to the morti- 
 fication of sundry ladies, the Miss O'Bradys 
 amongst the number, who thought the 
 dance was doomed never to commence; for, 
 as their mamma whispered to the sisters, 
 '* forming a tame quadrille without the 
 red coats, would be much worse than not 
 dancing at all,'* and acting on this 
 opinion, the three young ladies took up 
 their position so as to command a full view 
 of the door, their attention, wide awake, to 
 every announ ement of a fresh arrival, 
 bawled out by the servant in the hall. 
 This occupation however, they were not 
 left unmolested to enjoy. Young gen-
 
 THE MILTTIA MAJOR. So 
 
 tlemen in blue and black coats whose 
 patent leather, low-cut shoes and tightly 
 drawn silk stockings, announced as vo- 
 taries of the dance, assailed their ears with 
 many sly and witty allusions on the ab- 
 sence of the military, dwelling on the con- 
 sequent disappointment of every woman in 
 the room — and the Misses O^Brady io par- 
 ticular — requesting those ladies to with- 
 draw their attention from the door, on the 
 principle *' that a watched pot never boils;" 
 assuring them that, whilst they kept such 
 a sharp look out, the expected heroes would, 
 most certainly, never arrive; then others, 
 more maliciously inclined, would hint the 
 possibility that they were, at that moment, 
 on active service — still hunting in Btdly- 
 seskin bog, or pursuing Captain Houlahan, 
 the outlaw, through the fastnesses of the 
 " Galties." A screaming announcement of 
 unintelligible names at the door — the band 
 of the " gallant Tipperary," stationed in 
 the hall, striking up, " the Campbells are
 
 34 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 coming,'^ set all these tantalizing surmises 
 at rest; and, in the full blaze of scarlet 
 cloth and gold lace, the officers of the 5 — th 
 made their bow to Major Power — and were, 
 by him, duly presented to the charming 
 Mrs. 0' Brady ; then came the arrangement 
 for the opening quadrille — the Mujor had 
 not danced for many years — in byegone 
 days his forte had been the Irish jig; but, 
 as this was a solo movement, at the com- 
 mencement of the entertainment, it would 
 not have appeared so well; thus the man- 
 tle of precedence, for the honour of leading 
 off the first dance, fell, by universal con- 
 sent, on the shoulders of Colonel ^Saville, 
 the senior officerof the 5 — th ; in vain, did he 
 plead that he very seldom danced, and was 
 not particularly fond of the amuse- 
 ment- -these objections were overruled by 
 his host and Airs. O'Brady ; and, before the 
 colonel was aware of the movement, he 
 found himself standing before Lady Glen- 
 more ; Mrs. O'Brady earnestly soliciting
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 35 
 
 '* the honour of her hidyship's hand for the 
 colonel's special use for the next quadrille ;" 
 to retreat was impossible, so he made the 
 best of his position, politely seconding the 
 request of the lady, which was as politely 
 rejected on the part of her ladyship, by coldly 
 observing, 
 
 *' That she never danced. The young 
 lady by her side, perhaps, might do him the 
 honour," 
 
 The blush that mantled on theyoung lady's 
 cheek, extending to her beautiful neck and 
 brow, must have spoken consent, for no word 
 "was uttered ; and the colonel, taking her 
 hand, saying, at the same time, 
 
 " We must not keep them waiting," 
 quietly drew it within his arm, and the 
 next moment Colonel S^iville and Agnes 
 Power were moving towards the head of the 
 room ; only the very young, and those who 
 have never been considered of any import- 
 ance in the family circle, can at all under- 
 stand the feelings of Agnes, as she stood at 
 the head of the quadrille, with Colonel
 
 36 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 Saville as a partner ; in all the prepara- 
 tions for the ball, that of a partner for 
 Agnes had not been overlooked by her Aunt 
 O'Brady. 
 
 "' Her son Nick,'' she said, ^' should 
 dance one set with her, just to keep her 
 from sitting all night." 
 
 And with this arrangement, was her 
 niece quite content, so far as regarded 
 herself, but extremely anxious that her 
 cousin Amy should enjoy more than o?ie 
 dance for the night ; and now finding her- 
 self in a position so unexpected, the room 
 swam around her ; she felt every eye 
 in it was fixed on herself, and she 
 dared not raise hers to the dark, soldierly- 
 looking man that placed himself at her 
 side, he regarded her with a look, such as 
 a mother bestows on a frightened child ; 
 and, addressing to her some common-place 
 observation, spoken in that quiet, com- 
 posed tone of voice most likely to reassure 
 her, commenced the quadrille. For the 
 first time, since her birth, her father now
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 37 
 
 regarded her with a look of admiration ; he 
 had heard around him, asked by many — 
 " Who the very lovely girl was, that led off 
 the first dance?" and more than one, 
 whose good opinion he prized, had compli- 
 mented him on the beauty and elegance of 
 his daughter. Poor people! they followed 
 the common error, that an only child must 
 needs be a favourite one — not considering, 
 that indulged passions supply the place of 
 natural ties, and that we hug them to our 
 bosoms with a love passing the love of 
 parent — aye, even that of woman. 
 
 Her Aunt O'Brady, however, looked on 
 her with a very diilLTcnt feeling. She 
 felt as if a mine had sprung beneath 
 her, Agnes was no more a child, she 
 had witnessed the Colonel's manner, in 
 asking her to dance, and from that moment 
 regarded him as the rival of her son, whom 
 the wily mother had long since determined 
 should wed the heiress of Drumgar, and 
 thus be enabled to pay her jointure, and 
 clear off his sisters' fortunes; those young 
 ladies she took care, on the present oc-
 
 38 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 Gasiou, should not be disappointed in mili- 
 tary beaux. The two elder ones profited by 
 her good management ; Lucy, the youngest, 
 before the officers arrived, had been en- 
 gaged contre gre for the first dance; she 
 would willingly have forgotten the engage- 
 ment, *' when the honour of dancing the 
 first set," was addressed to her by Captain 
 Grant of the 5 — th. ; but, unfortunately, 
 her promised partner's eye was fixed on 
 Lucy at this moment, and the look of regret, 
 with which she announced her engagement 
 for the dance, could only be equalled by 
 the disappointment depicted on the counte- 
 nance of him upon whom she bestowed her 
 reluctant hand ; the chosen friend of her 
 brother, and chosen lover of her own, 
 before Lucy had left Kilgroggy, and en- 
 larged her ideas of men and things by at- 
 tending subscription balls in county towns, 
 and pic-nics at the sea-side ; these enter- 
 tainments did not at all raise Frank Mande- 
 yille in Lucy's estimation — 
 
 *^ Comparisons are odious !" And so
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 39 
 
 found poor Frank, to his cost, when Lucy 
 returned to Kilgroggy. The careless shoot- 
 ing jacket, with the handle of a dhudeen 
 projecting from its pocket, the untrimmed 
 whisker, and mop-like hair, that orna- 
 mented a very handsome though sun-burnt 
 face, were things the lady could not endure 
 after the smart and well-cared-for beaux she 
 had left behind — none of them, it is true, 
 had loved her as Frank Mandeville did — but 
 what cared Lucy I the uncle, whose property 
 was one day to be his, was living, and, in 
 the meantime, she had made up her mind 
 not to think of him, until all chance of 
 better w^as out of the question. 
 
 Not so Frank, he still loved her as much 
 as when children they went to gather nuts 
 in the wood of Scorrow, or years afterwards 
 when she walked ankle deep in the bog (^f 
 Kilgroggy, watching him and her brother, 
 bringing down snipes for supper, when 
 Frank was sure to have a seat by her side. 
 It was the memory of those days that 
 caused him now to ask her to dance, and
 
 40 THE MILITTA MAJOR. 
 
 with a feeling, near akin to hatred, was he 
 accepted by his quondam lover. Her at- 
 tention was, in no way, bestowed on her 
 partner during the quadrille; it was entirely 
 engrossed in envying her sisters their good 
 fortune in having cfficers for partners, and 
 watching Agnes and the colonel, who had 
 finished their part of the dance, and were 
 now standing speaking to each other ; ihe 
 former with her colour still heightened, a 
 fawn-like expression of timidity in her 
 mild, lustrous eyes, whenever she encoun- 
 tered the calm but brilliant glances of his. 
 He stooped as he addressed her, as if the 
 words he ulcered were in ten led for her 
 alone ; and whatever those words might be, 
 they seemed to have re-assured Agnes; for, 
 ere the dance was finished, she had spoken 
 to him as one she had known for years ; 
 and offered no objection to his leading her 
 to an opposite room, where the dancers 
 were pouring in to enjoy a cooler atmos- 
 phere ; and here, seated on a couch. Colonel 
 Saville contemplated the beautiful being
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 41 
 
 beside him, and listened to the low, musical 
 notes of the softest voice he had ever 
 heard, confess with a naivete that was 
 irresistible, ** that it was the first crowded 
 room she had ever been in, and that he was 
 the first stranger with whom she had ever 
 danced." 
 
 His eyes, perhaps, conveyed how he ap- 
 preciated the good fortune ; but he did not 
 frighten the little beauty with a speech, 
 but sought rather to lead her to speak of 
 herself, and how her time, hitherto, had 
 been occupied ; he then discovered that 
 she was not the daughter of Lady Glen- 
 more, as he had supposed ; and as Agnes 
 said nothing to lead him to guess who she 
 really was, he felt a degree of curiosity on 
 the subject which surprised himself. He 
 did not even know her name ; but as he 
 gazed on the fairy proportion of her hand, 
 and the aristocratic cast of her features, 
 he felt confident she came of no plebeian 
 race. Saville knew human nature well, 
 and at a glance, he seemed to understand
 
 42 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 the character of Agnes ; he felt, that by 
 asking her a question in this early stage of 
 their acquaintance, in order to discover 
 who she really was, he would embarrass, 
 and shock a timid nature, such as hers, at 
 finding herself conversing familiarly with a 
 gentleman who was a stranger to her 
 name. The Colonel refrained then from 
 making any such enquiry, and was lead- 
 ing her on from subject to subject, dis- 
 covering she possessed a refined, cultivated 
 mind, as well as the most ingenuous one 
 he had ever met, when her aunt O'Brady 
 bustled into the room, advanced to where 
 they sat, and addressing Agnes, said, 
 
 " Here is Nick to dance the next quad- 
 rille with you ; so you had better come into the 
 dancing-room, and not treat him in the way 
 you did the last." 
 
 Agnes started ; murmured something 
 about not remembering any engagement, 
 and was hurried away by her aunt before 
 the Colonel, even if he had so wished, 
 could interfere. Nick O'Brady, at the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 43 
 
 special request of his mother, placed her 
 amongst the side couples of the quadrille ; 
 and when she raised her eyes, after being 
 huddled into a space, which even her slight 
 figure had not room enough to stand in 
 without jostling or being jostled by her 
 neighbour, she made the joyful discovery 
 that Amy O'Brian was her vu-a-vis ; their 
 eyes met — the cousins interchanged a look 
 of congratulation — Agnes saw no more ; 
 fur, at this moment, a large, heavy-looking 
 young man, that stood next her, in making 
 room for his partner, pushed her completely 
 into the back ground ; whilst hers was too 
 much occupied in betting on the merits of 
 a black setter, with a gentleman to his left, 
 to take any notice of what had become of 
 his ; towards the close of the set, Nick re- 
 membered something about Agnes ; and, 
 turning round to look, discovered her quietly 
 seated on a form at some distance. It was 
 DOW her turn to dance ; and, as she took 
 her place and advanced, her eyes met those
 
 44 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 of Colonel Saville ; and their hands, the 
 next nioment in turning her in the quad- 
 rille — he had been her cousin's partner and 
 her own vis-a-vis — and now reproached her 
 for deserting him during the set. Agnes 
 replied only by a smile, such as the young, 
 joyous brow, alone can wear, when the lips 
 cheeks and eyes all smile together, ere care or 
 worldliness has stamped its iron impress, 
 glanced a look towards her partner as the 
 cause of her delinquency, and glided back 
 to her place with a step that would not dis- 
 pel a dew-drop, or " crush a hare-bell,'' 
 beneath its fairy tread. 
 
 The dance ended; and Nick O'Brady, 
 who looked upon her as a child, brought 
 her to a seat next to that occupied by his 
 mother. That lady was too much engaged 
 just then to deliver a lecture she had pro- 
 mised, in her own mind, to bestow on 
 Agnes, for leading off with the Colonel, but 
 contented herself with glancing at her a 
 look, which very plainly intimated that she 
 might be certain of receiving it the very 
 first opportunity.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 45 
 
 Waltzing then commenced ; none of those 
 dull, tame waltzes, where half-a-dozen cou- 
 ple revolve round a large room, but a 
 whirling, twirling sort of movement, where 
 twenty or thirty come right bang against 
 each other in one of moderate dimensions. 
 The Misses O'Brady were untiring waltzers ; 
 and their mamma had now the satisfaction of 
 seeing their ballooned skirts propelled round 
 and round the room — their waists encir- 
 cled by an arm clad in the liveliest scarlet 
 — their shoulders nearly dislocated by com- 
 ing in contact with the " dear creatures'," 
 epaulettes, as they swung round and round, 
 to the soul vivifying air of " It's my delight 
 of a zhiny night in the zezen of the 
 year." 
 
 Mrs. O'Brady advanced to the verge of 
 the outer circle to witness these active evo- 
 lutions ; and Agnes took the opportunity 
 of gliding round by the wall to gain, if 
 possible, a seat next her mother; but, ere 
 she had performed half her journey, Colonel 
 Saville was by her side, enquiring —
 
 46 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 '' Could he, in any way, assist her." 
 Agnes pointed out the part of the room 
 she was bound for; and, by much manoeuver- 
 ing on his part to escape clashing with the 
 waltzers, at length, placed his fair charge 
 beside Mrs. Power. 
 
 A glance at that lady decided they were 
 mother and child; each feature had its 
 counterpart in the other, allowing for the 
 difference of some twenty years, but the 
 countenances differed widely in expression; 
 there was a look of quiet, resigned melan- 
 choly in that of Mrs. Power, that told she 
 had endured much, and felt but apathy to- 
 wards the future ; whilst, on the brow of 
 Agnes, there lay no shadow. The cherish- 
 ed one of her mother, unnoticed by her 
 father, she had, hitherto, basked, like some 
 beautiful insect amid summer flowers, in 
 the sunshine of that mother's love ; yet as 
 little prepared to withstand the com- 
 mand, or gainsay the will of her other 
 parent, as the gay butterfly, to resist the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 47 
 
 first rude assault of the wintry blast, or 
 spread its silken wings in defiance of the 
 pitiless storm. 
 
 And now, seating herself between her 
 mother and cousin, laying her hand on the 
 arm of the former, whilst she raised her 
 eyes, blushing at their own temerity, to 
 Colonel Saville's face, said — 
 
 " This is mamma, who — who — am I to 
 say, has been so kind as to bring me to 
 her.'' 
 
 '* My name is Saville,'' said the Colonel, 
 bowing now to Mrs. Power. 
 
 The lady thanked him for taking charge 
 of her daughter. 
 
 The gentleman made some remark on the 
 danger of passing the waltzers, and draw- 
 ing a chair near the sofa she occupied, 
 commenced an animated conversation, 
 which lasted until supper was announced; 
 he then offered his arm to Mrs. Power, and 
 his services to all, in taking charge of them 
 to the supper-room.
 
 48 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 This was declined by the elder lady 
 adding — 
 
 " That she was at home, and would pre- 
 fer keeping the girls with herself, rather 
 than expose them to the crush of the sup- 
 per table," 
 
 Agnes looked, at the moment, as if she 
 would willingly have endured the crush ; 
 but a glance from her mother told her their 
 absence from the hospitable board, had been 
 previously arranged. Indeed, it was one 
 of those matters, Mrs. O'Brady, with her 
 usual forechought, had decided on. 
 
 '' Where was the use of taking up room 
 from other people, when the crowd would 
 be sure, to make her sister faint ; and the 
 two girls would never get on there, by 
 themselves ; as to her part, she should be too 
 much taken up, attending to others ; and, 
 as to the Major's looking after them, it was 
 out of the question." 
 
 Colonel Saville did not go down, or 
 rather up, to supper, for it was served in
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 49 
 
 an upper story, from the reception rooms, 
 that occupied the ground floor, though 
 Mrs. Power requested he would do so ; and 
 Mrs. O'Brady, still more vehemently urged 
 his accompanying her thither. 
 
 Saville had mixed much in good society; 
 had the savoir faire, that only such society 
 can give ; and such men can resist a lady's 
 solicitation much better than any other. 
 With some slight badinage^ and prettily 
 turned compliment to the lady, he gained 
 his point, and was soon, with the other 
 three, left in quiet possession of the now 
 deserted room. 
 
 The party so left did not lack of con- 
 versation. Saville had passed through 
 many lands, as well in the way of choice as 
 in that of his profession : and was a close 
 observer of all ; Ireland, was to him, un- 
 trodden ground, and the party he now con- 
 versed with, had never left its shores, and 
 seemed capable, and not unwilling, to give 
 him every information about a country and 
 
 VOL. T. D
 
 50 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 a people, he found it, at times, difficult, at 
 all, to understand. 
 
 Mrs. Power, in her ladylike, quiet way, 
 was not an unobservant person. Agnes 
 had a quick sense of the ridiculous, and 
 could point out all that was absurd in the 
 Irish character ; and her cousin, with all 
 the enthusiasm of a patriot, felt keenly the 
 degradation of her father-land, debased 
 amongst the nations, alike by the bigotry 
 and ignorance of its Peasantry, and the 
 cold -blooded Id difference of its Gentry, to 
 the moral and social elevation of its sons.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 5 J 
 
 CHAPTER ly. 
 
 THK DHARRIGS AND CUMMINS. 
 
 Conversing on these topics, they did not 
 hear or attend to an altercation that had 
 commenced on the lawn, immediately in 
 front of the house, between members 
 of two rival factions, popularly known as 
 the " Dharrigs and Cummins,^' named 
 after their respective leaders, whose private 
 quarrel, about some commonage of mountain, 
 had led to outbreaks of violence, amongst 
 their several connexions, that would have 
 disgraced the most savage tribe of Kaf- 
 D 2 
 
 LIBRARY 
 
 l/fJl\/CC01-r-iy
 
 32 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 firland, or the inhabitants of New Zealand. 
 In fair, or market, chapel, or highway, 
 the cry of ** a Dharrig against a Cum- 
 mins," or vice versa, was sure to be the 
 prelude of a fight, as bloody and fierce, 
 while it lasted, as the Burmese against the 
 invader of his soil, or the famished Hyena 
 attacking the robber of her young. The 
 military force had been frequently called 
 out to put down these disgraceful fights, 
 but in vain ; the Roman Catholic clergy 
 had denounced them from the altar ; but 
 they still continued to rage, with in- 
 creased virulence, enlisting in either party, 
 almost every peasant in the country ; a 
 strong argument for those who contend that 
 the Irish temperament is peculiarily suited 
 to fighting ; for certain it was, that the 
 great majority amongst the ranks of either 
 faction knew nothing, and cared still less, 
 about the original cause of quarrel ; they 
 merely fought as amateurs, not caring to 
 play the part of lookers on at a game, they 
 felt as great a zest for, as their neighbours.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 53 
 
 who dealt blows, in downright earnest, for 
 what they considered an inroad on their 
 legitimate property. The two factions met, 
 on the present occasion, by the Dharrigs, 
 driving over from the Limerick side, in 
 hired vehicles, some of the guests to Drum- 
 ger; these men, naturally enough, after de- 
 positing their respective fares, and seeing 
 their horses done up for the night, went to 
 visit the "boys," belonging to their own 
 party, in the neighbourhood, then adjourned 
 to the nearest public-house, and to use 
 their own phrase, " afther dhrinking purty 
 well, I thankee," came up to Drumgar, to 
 see how matters were going on. The night 
 had been a sultry one, the windows of the 
 drawing-room were lefc open, with the 
 precaution of placing outside them, some of 
 the neighbours who could be trusted. 
 Sergeant Wetherell, forming a protective 
 phalanx, of country girls, at each window, 
 with leave to look in themselves, but on no 
 account, to permit a stranger ; not an un- 
 necessary precaution, as some of the party
 
 54 THE MJLTTIA MAJOR. 
 
 within were likely to raeet with a stray- 
 shot, unless some such had been used. 
 Now it happened that the Cummins' faction 
 preponderated about Drumgar, so that 
 when the Dharrigs' party arrived, they 
 found the others in possession of the windows. 
 There is nothing, perhaps, the Irish 
 peasant enjoys more than looking at his 
 betters, surrounded with all the append- 
 ages of luxury, particularly when engaged 
 in the exercise of dancing ; the streets of 
 our provincial towns, nay of our metropolis 
 itself, attest this ; let a party be going on 
 whereaglimpse can be caught of its company, 
 and the half-starved, miserably clad wretch 
 will stand, patiently shivering outside, lost 
 in admiration (without a particle of envy 
 in the feeling) of the good cheer and mer- 
 riment within— certain it was that the rival 
 factions, outside the windows, shewed no 
 symptoms of fight, until the party in the 
 drawing-room moved to snpper ; and then 
 " down with the Cummins's ; here's a 
 Dharrig against any man/' was the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 55 
 
 signal for attack. Sergeant Wetherell dare 
 not interfere — being obnoxious to both par- 
 ties — but he lost no time in seeking out Nick 
 O'Brady, who was amongst the last of the 
 supper party, to use his influence in keep- 
 ing them quiet. Nick made a seizure of 
 the hackney coachmen and gingle drivers' 
 whips, all heavily loaded with lead in the 
 handles — then shoving into the back par- 
 lor the most refractory of the Dharrig 
 party, and turning the key in the door, as- 
 cended once more to the supper room ; but 
 entrance there was now impossible. The 
 door-way was completely jammed up by 
 hungry expectants for supper, waiting, with 
 commendable patience, for the ladies to 
 retire ; but Nick's was not of this enduring 
 character — he elbowed a passage through 
 the crowd, until he caught a glimpse of the 
 over-filled room, and saw the utter hope- 
 lessness of the case ; then, jostling his way 
 back, descending the stairs with a rapid 
 step, unlocked the door and emancipated 
 the prisoners, telling them,
 
 56 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 " They might now fight and be hanged ; 
 for, until they broke each other's skulls, he 
 had no chance of his .^supper/' adding, by 
 way of encouragement, '' the sooner they 
 began at it the better." 
 
 That the party so addressed, lost no 
 time in commencing, the sequel will fully 
 shew. In the meantime, those in the supper 
 room were enjoying the good things before 
 them, much to their satisfaction, despite 
 sundry flounces, lappets, and berthes, that 
 were sorely dilapidated on their journey thi- 
 ther ; but these misfortunes are seldom 
 discovered at the time ; and gentlemen, in 
 the crush of a stair-case, must be forgiven 
 for not remembering, at the moment, the 
 frail texture of a lady's dress; those only 
 at the door had any real grounds for com- 
 plaint; the feast they looked upon was 
 spread out, as far as regarded them in vain; 
 the intervening crowd, formed a barrier 
 as impassable as the spell on Tantalus. The 
 Major had succeeded in placing Lady Glen- 
 more in the identical spot, prepared for her
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 57 
 
 ladyship to occupy, in full view of the chef 
 (Tceuvre of the table, a huge trifle enclosed in a 
 pallisade of spun sugar, on the foreground 
 of which stood, in basso relievo^ a pastry 
 edifice, a complimentary representation of 
 her ladyship's castle of Ballyross — but 
 which required a label to discover the like- 
 ness — the guests were not, however, in- 
 clined to criticise these minor matters ; the 
 elder ones were too .busy in procuring for 
 themselves what they liked most, and the 
 younger had too much on hand to bestow 
 more than an " Oh ! how beautiful/' on the 
 decoration of the lay out — at least, the 
 female portion of it — and, for the credit of 
 the gentlemen, be it spoken, they were not 
 over nice in those matters ; the quality 
 and quantity, not the embellishments of 
 the viands, being what most attracted their . 
 attention. Not so the officers — they did 
 their part to a miracle — every inge- 
 nious device was duly noticed ; and, besides 
 securing their own supper, they secured the 
 
 good graces of the female portion of the 
 D 5
 
 58 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 
 
 party, by those thousand little attentions to 
 the wants and wishes of the fair, that are 
 sure to bear fruit in their proper season, 
 producing a plentiful harvest of dinners, 
 &c., no despicable consideration to the 
 military man, doomed to combat with those 
 '* blue sprites " that are sure to haunt his 
 waking hours in country quarters. 
 
 '' All went merrily as a marriage bell," 
 when suddenly there arose a sound, but 
 not of revelry, on the lawn immediately 
 before the house ; the voices of men in 
 savage combat — the shrieks of women — the 
 loud barking of dogs, mingled with blows 
 that fell thick and heavily on the skulls of 
 the belligerent powers. All started from 
 the supper table ; but all could not reach 
 the door at the same time ; some ladies 
 fainted outright, while others declared their 
 full intention of doing so. Fathers, bro- 
 thers, and lovers, rushed past them to 
 secure the fire-arms left in Sergeant 
 WetherelFs care, with a velocity that 
 rendered explanation impossible. The
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 59 
 
 military beaux were left in possession of 
 the field, or as Nick O'Brady afterwards 
 observed, " in care of the heavy baggage." 
 
 That gentleman now entered the room, 
 and regardless of hysterical sobs, faintings, 
 real or pretended, took possession of a 
 vacant seat at the deserted board, and 
 with great alacrity, commenced a fierce 
 attack on a ham and fowl, that lay con- 
 tiguous; no way interrupted, in his opera- 
 tions by the swoonings, real or pretended, 
 around him, or the din of battle that arose 
 from the combatants beneath ; naouthful 
 after mouthful was swallowed in silent haste 
 — bumper after bumper pledged to him- 
 self. 
 
 When Mrs. O'Brady, extricating her 
 burly figure from the form that still lay right 
 across her neck, (upset by the hasty exit of 
 an elderly gentleman in search of a double- 
 barrelled gun) and drawing herself from un- 
 derneath the table, where she had sought 
 refuge from, as she supposed. Captain Rock 
 himself, now presented at the opposite side
 
 60 THE MILITIA MAJOS. 
 
 from her son, a hend, minus, a turban and 
 pl'ime, ornamented instead with a drapery 
 of cob-webs, that fell in large festoons 
 from the black silk cap which was wont to 
 conceal her close cut, grey hair, and pass a 
 very becoming front, with its flesh-coloured 
 division as genuine on the public; but 
 somehow, the black cap had slipped its 
 moorings, and now displayed a small stripe 
 of silver grey between it and the afore- 
 said front, that rested on the lady's nose, 
 Such a figure, caused even Nick to pause in 
 his labours — his knife and fork rested on 
 his plate — and he indulged in an uncon- 
 trollable fit of laughter, strongly contrasted 
 with the feelings of the company around. 
 
 " Well done, old girl,'' said he, when his 
 breath came ; " the Dharrigs and Cummins 
 below hadn't a greater scrimmage than you 
 contrived to get up under the table. Pray 
 where did you leave your turban ?" 
 
 This dutiful enquiry of her son elec- 
 trified the lady, and snatching, hastily, a 
 lighted branch, she dived into her late
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 61 
 
 retreat, as well to hide from prying eyes, the 
 dilapidation of her head gear, as to seek for 
 for the lost treasure underneath. 
 
 Nick had now discussed his supper to his 
 perfect satisfaction, and indulged in a 
 cursory view of the party in the room. Most 
 of the ladies had made their way down 
 stairs; still some remained, and amongst 
 these were his sisters. Miss O'Brady sat 
 with a very Siddons-like air, her back 
 propped against the wall, her sandy 
 coloured hair hanging lank and straight — 
 pushed back from her face, as if, in the 
 late commotion, it had taken sudden fright, 
 or perhaps wished to escape contact with 
 the lady's visage, that still retained traces 
 of her recent exertion in the waltz, increas- 
 ing a naturally scorbutic complexion to 
 something the colour of what Mr. Wetherell 
 denominated a piannia rose, strangely at 
 variance with the- languishing and fainting 
 air with which she received the attentioi ^ 
 of Lieutenant Jennings, a raw boy of 
 twenty, who seemed considerably puzzled
 
 62 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 
 
 at what was passing around him, and who 
 mechanically held the vinaigrette, which was 
 ever and anon applied to the olfactory 
 nerve of the lady. When the shouts out- 
 side proclaimed the battle still raged with 
 unmitigated fury below, her sisters, with 
 some of the other ladies and officers, stood 
 at the open windows of the apartment, 
 which commanded a view of the scene of 
 action, and to one of these did Nick 
 O'Brady post, to come in, as he expressed 
 it, " for a share of the fun/' 
 
 Morning was but just breaking when the 
 battle commenced, and now a glorious 
 summer sun had struggled amongst the dis- 
 tant mountains, and revealed a scene, which 
 for richness and beauty might compete with 
 theboldestand loveliest in foreign land. ]]e- 
 fore them lay that valley, which our ances- 
 tors called the " Golden;" the sparkling 
 waters of the blue Suir winding, like 
 crested serpent, its majestic course to the 
 ocean through fertile field and hanging 
 wood; its banks indented with tower and
 
 THE MILTTTA MAJOR. 63 
 
 town, the Gothic castle of feudal days, 
 the modern halls of the noble and the great, 
 their wide extended desmesnes — their oaks, 
 the growth of ages — their owners seeking 
 aught that was beautiful in foreign soil, 
 strangers to the enchanting scenery of their 
 own ; the peasant's lowly hut, with its 
 thatched roof and mudded wall, beautified 
 in the haze of distance, while the bold 
 Galty stood like a giant sentinel, watching 
 the fair garden beneath, formed a view such 
 as men love to look on, and a fearful con- 
 trast to the moral degradation of its pea- 
 santry, as exhibited at the present moment, 
 on the lawn of Drumgar. No such feeling, 
 however, did it awaken in the minds of the 
 party stationed at the windows above; the 
 ladies of it experienced something like 
 the excitement caused by a well acted 
 tragedy, shading their eyes with their 
 hands whenever an alpeen told on the skull 
 of his adversary; but not withdrawing 
 themselves all the time from witnessing the 
 encounter. The officers res^arded the afiair
 
 64 THE MILTTIA MAJOR. 
 
 as a page of Irish history it would benefit 
 them to read, with perhaps a vague feeling, 
 it was got up as part ot the entertain- 
 ment; and Nick O'Brady looked on 
 with the practised eye of a connoisseur, 
 pointing out to the uninitiated, the several 
 leaders of the Dharrig and Cummins faction; 
 elucidating, what, to them, was a profound 
 mystery, how the skulls of either party 
 held out against such repeated blows. 
 
 '^ They are hardened by use to it,'' said 
 Nick, " besides, there is nothing but fair 
 play this morning ; not a loaded whip 
 amongst them. I saw to that," continued 
 he, " before the scrimmage began, or those 
 Dharrigs, that drove the people here, would 
 have made short work with the Cummins's 
 before the police could be up." 
 
 That efficient body, as the newspapers 
 term them, now made their appearance, 
 headed by Frank Mandeville, who had cut 
 across the fields to secure their services ; 
 and the gentlemen who had ineffectually 
 interfered before to separate the factions,
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 6o 
 
 now joined their ranks ; and throwing 
 themselves en masse into the fight — without 
 waiting for the Major to commence the read- 
 ing of the Eiot Act, which he stood on the 
 step of the hall-door, with glass in hand, pre- 
 pared to do, for the third time — hit right 
 and left until they cleared a passage straight 
 through the combatants ; the police seizing 
 on the ringleaders, the rest dispersing in 
 all directions, whilst the gentlemen, re- 
 turned to the house, to talk over, with 
 their host, the conflict of the morning, and 
 console themselves by discussing the frag- 
 ments of the supper. The ladies, in the 
 meantime, had held a counsel-of-war with 
 Mrs. O'Brady — her turban, restored in some 
 degree to its primitive position — she was 
 seated in a retired room, with all that re- 
 mained of the female portion of the party ; 
 the greater number, after the first panic, 
 having got away by a back entrance, their 
 servants literally plucked as brands from 
 the burning, by their indignant masters 
 cuffing them out of the midst of the fray,
 
 66 THE MALITIA MAJOE. 
 
 to drive home their frightened mistresses, 
 *' before half the fun was over/' The 
 ladies that remained were now enjoying, 
 what in Munster parlance is called, " a 
 rousing cup of tat/,'' deploring the 
 disagreeable interruption of the morning, 
 all agreeing that it was now too far ad- 
 vanced to meet the gentlemen any more — 
 broad daylight being a terrible foe to ladies 
 who had sat up all night, and were frightened 
 out of their good looks into the bargain. 
 
 The mistress of the mansion, with Colonel 
 Saville, her daughter, and niece, had 
 heard the commencement of the row, long 
 before it rose to such a pitch as to disturb 
 the party up stairs ; the Colonel, to quiet 
 their agitation, went to enquire from the 
 servants its occasion, and before he re- 
 turned, the battle raged so violently, that 
 Mrs. Power and the two girls retired to 
 their apartments for the night. The 
 Major and his party, on their return from 
 the fray, took possession of the vacated 
 seats up stairs, the gentlemen attacking this
 
 THE MALITTA MAJOR. 67 
 
 time the debris of the supper, much more 
 energetically than when they made a first 
 movement on it, in presence of the 
 ladies. There was no more coquetting with 
 cheese cakes, or finding out a likeness be- 
 between the jelly on their plate, and the 
 topaz ornaments of their partners, or taking 
 a lesson in the language of the flowers, 
 from the exotics in the vases around ; but 
 each man clutched his knife and fork in a 
 manner that evinced his determination to 
 do battle, valiantly, with every substantial 
 eatable that remained on the table ; whilst 
 the Major declared that fighting was but 
 dry work, following it by an order for the 
 material and hot water instanter. This set 
 things going, and the real business of the 
 evening commenced, or, as the sergeant 
 expressed himself in the kitchen, 
 
 " Whin wance, the hot water was called 
 for ; the gintlemin were fairly in for it.'' 
 
 The band was next subpseiied to attend ; 
 but alas ! the skeleton of the " Gallant 
 Tipperary " were now reduced to a tall.
 
 68 THE MILITIA MAJOR 
 
 gaunt-looking man, that played a huge 
 bassoon, evidently far gone in consumption, 
 leaving it a matter of wonderment, to the by- 
 standers, how his famished jaws could con- 
 tain wind sufficient to blow the instru- 
 ment 
 
 Sergeant Wetherell, however, for the 
 honour of the corps, roused from his 
 slumbers on the hot hearth, a little fat 
 man, that performed on the drum. To a 
 musical ear, perhaps, it was not the best 
 calculated instrument in the world to ac- 
 company a solo with the bassoon ; but the 
 little fat man possessed the advantage of 
 being able to walk up-stairs, what none of 
 his comrades could possibly achieve at that 
 moment. These worthies were now mar- 
 shalled by the sergeant, with military pre- 
 cision, to the supper-room, where the fun 
 had become '' fast and furious." 
 
 The health of the host had been pro- 
 posed by the high-sheriff of the county ; 
 and the Major stood up to return thanks. 
 Had he consulted his own appearance, he
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOK. 69 
 
 would have continued in a sitting posture ; 
 but established rules cannot be broken 
 through ; and there he stood, on his legs, 
 such as they were, with his wig slightly 
 awry from recent agitation, and a look of 
 profound wisdora on his face, strangely at 
 variance with the substance of his speech. 
 Few of his auditors, however, were in a 
 state to criticise. Toast succeeded toast — 
 story out Heroded story ; the Major talked 
 of his doings in ninety-eight, and his 
 readiness to perform the same feats over 
 again ; related numerous anecdotes of the 
 " Gallant Tipperary," and how they drove 
 man, woman, and child before them where- 
 ever they went ; spoke, as of a thing on 
 record, his drinking fifty-six bumper toasts 
 when acting as chairman to that distin- 
 guished mess, when they entertained **the 
 North Cork," heaven knows where, with 
 sundry other flights of fancy, which were 
 not lost on the officers present. 
 
 Lieutenant Jennings, who had never 
 spoken three connected words at his own mess,
 
 70 THE MTLITIA MAJOR. 
 
 now started to his feet, tind vehemently de- 
 clared his firm conviction, ''That no 
 regiment, of either ancient or modern times, 
 could perform Jicdf what the Major declared 
 his had done/^ 
 
 This was answered by Nick O'Brady, 
 from the opposite side of the table, throwing 
 a glass of scalding hot punch straight be- 
 tween the lieutenant's eyes ; the friends 
 of both parties seized hold on the gentle- 
 men — some swore they should fight in the 
 morning ; and others declared for the 
 matter being decided on the spot ; whilst 
 Colonel Saville and the Host strenuously 
 urged an amicable arrangement before the 
 gentlemen left the room. 
 
 The cunning of the Major, never for- 
 sook him; and, on the present occasion, he 
 was not at all insensible to the disadvan- 
 tage of a quarrel taking place at his house, 
 between his wife's nephew and an officer, 
 quartered at a place he was most anxious 
 the government should choose, as a perma- 
 nent station for a de])6t. He, therefore,
 
 THE ailLITIA MAJOK. 71 
 
 was for reconciling the parties at once. 
 The Colonel, on the other hand, looked on 
 the transaction as a drunken gaucherie^ 
 alike disgraceful, if made public by a duel, 
 to the corps in general, and to Jennings in 
 particular, who was but a mere boy ; be- 
 sides, from not having drank as deep as 
 the rest of the party, he was better qualified 
 to judge of the matter. 
 
 After much eloquent talking on both 
 sides, Mr. Nick O'Brady staggered towards 
 Lieutenant Jennings, blamed the heat of 
 the room, for mistaking the lieutenant's 
 meaning, and expressed his contrition for 
 what had happened; with an earnest wish, 
 on his part, that they might become the 
 very best possible friends, stretching out 
 -his hand, at the same time, which was 
 seized on, and shook heartily by the lieu- 
 tenant, declaring — 
 
 "There was no man, he considered, more 
 a gentleman than Mr. O'Brady, when he 
 choose ; and that there was no country he
 
 72 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 admired more than Ireland, of a fine day, 
 with the sun shining, which it did now and 
 again ; and he begged leave to say, he felt 
 something telling him, he should become an 
 Irishman before he left Bally — Bally — 
 devil/' hiccupped the lieutenant, at length. 
 The latter termination, suggesting itself to 
 him, as most descriptive of his quarters at 
 Ballyvoyle. 
 
 This announcement was received by the 
 company around, with three cheers, and a 
 hip, hip, hurrah, the bassoon and drum, per- 
 forming a frantic sort of " Paddy Carey " 
 all the time. The lieutenant's and Nick 
 O'Brady's healths were drank ; the re- 
 spondent speeches were cut short by both 
 gentlemen falling under the table ; nor did 
 they, afterwards, remember one word of 
 what they had intended to say, but had a 
 rambling recollection of seeing their Host 
 thumping it, with all his might and main, 
 before he took a place beside them, shout- 
 ing at the top of his voice, a sort of chorus,
 
 THE MILTTIA MAJOR. 73 
 
 to the air played by the orchestra of the 
 bassoon and drum. 
 
 " My rigdum, jigdum, deary ! 
 
 I'll follow my own figary, ! 
 
 I hate them all, both great and small, 
 
 When I sarvei in the gallant Tipperary !' 
 
 VOL. I. E
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 YOUNG LADIES TALK POLITICS. 
 
 The evening after presented a scene of 
 quiet, gaining strength by the contrast 
 from that just passed at Drumgar. It was 
 ,one of those succeeding a sultry day in 
 June, and the delicious coolness of the 
 coming twilight, wafting on its breeze the 
 odour of summer flowers, came soothingly 
 and refreshingly into the open casement, 
 at which were seated Agnes Power and her 
 cousin. 
 
 Reaction had set in, when the over- 
 wrought spirit lags heavily, and the young
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 75 
 
 votary, after quaffing the first draught of 
 worldly pleasure, feels, that the day after 
 the feast must be one of profound quiet; 
 a strange contrast to the feeling of after 
 years, when the heart grows old, before the 
 brow is wrinkled, when the child of plea- 
 sure needs new excitement — the night of 
 dance and song must be succeeded by the 
 day of bustle and amusement, the hardened 
 spirit shrinks from solitary thought, the 
 dreaded mirror, on whose surface is faith- 
 fully reflected talents misapplied, bestowed 
 by the hand of Omnipotence, for higher 
 and holier purposes, the heart steeped in 
 worldliness, until that moment, when the ac- 
 count of each day is required becomes 
 faint, shadowy, and distant, its stern reali- 
 ties dimmed and obscured by the gay 
 nothings of time, its vast importance only 
 appreciated on the threshold of Eternity. 
 
 The fair occupants of the apartment 
 had no feelings, hacknied, by mixing with 
 a gay, heartless world, the scene before 
 E 2
 
 ^6 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 them was one of deep repose, and perfectly 
 in unison with the feeling of languor, that 
 stole insensibly over them at this hour. 
 
 The sun had set in a sea of molten gold ; 
 and now the distant heights were but 
 faintly illuminated with the reflection of 
 his last rays, leaving the valley below 
 darkened by the broad shadow of the hills, 
 tinging their tops with a roseate hue — 
 nought broke on the stillness of the evening 
 hour, save the distant barking of the cot- 
 tier's dog — the faint halloo of the village 
 children at play — and the flapping wing of 
 the Coriesk, as it left the mountain river, 
 passing on its way homewards to a distant 
 bog? The profound silence of the apart- 
 ment was first broken by Amy O'Brien. 
 
 " Agnes/' she said, ^' how superior is 
 nature over art ; look on that beautiful 
 scene before us, and confess, that when she 
 holds holiday, the entertainment of man is 
 but paltry in comparison.^' 
 
 " Yes," replied Agnes, " ours is a beau-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 77 
 
 tiful land ; but how it is, blighted by its 
 peasantry ; who could witness the disgrace- 
 ful scene of last night, and not prefer brick 
 walls and smoke to the fairest spot it 
 boasts of, security to dwelling amongst a 
 people, where the lives of the gentry are 
 at the mercy of the pauper, who may think 
 proper to bring to account any among 
 them for the way he may manage either his 
 own property or that of the public. Nay," 
 continued the indignant girl, whilst her 
 heightened colour told how warmly she re- 
 sented such interference, "his very ser- 
 vants must be approved of by the poorest 
 hind on his estate, or the life of their 
 master is sure to be the forfeit." 
 
 Amy was silent for some moments ; and 
 when she next spoke, there was a tone of 
 deep sadness in her voice. 
 
 "It is all too true, Agnes. In poor Ireland, 
 every social tie is broken ; but may not 
 the peasant of this lawless land ask, who 
 was the first aggressor V* 
 
 "Amy," returned her cousin, quickly,
 
 78 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 " surely you would not have the forfeited 
 estates restored, and such men as Corny 
 MacCarthj, the village schoolmaster, at the 
 head of the first properties in the county. I 
 assure you/' continued Agnes, smiling, 
 " Corny has, in a rusty tin case, the title 
 deeds of half the estates of Tipperary." 
 
 '* No," returned Amy, " I would have no 
 such thing ; but I would look on them as 
 fellow creatures ; remembering that those 
 lands once belonged to their ancestors; I 
 would allow their descendents to live on 
 them, as men, not as serfs, governed by a 
 hard taskmaster; the daily labourer's toil 
 repaid with a grudged sixpence, to be 
 shared amongst, generally, a large and 
 always a half-famished family." 
 
 Agnes slightly shuddered, then replied — 
 
 " It is indeed very true ; but what can 
 be done 1 Papa says, the lower order here 
 are so fond of fighting, and so opposed to 
 the laws, that the only thing to keep them 
 quiet, is to keep them down." 
 
 " I would rather," returned her cousin,
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 79 
 
 treat tbein, as Sir Maurice Fitzgerald does 
 his tenantry. Educate and encourage them 
 to be industrious ; he says, by giving them 
 a stake to lose on his estate, he prevents 
 their joining lawless societies, and by 
 treating them kindly, and making the poor 
 man feel the law protects him, as well as 
 his richer neighbour, he looks no more on 
 his priest as his only friend, but on his 
 landlord as his best and kindest." 
 
 *' You have been taking lessons how to 
 quiet Tipperary, I perceive,'' said Agnes, 
 glancing at her cousin a look of sly mean- 
 ing, " was it the old knight himself, or his 
 noble-looking grandson, Amy, that was 
 your preceptor on the occasion ?' 
 
 The eloquent blood rushed tumultuously 
 over the cheek and brow of Amy O'Brien, 
 conveying an idea of painful feeling, that 
 changed the gay tone of her cousin, in a 
 moment, to one of apology. 
 
 "I did not mean it, dear Amy," she 
 cried, as she flung her arms round her neck. 
 "And now that we have done with this
 
 80 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 tiresome subject, come into the shrubbery 
 for a turn, before the house is made up for 
 the night, and forget my folly, and my 
 politics," she added, as she tripped lightly 
 out of the open window that descended to 
 the ground, and was followed by her cousin, 
 whose cheek still retained the fugitive 
 colour, the allusion of Agnes had summon- 
 ed. The young friends were soon lost in the 
 winding path of the shrubbery. The elder 
 one playing the part of listener, while her 
 companion gaily chatted away of the events 
 of the evening before. They pursued their 
 walk for some time, when the dry grass 
 rustling near them attracted their atten- 
 tion, and the next moment, a woman whose 
 face was partly concealed by the large 
 hood of her ample cloak, stood before 
 them.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 81 
 
 CHAPTER VI. 
 
 THE INTERVIEW. 
 
 *' Oh ! it's you, Biddy/' said Agnes, as 
 the stranger flung back the covering from 
 oflf the upper part of her face, " I did not 
 expect to meet you here, at this late hour, 
 you startled us so much," continued she, 
 catching her breath from surprise. '* What 
 has happened Biddy?" said Amy, as the 
 sorrowful expression of the young wo- 
 man's countenance met her gaze. " Is 
 your husband, or any of your children ill?" 
 " Wisha, no, miss," returned Biddy, ''they're 
 as well as sorra will let um be this blessed 
 evening ; but I made bould to come to ye, 
 ladies, on' count ov the throubie that cum 
 E 5
 
 82 THE MILITIA MAJOB. 
 
 on US, this time back. I did'nt wish to be 
 pushin ov myself/' continued Biddy, *' seein 
 the company ye had up at the great house, 
 but whin I seen Martin like a disthracted 
 man, and the childher bawlin and roarin 
 afther the little Kerry, the Bums dhruv 
 off the Bawn, I dhrew the hud ov 
 my cloak up over my head, and run 
 up like a wild woman to thry an get ye'er 
 ladyship to intersade wid the masther, an 
 not to have his honour so hard on a 
 young couple in the biginin ov their days. 
 Moreover, whin the money was riz out ov 
 the bank, to pay Larry Costelloe's rint, that 
 was behindhand, to the masther, an sure 
 Martin would make an affidavy that he 
 nivir seen as much as a penny ov the 
 money, nor that he, nor wan ov his, was 
 nivir behouldin to Larry Costelloe fur a 
 farthin, or afarthin's worth, or a male's 
 mate since we come in id ; an there's not a 
 nabur in the place but id tell him the same 
 thing, over an' over agin ; an' here we are," 
 continued the young mother, hushing all 
 the time the child that lay on her bosom^
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 83 
 
 *' brought to misforthia and throuble all 
 thro' the sleveea ways ov that Larry Cos- 
 telloe ; an' Martin Sweeney, to be so tindher 
 hearted, as to put himself in hoult at the 
 bank, just to save a naburin boy frum 
 throuble ; an now, wid the long summer 
 afore us, an* the hard times that are in id, 
 an' three poor crathurs ov children on the 
 floore, we may lock the doore and take the 
 bag on our back, if his honour won't listen 
 to rason, an' not be so black against us, 
 intirely, intirely." 
 
 A slight sob followed this, and pressing 
 to her bosom the child that now became un- 
 easy, stood before them a picture of suffer- 
 ing and woe, very different from the Biddy 
 of former days, that was wont to hail their 
 visit at her mother's cabin, or at her own 
 humble dwelling, with a smile and a wel- 
 come that came straight from the heart. 
 In those days Biddy was a rustic Hebe, 
 looking as the neighbour's said, " The 
 model of a contented mind, a brave
 
 84 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 
 
 hearty girl that had something pleasant 
 to say to every body that cam across her." 
 
 The contrast^ she now exhibited to all 
 this, struck her auditors painfully ; they 
 felt and expressed much sympathy for her 
 and Martin, assuring Biddy that nothing 
 should be wanting on their part to try and 
 soften the Major towards him, and forgive 
 him at least some of the money he was de- 
 creed for/' telling her, at the same time, *' to 
 keep up her spirits and hope the best/' 
 Agnes adding, " to be sure to come over 
 the next morning, at eleven o'clock, and 
 they would try and make papa see her, and 
 hear her own story of the matter,'' as she, 
 Agnes, felt convinced when he did, "it 
 would alter things for the better." 
 
 The increasing twilight warned them to 
 return, and wishing Biddy '' good night," 
 retraced their path homewards. 
 
 " Good night to ye, ladies," said Biddy, 
 as she stood watching their receding 
 figures through the winding of the shrub- 
 bery ; *' An' may the blessin' ov the sorra-
 
 THE MILITLV MAJOR. $5 
 
 ful heart light on ye, wherever ye go, late 
 an' airly, fur ye've taken a load off ov 
 mine, this blessid night, as big as the 
 Hill ov Killough, an' as heavy as iv a 
 a stone weight, ov lead, was in id/' 
 
 Then turning on her way home, and 
 patting the head of her child, which now 
 shewed symptoms of restlessness, addressed 
 it in that soothing voice, so peculiar to 
 an Irish nurse. 
 
 "Whisht, ma voiirneew, havn't you the 
 good news to tell ye'er poor faather afore 
 ye this night, an' that he's not now the 
 poor desolate crathur he was, condiran'd 
 widout judge, or jury, an' all he had, on 
 the face ov the livin' Arth, say zed afore 
 his two eyes." 
 
 And with a feeling that her cause was 
 to have a fair heariog, the next morning, 
 and that Biddy herself was to be heard in 
 the defence, she wended her way joyfully 
 home, cheering her husband and herself 
 with the firm hope that — 
 
 " Whin the matther was opeu'd up fairly
 
 86 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 to the masther, he'd nivir have the heart 
 to bring rap and ruin on a dacent boy, like 
 Martin Sweeney, fur goin security fur a 
 nabur in disthress." 
 
 The next morning brought Biddy at 
 eleven sharp to Drumgar, but much altered^ 
 for the better, from the Biddy of the 
 evening before. She now wore a dark 
 blue stuff gown, in colour nearly approach- 
 ing to a royal purple, fitting tightly to her 
 handsome figure, short enough in the skirt 
 to display a very clane turned ankle, en- 
 cased in a black worsted stocking, of the 
 finest texture, set off to advantage, (by 
 what Biddy herself would term) "a pair 
 of well fitting shoe-makers, polished to 
 the ninety-nines;' a small handkerchief, 
 whose brilliant hues contrasted well with 
 the colour of her dress, was worn on her 
 shoulders, crossed in front, so as to give 
 a glimpse of the fair and well -formed neck 
 of the wearer; her hair was light brown, 
 put smoothly in bands, at either side of a 
 handsome, expressive-looking face, lit up with
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. jB7 
 
 hope and expectation, around which was 
 plaited, in full and becoming quills, the 
 lace border of her Sunday cap, surmounted 
 with the hood of her bran new blue cloak, 
 (though in use since her marriage), neatly 
 folded, so as to rest on the back of her hoad, 
 displaying on its border a stripe of broad 
 black velvet ; the cloak itself resting on 
 the shoulder of the wearer, not closing in 
 front, but forming, from its dark atlour 
 and position, a sort of back ground to the 
 rest of Biddy's finery ; a pair of grey cctton 
 gloves finished this not unbecoming dreis of 
 a peasantry, whose sins, whatever they may 
 have been, had not attained the pretension of 
 of their class in Leinster, aping in their 
 holiday garments the dress of their supe- 
 riors, displaying a kind of caricature costcime 
 of the gentry, " bringing the toe of the 
 peasant a leetle too near the heel of the 
 courtier/' | 
 
 But to return to Biddy ; she had scarcely 
 made her appearance outside the window of 
 the room, occupied by Agnes and her cougin,
 
 88 THE MILITIA MAJOK. 
 
 when it was opened by the latter. The 
 room they sat in was the same they con- 
 versed in the evening before; it was still 
 called the " school room/' and continued to 
 be a favourite one with both girls, for either 
 work or study, they had sought it that 
 morning in order to watch the approach of 
 Bhldy through the shrubbery, and talk 
 over, by themselves, her chance of success ; 
 she and her husband were favourites with 
 both cousins, but Amy felt a peculiar in- 
 terest in all that concerned her — for Biddy's 
 mother had been her nurse, under her care 
 had she been left, until she attained nearly 
 hei fifth year, and the memory of Nurse 
 Mooney's kindness had never been obliterated 
 from her mind — Biddy, in those days, was 
 a joungster, a light-hearted, good-humoured 
 gill, always proud to be left in charge of 
 Miss Amy, and always sure to amuse her to 
 thj best of her power; she pulled cowslips 
 to make killkaws for the young lady to toss 
 
 ^strung wild strawberries for her use, and, 
 
 at times, crowned her fair brow with a
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 89 
 
 tiny coronet of bulmshes, performing a sort 
 of triumphant dance around her, chaunting 
 in a wild, recitative tone, the noble deeds of 
 her forefathers — When 
 
 Brave Brian Boru ! 
 Made the Dane puliilew. 
 
 Nor was the future prowess of the young 
 beauty herself overlooked on those occa- 
 sions. Like a Pythoness Priestess, she was 
 wont to prophesy, (though unskilled in 
 Moore's beautiful ballad) that 
 
 The collar of gold, 
 
 Which Malachi wore 
 
 Should not rest with the Sassenach stranger. 
 
 These things were not forgotten by Amy; 
 and when she removed to Drumgar, the 
 indulgent kindness of Mrs. Power allowed 
 frequent visits to the cabin of Nurse 
 Mooney. Then commenced the courtship
 
 90 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 of Biddy with Martin Sweeney, before 
 either had much more than emerged from 
 childhood ; he was always in the way to do 
 a handy turn for the young ladies — to bring 
 moss from the neighbouring hills — to line 
 their summer house, and build the rustic 
 edifice as well — catch the fleckered trout 
 in the mountain stream, for their mid- 
 day repast, and supply the wild frawhan 
 from the neighbouring wood, as the dessert 
 on those occasions. 
 
 A mutual feeling of good-will sprang up 
 between the parties ; and when Martin and 
 Biddy became man and wife, the ladies of 
 Drumgar paid the first visit of congratula- 
 tion to the young couple; and their bounty, 
 on the occasion, (the hoarded pocket money 
 of years) furnished for them a well -stocked 
 dhresser ; and the bride, being a stirring 
 body herself, and the bridegroom having a 
 dacent notion, their cabin and all about it 
 looked more tidy and comfortable than any 
 in the parish.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 91 
 
 CHAPTER VIL 
 
 THE MAJOR GRANTS AN AUDIENCE. 
 
 As Biddy stood outside the opened window, 
 she cast a hurried glance at the face of 
 Amy ; and whatever she read there, threw 
 a shade of dismay and trepidation over her 
 own. 
 
 **"Will his honour see me, miss ?" was 
 her first query ; the respondent *' Yes," of 
 Amy restored her former confidence, and, 
 as if replying to the expression of her face, 
 she said, " Well thin, I don't fear, miss, if 
 I wance git to spake to the masther, but that 
 he'll see us righted. He can't shut his eyes,
 
 92 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 Miss Amy, to the misery and distraction ov 
 two young crathurs that nivir wronged his 
 honour, or seen him wronged, since the first 
 day we cum in id. An' Martin's faather 
 an' grandfaather, an' all belongin' to him, 
 liv'd undher the family, since there was a 
 Power at Drumgar. An' sure, ye know 
 yoursilf, miss, the Mooneys nursed an' 
 folio w'd fur ye'er own mamma, an' her 
 mother before her ; an' why should wan ov 
 her name now, miss, turn the black look on 
 my mother's daaghther?" 
 
 '' I hope from my very heart," said Amy, 
 " that you may succeed with my uncle; 
 but some one has prejudiced him against 
 Martin ; and this morning he was very 
 angry with Miss Agnes and me for speak- 
 ing in his favor, and we had a great deal 
 to do, Biddy, to get him to consent to 
 seeing you at all." 
 
 ''May the Lord do as much an' more 
 for ye ladies," returned Biddy. *' An' 
 sooner than bring his honour's frown on 
 aither ov ye, I'll just go back to Martin,
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 93 
 
 the way I cum, an' thrust to the great God 
 above us, to see jistice done us wan time or 
 anither." 
 
 '' No," interposed Amy. " You must 
 now go and try what you can do with my 
 uncle; and tell him, Biddy, that the money 
 got out of the bank was for Costelloe, and 
 that Martin was only the security, and that 
 if you are compelled now to pay his debt, 
 you will have nothing to meet the May 
 rent." 
 
 " Thankee, Miss Amy, for yeer good 
 advice," said Biddy, " an' beganays, 
 Counsillor O'Connell himself couldn't give 
 a boddy betther." 
 
 " Go now round to the office door and 
 knock," returned Amy, " and be sure to 
 remember what I said." 
 
 Biddy lost no time in following the ad- 
 vice just given, and raising the knocker of 
 the office door, let it fall slowly and hesi- 
 tatingly, producing a faint sound, no way 
 likely to startle its inmates ; but still suffi- 
 cient to draw the attention of Sergeant
 
 94 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 Wetherall, who, dressed in a suit of his 
 master's cast-off garments, the continuations 
 of which, reaching just below the top of a 
 very grim-looking Hessian boot, once, also, 
 the property of that distinguished indi- 
 vidual, now made his appearance, at the 
 door, and confronted our friend Biddy, she 
 curtsied reverentially, and slowly raising 
 her eyes to the smooth, stiffened features of 
 the veteran, enquired, — 
 
 " Whether she could make so bould as to 
 ax Misther Sergeant Wetherell would he 
 plaise to tell her, could she be afther seein 
 the Majors Honour jist fur wan minnit." 
 
 That functionary deigned no reply, but 
 casting a furtive glance towards the en- 
 quirer, opened a door at the right hand 
 side of the small hall, and with a wave of 
 the arm, motioned Biddy to enter ; then 
 closing it behind her, drew himself up out- 
 side in a sort of military attitude, with 
 his attention certainly not slumbering as 
 to what was passing at the other side of 
 the door. Biddy, in the meantime.
 
 THE MILITJA MAJOR. 95 
 
 found herself in the presence of her 
 landlord, that gentleman thought some 
 preparation necessary to make a due im- 
 pression on his visitor ; he now sat at the 
 upper end of the apartment, with his back 
 to a chimney-piece, over whose centre was 
 suspended a sword, with its faded belt and 
 tassels, " its temper untried, its steel un- 
 bent," supported on one side by a short 
 fusee, and a pair of cavalry pistols, sleeping 
 in their holsters ; on the other was dis- 
 played Sergeant WetherelFs halbert, and a 
 foraging cap of his master's, while con- 
 tiguous, hung a more modern dress, one of 
 the " gallant Tipperary,'' resembling a 
 huge black, bear-skin muff, over whose 
 surface a speculating spider was weaving 
 a net for unwary flies, no bad type of the 
 owner of the apartment ; the rest of the 
 furniture was of a miscellaneous character, 
 no way in keeping wirh the military dis- 
 play on the walls ; here were to be found 
 bee-hives, that in winter served as reposi- 
 tories for garden seeds, and dried bulbous
 
 9^ THE MILTTTA MAJOR. 
 
 roots, saved by the overseeing care of the 
 sergeant, who, to his many other onerous 
 duties, added that of superintending the 
 garden, there the accumulated lumber of 
 the whole establishment was, by the watch- 
 ful surveillance of master and man, de- 
 posited in what was designated " the 
 Master's Study ;" its only claim to that 
 dignified appellation being the piles of old 
 newspapers and copies of the Hue-and-Cry, 
 the account-books belonging to the Loan 
 fund and Saving's Bank, with some un- 
 filled summonses, intended as invitations, 
 to appear before the bench at Ballyvoyle, 
 that lay promiscuously scattered on the 
 table at which the Major was seated ; 
 immediately before him was placed a large 
 desk, whose massive brass bindings and 
 clasps were evidently intended to set time 
 and the thief equally at defiance. It now 
 lay open, and the Major leaned over it, dili- 
 gently executing some piece of penmanship, 
 when the opening and shutting of the door 
 caused him to raise his eye from his task,
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 97 
 
 and encounter those of bis fair suppliant ; 
 he was the first to break a silence which 
 bad made Biddy distinctly hear the throb- 
 bings of her heart. 
 
 *' You are Sweeney's wife, I presume?" 
 said the Major, looking sternly at her over 
 the spectacles which rested on his nose. 
 
 Biddy curtsied, for no words came to her 
 parched lips fur utterance, and the Major 
 paused, as if for a verbal announcement of 
 her claim to that title; but a stronger feel- 
 ing than the mortal fear she endured 
 at being left tete-a-tete with her landlord, 
 now took possession of her heart, the 
 lightnings flash was not more rapid than 
 the thoughts which glanced through the 
 breast of Biddy, at this moment. The 
 sunny days of her early courtship — the 
 calm joys of her wedded life — the husband 
 so loved and wronged, all rose tumultuously 
 before her mind's eye, and nerved her for 
 the encounter — in the whisperings of her 
 own heart, the faithful creature pledged 
 
 herself to die before she left the apartment 
 VOL. I. F
 
 98 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 or do justice to her injured husband ; and, 
 with the proud feeling inspired by such a 
 vow, she raised her flashing eyes to those 
 of the Major, and in a tone, in which 
 triumph was mingled with deep feeling, 
 said — 
 
 "Yes, ye'er honour, I am Martin 
 Sweeney's wife, and his happy wife, too, 
 afore Larry Costelloe cum round him to put 
 in security at the bank for the twinty-five 
 pound, fur Larry, that he wanted to rise 
 out ov id, fur ye'er honour, on 'count ov his 
 arrares; an' a farthin ov that money Mar- 
 tin nivir handled, nur nivir had a transac- 
 tion wid Larry afore, in all his born days ; 
 and now our cattle, and furniture, the 
 pratees that was to see us through the 
 summer, an' the bit ov hay jist cut on the 
 swarth was saized, afore us, by the bailiffs, 
 fur the decree, an' 1, an' my husband, an' 
 my three angyshores ov childher, m,ay 
 go on the wide world till harvest; and thin 
 what have we to make the May rint, fur 
 ye'er honour? sorra a cow left to make a
 
 THE MILTTIA MAJOR. 99 
 
 bit ov butther, or a pig fat, fur the Mickle- 
 mas fair." 
 
 Here Biddy took breath, thinking she 
 bad fairly opened the case to his honour-, 
 and that gentleman regarding her with a 
 very funny expression of countenance, 
 said — 
 
 " Upon ray word, Mrs. Sweeney, you 
 are a very clever, as well as a very elo- 
 quent lady, and a scholar, too, I suppose; 
 can you read your husband's writing 
 however, if you cannot, I can.'' 
 
 And so saying, he opened a compart- 
 ment of his desk, and drew from it a small, 
 soiled piece of paper, and hohling it across 
 the table towards Biddy, requested — 
 
 " She would have the kindness to tell 
 him whether that was Martin Sweeney's 
 signature or not." 
 
 "We nivir denied id, ye'er honour," said 
 Biddy ; " bud, when Larry Costelloe cum 
 first to him, puttin' his cumhetheron him, 
 to join him in that bit ov a note, Martin 
 dhrew away from him, an' tould him, he 
 F 2
 
 100 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 nivir did the likes fur anny nabur ; and, 
 moreover, that he should talk to the woman 
 at home, afore he'd think of doin a thing 
 ov the sort ; so whin he cum home, he up, 
 an' he tells me all Larry was sayin', an' I 
 set my face black aginst id, fur I knew fur 
 sartin, that Larry was bint on no good pur- 
 pose, fur manny a day, bud was makin' up, 
 wid anither boy, to go out to 'Merikay ; 
 thin we heard no more ov id, untie, won 
 fine evenin', Larry an' Sargeant Wiiherill 
 cums in, wid — 
 
 *' ' God save all here ; an' it's a fine 
 flock ov childher ye have, Mrs. Sweeney ; 
 an' they're as fat as the Boniveens that are 
 afther the black sow ; and 'tis ye'ersilf, 
 Martin, has the fine breed ov pigs, an' 
 begogstees, the young calves are no way 
 behind hand.' 
 
 '* Thin, ye'er honour, the sargeant open'd 
 the thrinches to Martin, in his own studdy 
 way — 
 
 '* ' It's bud the sthroke ov a pen, Mar- 
 tin,' sez he, ' an' ye'll git a nabur out ov
 
 THE MI LITIA MAJOR. 101 
 
 throuble be id ; and the Major himsilf/ sez 
 he, ' tould me to tell ye to sign id,' sez he, 
 *jist to git the money out ov the beank 
 fur Larry, so come down in the morniuV 
 sez he, * to the office, an^ ye^U nivir hear a 
 word more about id.' 
 
 " So what could Martin do, ye'er honour, 
 bud jist what the sargeant bid him ; an', 
 if he was to the fore, this blessid minnit, 
 he'd jist tell ye'er honour, word for word, 
 as Tm afther tellin' ye." 
 
 The Major now rang a small bell, that 
 lay on the table near him, and the next 
 moment. Sergeant Wetherall was standing 
 at his master's side of the door, retaining 
 the same attitude he stood in a moment 
 before at the other. 
 
 " Dan," said his master, '* this woman ac- 
 cuses you of drawing in her husband to sign 
 this note of security at the Loan-fund 
 Bank." 
 
 The sergeant gave a start, that would 
 secure the fortune of any modern actor, and 
 so well did he look surprise, that even the 
 observant Major was imposed on, in be-
 
 J 02 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 lieving that it was the first time any such 
 base insinuation had ever reached the ser- 
 geant^s ear ; but injustice to that member, 
 of Mr. Dan Wetherell, it must be acknow- 
 ledged, that every word Biddy made use of, 
 in her colloquy with his master, told dis- 
 tinctly, at his side of the door. 
 
 " Me, sir," said Dan, with a look of in- 
 nocence that would have acquitted Jack 
 Shepherd himself, " I never dhreamt ov the 
 like — I was dhrawn in to sign the security ; 
 bud 'twas afther Martin Sweeney signed id ; 
 an' my name was only put, fur form's sake. 
 Look at the note, Major, an* 'twill clear 
 me ov havin' anything to do wid the 
 raatther. My name, I'll be bound, is the 
 last on id, an' only put down to make up 
 the number to the bank. Whoever heerd," 
 continued Dan, with a very legal look, " ov 
 the last name on a note being responsible 
 fur id, in anny coort ov jistice in the 
 world." 
 
 "Certainly not," returned the Major; 
 and taking up the note which lay on the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 103 
 
 desk before him, carefully examined the 
 signatures ; this was a moment of intense 
 torture to Biddy, and the Major prolonged 
 it, by a very strict scrutiny of the names 
 at the bottom of the note. '* You are right, 
 sergeant," he at length said. " Daniel 
 Wetherell comes after Martin Sweeney ; and 
 your husband/' continued he, addressing 
 Biddy, in a very oracular tone, " must pay 
 the penalty for putting his name to a note 
 he knew he was responsible for. Go home, 
 woman, and tell your husband from me, 
 that if he shows any disposition to make 
 away with the crop I will put keepers on it 
 a month before it is fit to cut, and now let 
 me never again be tormented about this 
 business." 
 
 Biddy listened in silence, until her land- 
 lord had finished, then advancing towards 
 the table where he sat, clasping her hands 
 energetically together, whilst she fixed her 
 beseeching eyes on his face, cried out — 
 
 " Oh, Masther dear, don't be so black 
 aginst us intirely, intirely. Don't cant all
 
 104 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 we have in the living world, bud give us 
 some ov the things back, an' we'll work late 
 an' airly to make it up fur ye'er honour — 
 Don't lave my childher widout a dhrop ov 
 milk, or a praty to ate, the long summer, or 
 a pig on the floore to hi!p the May rint fur 
 ye'er honour." 
 
 And the wretched woman wrung her 
 hands with an intensity of agony that would 
 have melted any heart but that of an ob- 
 durate landlord. 
 
 '* Tarn that woman out of the room. 
 Sergeant Wetherell," said the Major, in a 
 military tone of command to his non-com- 
 missioned officer, '* she deserves that her 
 back, and the Provost Marshal's task should 
 become acquainted."
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. L05 
 
 CHAPTEK YIIL 
 
 BIDDY SHOWS FIGHT. 
 
 The taunt of the Major was followed by a 
 seizure of Biddy^s shoulder by the Sergeant 
 with a very evident intention, on his part, 
 to execute to the letter the order of his 
 master; but Biddy's blood was up, and 
 flinging herself, by a sudden movement, 
 from his rude grasp, she faced him, as the 
 baited stag does his pursuer, indignation 
 and contempt swelling in every feature, and 
 fixing on him a withering look, she cried — 
 " Is id you, Dan Witherill, or the likes 
 of ye, daare to lay ye'er dirty hand on an
 
 106 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 
 
 honest woman's shoulder, did id come to 
 Nurse Mooney's daughther's turn to be 
 thrated in sich a manner by ould Dan 
 Witherill, the informer's son, that found 
 sweet Tipprary too hot fur him, an' got to 
 cool himsilf in Botany Bay afther ; an' you, 
 yoursilf, ye false-hearted lick spittle, that id 
 come in to the poor man's cabin widye'er pala- 
 ver, an'lighty e'er pipe at his fire-side to decave 
 him. May ye have ye'er desarvins sooner 
 or later, Dan Witherill, an' may ye'er 
 masther nivir rue the day he listened to ye'er 
 bad advice." 
 
 And flinging herself out of the room 
 before the Sergeant could again make a 
 seizure, left master and man regarding each 
 other with very portentous looks. 
 
 The outbreak of Biddy was so unex- 
 pected, that neither of her auditors were 
 prepared with a reply ; the passage she 
 had alluded to, in the pedigree of the 
 Wetherell family, was a sore subject to the 
 representative of the race then present. 
 And no honourSj he had achieved himself.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 107 
 
 had ever obliterated the ban attached to 
 the informer's son — the name most odious 
 to an Irish ear ; nor was the odium les- 
 sened by the elder Wetherell, nolens -volens, 
 having to visit the unclassic shores of New- 
 Holland, in the latter part of his career, 
 where, by hard swearing, he had sent on a 
 voyage of discovery, many of his country- 
 men before. It was bringing all this afresh 
 to his son's mind that now paralysed him for 
 a moment ; and a feeling of hate — even 
 greater than that he regarded most of her 
 class in life with — kindled in his breast to- 
 wards Biddy, and turning on his master a 
 warning look, said, 
 
 "' If yon don't put. down these Sweeneys, 
 sir, they'll rise the counthry on ye'er back. 
 The tongue of that woman is worse than a 
 morthar shot — wance she opens out ; an' if 
 they're not dhruv out ov the place, ye'er 
 honour will be sorry fur id when 'tis too 
 late." 
 
 " You are right, Dan," said the Major, 
 locking his desk at the same time. '* Let
 
 1C8 THE MILITIA MAJOR, 
 
 Sweeney's things be sold without any delay, 
 and see that some of the police are in the 
 way while the auction is going on ; and if 
 their friends bid for them, buy in the 
 things yourself. Then,'' continued he, rising 
 from his chair, " when keepers are put 
 on the crop, a month before it is fit to cut, 
 I think Mr. Sweeney and his beldame of a 
 wife may go to the right about in double 
 quick." 
 
 Dan grinned at this conclusion, and his 
 master stepped out of the apartment with 
 a firm, upright air, such as a generous- 
 hearted man, after dispensing justice to his 
 fellow man, is fully entitled to wear. 
 
 A deep searcher into thoughts, which too 
 often bid human scrutiny defiance, would 
 have found food for much curious investi- 
 gation, had he witnessed the scene we have 
 just described, and followed the Major's 
 steps, a few moments after, to his own 
 drawing-room. The self-satisfied, impor- 
 tant air he wore on this occasion — the 
 look of elation which had not yet faded
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 109 
 
 from his featuret?, to a common observer, 
 would be totally irreconcileable, with the 
 full consciousness that must have existed 
 in his own bosom, that his lips had that 
 day brought desolation to the hearts of his 
 fellow creatures, and that, however, he 
 might palliate, under the plea of looking to 
 his own interest, bringing unprovoked ruin 
 on an innocent man; still, that there must 
 have remained that "small, still voice'' 
 within him, that would cast its broad 
 shadow on his brow, though its silent mur- 
 murs could not restrain him from inflicting 
 injury on his fellow man. 
 
 The theory of human nature would lead 
 us to this conclusion ; but the history of 
 mankind, in all ages, and a practical ac- 
 quaintance with the busy world around, 
 forbids us from adopting it as true. Cer- 
 tain modes of thinking and acting may be 
 taken up, false alike in their principle, 
 and destructive in their consequences, yet 
 pursued with an energy and perseverance,
 
 110 THE MTLITIA MAJOR. 
 
 that a mere looker on would suppose could 
 only belong to the cause of truth itself. 
 The uninvestigated dogma becomes a rule 
 of action, requiring superhuman light, like 
 the spear of Ithuriel, to pierce the thick 
 darkness that enshrouds the morally dis- 
 eased mind ; and such a mind will go on, 
 in its fatally erroneous course, with a com- 
 placency, and self-approval — a practical 
 enigma to all, neither investigated nor un- 
 derstood by itself. 
 
 Amongst the gentry of the south, at 
 this period, there were many who felt in 
 common with Major Power, that the 
 security of themselves, and their property, 
 depended on the subjection of the peasantry ; 
 the position was a false one ; but it had 
 been acted on by their fathers, and in their 
 own day ; and though few among them 
 would have carried out the principle so far, 
 as to bring ruin on their poorer neighbour; 
 still, the starving population around them 
 was regarded with but little sympathy —
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. Ill 
 
 perhaps a feeling of retributive justice 
 contributed to this ; scarcely any among 
 the higher classes, who had not lost a kins- 
 man, or a friend, by the hand of the as- 
 sassin ; and, without waiting to investigate 
 the cause of the evil, all determined to put 
 it down, by coercive measures, and lessen 
 the crime around them, by the " strong 
 arm of the law." 
 
 The Major, to aid his own views, threw 
 himself into the ranks of this party, though 
 amongst his confreres there were high- 
 minded men, honourable and true, who 
 would have shrunk from the odious task of 
 debasing a brave and generous people, and 
 exposed to public infamy, had they de- 
 tected the arbitrary and unconstitutional 
 acts of their less scrupulous brother to- 
 wards his miserable dependants, but the 
 common principle kept these matters from 
 anything like a close investigation ; the 
 outcry against the savage and lawless 
 peasantry, ran too high for any palliative 
 to be heard in their favour.
 
 112 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 The Insurrection Act was the panacea for 
 Ireland, and the spectacle of a public ex- 
 ecution was the Normal school for "young 
 Tipperary" to civilize and enlighten thera, 
 in these, we trust, by-gone days. The 
 popular feeling, then, of his own order, 
 was in the Major's favor, though he would 
 have shrunk from exposing to any amongst 
 them, the by-play he had used on this, and 
 on other occasions; still, whatever his secret 
 misgivings might be as to the rectitude of 
 his conduct, his front and bearing gave no 
 sign of any conscientious struggle within, 
 if any such existed; and it was with an 
 air and manner that bespoke a proud con- 
 sciousness of having " done the state some 
 service," that he now joined Mrs. O'Brady 
 and her fair daughters who were laying 
 close siege in the drawing-room to some of 
 the 5 — th ; while i\io?>Q flitting bipeds, like 
 birds of passage at sea, folding their weary 
 wing on some frier^dly sail, sought only a 
 momentary relief from the dull tedium of 
 a country quarter. In the mere idle reck-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 113 
 
 lessness of having nothing better to do, 
 resigned themselves to the sweets of the 
 passing hour, without casting one boding 
 thought on the ulterior consequences of a 
 little harmless flirtation.
 
 114 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 CHAPTER IX. 
 
 FLIRTATION. 
 
 P'lirtation, like the revolutionary waves 
 of an autumnal sea, flings to the wind the 
 idle command, so far shalt thou go, and no 
 farther ; and in reckless defiance of self- 
 imposed restriction, many a man amongst 
 its votaries, who would have shrunk from 
 making love dejure, is found day after day 
 wooing de facto an implied, though unac- 
 knowledged lover, fettered in his own 
 judgment by no chain his lip has wove, 
 he goes on his course utterly regardless of 
 what sentence the after feelings of the lady
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 115 
 
 might pass on his conduct; selfishly secure, 
 he cares not that she may deem him bound 
 by those indescribable attentions which in 
 equity, may fairly be termed a bill of de- 
 claration on his part, to be sustained by a 
 special pleading on some future occasion. 
 On the other hand, ladies are sometimes 
 plaintiffs in the case, and a gentleman's de- 
 murrer is sure to be overruled. The 
 officers of the 5 — th, by no volition of their 
 own, supplied three accredited sons-in-law 
 in fuiuro, to Mrs. O'Brady. Lieutenant 
 Jenuings was a spooney boy, ergo Miss 
 O'Brady's good sense, and years of 
 experience, decided clearly her right to 
 be his guide, while Captain Lindsay's 
 love of music and indifference to aught 
 else, pointed him out at once as a 
 companion for life, in every way suited to 
 her second daughter, Kate, the learned lady 
 of the family; and Captain Grant's happy 
 knack of laughing and being laughed at. 
 consigned him naturally enough into a very
 
 116 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 fit and proper suitor for her youngest and 
 laughter-loving daughter, Lucy. 
 
 To give all parties an opportunity of 
 knowing each other better, many and sun- 
 dry meetings had been good-naturedly 
 brought about by the considerative mamma; 
 amongst others a morning party to visit 
 the romantic castle of Lisfinn, and partake 
 of a cold dinner in the neighbouring v^rood, 
 Mrs. Power had declined joining this party, 
 and Amy decided on being her companion 
 for the day. Agnes, Mrs. O'Brady insisted 
 should accompany them, or rather herself 
 on the jaunting car, as well to secuje a lis- 
 tener during her drive, as to prevent any 
 rencontre between her niece and Colonel 
 Saville, who was expected that day to visit 
 the detachment from head-quarters, and as 
 he was wont to do, likely to call Drumgar, 
 the three sisters, with their military escort, 
 which consisted of Captains, Grant and 
 Lindsay, Lieuteaant Jennings, and Mr. 
 Foster, took a short path which led towards
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. IIT 
 
 the river, where was moored a boat that 
 would take them across the Lisfrinn. Mrs. 
 O'Brady, with the creature comforts stowed 
 awaj in the well of the outside car, took a 
 more circuitous route. Their course lay 
 along a road which wound, for some time, 
 within view of the river, and crossing it by 
 a handsome bridge, about half a mile below 
 the castle, they entered the demense by the 
 upper gate — the avenue, winding along the 
 brow of a lofty ridge, commanded a bold 
 and extensive view of the noble river that 
 flowed majestically beneath. A highly 
 cultivated and well wooded country lay all 
 around, its verdant meads extending as far 
 as the eye could range, while the lofty 
 mountains, that formed its background, 
 were fringed with copses of oak, inter- 
 mingled with shining holly— the indigenous 
 growth of the soil gradually creeping to- 
 wards their sterile and dusky summits. 
 
 Agnes would have enjoyed the scenery 
 around did her aunt permit ; but that lady 
 took the opportunity of expressing, in very
 
 118 THE MTLTTIA MAJOR. 
 
 strong language, her disapprobation of her 
 niece's conduct at and since the memorable 
 night of the ball ; and painted, in glowing 
 colours, the great impropriety of so young 
 a person leading off with Colonel Saville, as 
 well as the forwardness of always looking 
 pleased whenever they subsequently met. 
 
 By the time they arrived in the court- 
 yard of Lisfinn, the enormity of such 
 crimes was duly set forth by the aunt, and 
 it was with a flushed cheek, and glistening 
 eye, her niece jumped off the car, and en- 
 quired of the porter, " Was Mrs. Donovan 
 at home ?" then telling her aunt she had 
 a message for the old housekeeper, made 
 the best of her way into the house, leaving 
 the elder lady to make the necessary 
 arrangements ere the rest of the party 
 should arrive. 
 
 It had been previously settled that Major 
 Power was to join them at the Hermitage 
 — a secluded spot, some distance from the 
 Castle, at ^ve o'clock — and in the mean- 
 time, Mrs. O'Brady, no despicable quarter-
 
 THE MTLITIA MAJOR. ] 19 
 
 I* 
 
 master, reconnoitred the gardens and larder 
 of Lisfinn, while Agnes sought her old 
 acquaintance in the room par ea^cellence her 
 own, busily engaged removing green mould 
 from sundry pots of conserves and pre- 
 serves of the last year. 
 
 " Oh, then, Miss Power, ye'er welcome," 
 said the old woman, as she recognised her 
 young visitor, and rose from her chair, 
 casting a flurried glance at the littered 
 table, whilst a slight shade of vexation 
 passed accoss her yet comely features, at 
 being thus caught without any preparation; 
 " but Tm sadly out of sorts to-day, with 
 my dirty job ; never thinking a fine young 
 lady was coming to pay me a visit ; but 
 now come and rest yourself, Miss, in a 
 room fit for ye to sit down in, an' V\\ get a 
 nice bit of luncheon for ye, an' tell my 
 master what a handsome young lady he has 
 for a visitor this mornin." 
 
 In vain did Agnes plead her early din- 
 ner at the hermitage, and begged Sir Mau- 
 rice might not be disturbed ; but the old
 
 120 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 
 
 house-keeper was on hospitable thoughts too 
 intent, to accept of any excuse, and a?i)idst 
 sundry and fornial enquiries for Mrs. Power 
 and Miss O'Brien, marshalled the way to 
 the drawing room — then closing the door 
 on her visitor, went briskly forward at once, 
 to announce her arrival, and prepare for her 
 repast, scarcely listening to the message of 
 enquiry about the old woman's own health, 
 which Mrs. Power had kindly charged her 
 daughter that morning to deliver.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 121 
 
 CHAPTER X. 
 
 EARLY REMINISCENCE. 
 
 Under these circumstances, Agnes Power 
 stood in the drawing-room of Lisfinn — a 
 spot she had not visited for nearly two 
 years ; but not the less endeared to her, by 
 receiving there, from one who was now no 
 more, those small but well-remembered 
 kindnesses bestowed upon her, in early 
 childhood, and never to be forgotten in the 
 wear and tear of after years — the links that 
 bind us then, death alone can snap asunder, 
 — the rust of time fails to corrode such 
 away. 
 
 VOL. I. G
 
 122 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 The every day impressions of middle 
 life glide imperceptibly from our memories 
 — the current of the human mind has then 
 gained strength, when it rushes along in its 
 headlong career, neither affected by the 
 obstructions in its course, or thfe flowers 
 that decorate its bank — not as when it first 
 left the mountain side — each pebble was 
 then murmured over, each flower was 
 caressed in its progress, like the joys and 
 sorrow^s of our early childhood, dwelt on, 
 and remembered to the latest period of ex- 
 istence, while the great events of our ma- 
 turer years are swallowed up in the rapid 
 and varied succession of daily occurrences, 
 either leaving us no time to remember each 
 one in particular — or the heart, losing its 
 malleable properties, becomes callous to all 
 but its first and early impressions. Those 
 now rushed in full tide on the soul of 
 Agnes, peopling, the large solitary apart- 
 ment she gazed around on, with the forms 
 that caressed her childhood — their voices, 
 at memory's call, waking the silent echoes
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 123 
 
 of the deserted room. The mother and son 
 had passed away, as if they had never been. 
 How Tividly did Agnes recal the pleasant 
 tasks assigned her and Amy, by the former; 
 the words of counsel that fell from her lips, 
 unheeded at the time by their young hearts, 
 but never to be erased, while the thousand 
 kindnesses of mother and son, rose tumul- 
 tuously before her mind's eye, and tears, 
 large, bright, and fast, rolled in rapid suc- 
 cession down her cheek. 
 
 '* Oh Amy," she cried, '* you have been 
 spared the anguish of this m)ment; how 
 would your poor heart bleed to stand here, 
 and look on the rich gilded furniture of 
 this room, that has never altered, and 
 think where are they that once sat in it, 
 now ? She who was only a friend to me," 
 continued Agnes, passionately, " was a mo- 
 ther to you, Amy, and she lies cold and low, 
 and he who was more than a brother to 
 you. Amy, is now estranged, separated for 
 ever. May God comfort you, my dear, 
 dear cousin," cried the affectionate young 
 G 2
 
 124 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 creature, fervently clasping her hands to- 
 gether, " I regret those who are gone and 
 changed ; but you think of them when 
 others are gay — you weep for them in 
 silence and in sorrow." 
 
 Approaching footsteps aroused Agnes 
 from these melancholy reflections, and 
 hastily wiping away all traces of her 
 late emotion, she turned to an adjoining 
 window, and, through vainly restrained 
 tears, looked out on the scene before 
 her. 
 
 The door of the apartment opened, 
 and a well-known voice saluted her ear 
 with — 
 
 " Ha, Miss Agnes, this is kind of you, 
 fore George, you're as welcome as the 
 flowers of May, or a thaw in December, 
 after no run and a hard frost ; and now 
 that 1 have'nt Gerald to entertain you, I 
 must present his friend instead ; Miss 
 Power, my grandson's most particular 
 friend. Colonel Saville." 
 
 Here Sir Maurice Fitzgerald, for he it
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 125 
 
 was, bowed ceremoniously, as a courtier 
 would in the early days of George IK, 
 waving his hand gracefully from the lady to 
 the gentleman ; then reversing the order of 
 introduction, " Colonel Saville, Miss Power," 
 with a correspondent wave of the arm, 
 resumed, after this formal piece of in- 
 troduction, his usual gay, light-hearted 
 manner. 
 
 Agnes in the meantime received the 
 ColoneFs claim on her, as an acquaintance, 
 with some embarrassment. He was of all 
 others the last she had expected to meet 
 that morning, and the rencontre though far 
 from disagreeable, still was so totally un- 
 expected, and the place of meeting so 
 strange, that her manner became quite con- 
 fused, and she ansvvered at random the en- 
 quiries of both the Colonel and Sir 
 Maurice ; until the latter, perceiving her 
 agitation, and ascribing it to the natural 
 timidity of a very young person, cried 
 out — 
 
 *' This will never do. Colonel, two
 
 126 KEVEKGE. 
 
 such heroes as you and I, are enough 
 to scare this little witch out of her wits ; but 
 were you twice as fine a fellow, you shall 
 not rob me of my tete-ci-tete. Come, my 
 little pet," continued the old man, gaily, ad- 
 vancing to Agnes, and kindly drawing her 
 arm within his own, '■'' we will steal a march 
 as far as the music-room on this redoubted 
 soldier, while you. Colonel, can enjoy your 
 otium cum dignitate undisturbed ; and when 
 thought grows dull," said the knight, as 
 they passed into the inner-room, '' take a 
 peep at us happy mortals through the open 
 door-way ;'' he then led Agnes to the 
 upper end of the inner apartment ; and 
 when he next spoke, she involuntarily 
 started at the altered and melancholy tone 
 of his voice. " I love this old room," he 
 said, "more than any other. It was to 
 please her that is in heaven, I fitted it 
 up more than fifty years ago ; and then it 
 was altered for another ; and she, too, is 
 gone ; and to look back, I, sometimes, think 
 it only a day and a night, continued the old
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 127 
 
 man, musingly, as if to himself — *' a dark, 
 cheerless, dreary night." 
 
 Agnes remembered that, informer days, 
 his gayest hours were wont to be succeeded 
 by the deepest depression, and hastened to 
 remove the gathering gloom, by asking after 
 her old acquaintance Gerald ; this restored 
 all his former animation ; and, in a gay 
 voice, he replied — 
 
 "Oh, I had nearly forgotten to tell you 
 all about my noble grandson, Miss Agnes : 
 he is on his way home, so his friend. Colonel 
 Saville, came over to tell me this morning : 
 he writes more constantly to the Colonel 
 than to me ; bnt old men are not good cor- 
 respondents ; and I have not answered his 
 last letter yet. I began it — and one thing 
 or another prevented my finishing it. The 
 Colonel tells me nov7, he will be here before 
 it could reach him. I felt myself growing 
 young this morning, when this good news 
 reached me ; but it's not fair to punish 
 the welcome messenger, all this time ; be-
 
 128 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 sides, but half his tale was told, when your 
 old friend, Mrs. Donovan, came to tell me, 
 ' such a pretty young lady was waiting to 
 see my honour in the drawing-room/ '* 
 
 Agnes blushed, and laughed, while her 
 host fidgetted into the room they had just 
 quitted, exclaiming — 
 
 " The private council is broken up — we 
 summon you, Colonel, to the presence of the 
 fair lady, to bear honourable testimony to 
 the good looks, and improved manners of 
 my illustrious grandson." 
 
 And with a formal wave of his arm, the 
 old gentleman once more ushered the 
 Colonel into the presence of Agnes ; this 
 time it was attended with no embarrass- 
 ment on either side, for both laughed at the 
 pomposity of the summons ; and the gen- 
 tleman advancing, begged to know — 
 
 " Whether he should commence first, by 
 describing his friend's distingue appear- 
 ance, or dwell on what some ladies admired 
 most, the fascinating piquancy' of his 
 manner."
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 129 
 
 " Of the latter, certainly," replied Agnes. 
 " He is very handsome^ and all that, of 
 course ; but I hope he has learned to look 
 at the bright side of human nature in the 
 sunny lands he has visited : the dark and 
 gloomy was his taste before he left Lis- 
 finn." 
 
 "No libel on an absentee, I beg/' said 
 his grandfather, archly. " Gerald's taste 
 was the beautiful and sublime — he spent 
 his mornings poring over old books, his 
 evenings, climbing those craggy hills yon- 
 der, listening to the wild tales of the Geral- 
 dine, from that half-crazed Milesian, Corny 
 MacCarthy — and his nights were divided 
 between the moon and the owls ; so, I told 
 him in a pet I would never miss his charm- 
 ing society if he went abroad, though I 
 have often felt since, as I sat in this de- 
 serted room, looking out on the broad lauds 
 before me, that I would joyfully cease to be 
 their master, could I hear the voice of the 
 last of my race, in these old halls— could I 
 G 5
 
 130 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 but see my noble boy, once again, to bless 
 him, ere I go hence, and be no more 
 seen." 
 
 The old man closed his eyes, as he pro- 
 nounced slowly the last words, leaned back 
 in the large arm-chair in which he sat, 
 whilst over his features flitted an expres- 
 sion of deep, mental suffering, that ap- 
 peared, in the eyes of both his auditors, of 
 too sacred a character to disturb, by a 
 single observation ; the reverie was but 
 momentary, by a strong effort he seemed 
 to have controlled his inward thought, and 
 starting from his recumbent posture, gaily 
 exclaimed — 
 
 " I have brought tears into your pretty 
 eyes, Miss Agnes, and deserve to be ban- 
 ished from ladies' society for the next 
 month : but the news of my poor boy's re- 
 turn has upset me, so I will take a turn on 
 the terrace, and leave the Colonel to tell 
 you, my dear child, all about your old 
 playfellow."
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 13 1 
 
 This arrangement was acted on so 
 rapidly by her host, that Agnes could offer, 
 even if she so wished, no objection; and she 
 then learned from her companion, that his 
 acquaintance with Gerald had commenced 
 some time before, when the former was 
 making an excursion through the Greek 
 Islands, while the Colonel's regiment was 
 lying at Corfu ; that, in a boating excursion, 
 the boat happened to upset, not far from 
 laud, and that Fitzgerald, who could not 
 swim, was saved through his exertion ; the 
 Colonel made light of the part he played in 
 the transaction, and described Gerald's 
 gratitude as far exceeding his services on 
 the occasion ; being so near the shore, there 
 was little or no danger, though the circum- 
 stance led to a great degree of intimacy, so 
 that they became inseparable ; and the 
 Colonel obtaining leave of absence at the 
 time, they visited together most of the 
 Greek islands, also the classic shores of 
 Italy ; and after staying a short time at 
 Rume, Gerald set out for Vienna, where he
 
 132 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 wintered, projecting a tour northward the 
 following Spring, whilst his friend returned 
 to his regiment, and supposed Gerald enjoy- 
 ing the beauties of Petersburgh, when he 
 received a letter the day previously, dated 
 from Brussels, announcing his intention of 
 returning to Ireland, at once. This letter 
 was necessarily delayed from not being sent 
 direct to his present quarters, so that Gerald 
 might hourly be expected at Lisfinn, without 
 being at all aware his friend was quartered 
 in its neighbourhood. 
 
 Agnes had many questions to ask about 
 her former acquaintance, and though she 
 learned little that was unknown to her 
 before, still she continued to listen, and 
 her companion to describe and dwell on 
 the many high aud noble qualities that 
 distinguished their mutual friend, and re- 
 gret the unaccountable eccentricity that 
 darkened, as it were with its shadow, a 
 naturally gifted and generous mind. 
 
 The Colonel described him, at those 
 times, as one who withdrew all attention
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 133 
 
 from surrounding objects, no matter how 
 attractive soever they might be, gloomily 
 wrapping himself up in his own thoughts, 
 and disdaining alike the amusement offered 
 to him by a passing acquaintance, or the 
 sympathy evinced towords him by an 
 attached friend. No place was exempt 
 from these fits of abstraction ; the voice 
 of royalty at such times was unheard ; the 
 smile of beauty was unheeded ; he stood 
 an isolated being in the crowded halls of 
 the noble and the gay, wondered at, and 
 admired, for the versatility of manner, 
 that now treated with haughty reserve, equal 
 and superior, the next hour fascinating 
 both with the inexhaustible resources of a 
 highly gifted and cultivated mind, gilding 
 each subject he conversed od, whether 
 grave or gay, wiih the sparkles of his own 
 genius. The powerful ascendancy of no 
 common mind sweeping away all prejudice 
 his unsocial hour might have left on the 
 minds of those who listened, and impressing 
 them instead, with the conviction, that
 
 134 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 they had conversed with one, on whom 
 nature bestowed a master-key to the hu- 
 man heart; and with the waywardness often 
 attendant on that talismanic power, he 
 chose to use it at his mercy and his will. 
 Such was the description given by his friend, 
 and when Agnes recalled her recollection 
 of him during the last year of their ac- 
 quaintance, she found it true in every par- 
 ticular ; this waywardness of disposition 
 had not displayed itself in his boyhocd. 
 It was some short time previous to his 
 mother's death those fits of abstraction 
 were first observed in him, and after that 
 event, they became so frequent, that his 
 grandfather was the first to propose his 
 trying the efi'ect of change of air and scene, 
 to remove the deep gloom that hung over 
 a naturally cheerful mind. Talking in 
 this way of Gerald, Agnes almost forgot 
 the party she had come with, to the Castle, 
 and the sound of her auntO'Brady's voice in 
 the next room was the first thing to bring 
 to her recollection, the desagremem of the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 135 
 
 morniog, a painful sense of having acted 
 with some degree of impropriety, though 
 she could not exactly define to what amount, 
 rushed across her mind, as she pictured to 
 herself, her aunt discovering her tete-a-tete 
 with the very person against cultivating 
 whose acquaintance she had lectured her so 
 severely but a few hours before. As these 
 thoughts passed rapidly in review before 
 Agnes, she colored so violently, and looked 
 so hopelessly distressed that the watchful 
 eye of her companion read, in her involun- 
 tary agitation, as the sound of her aunt's 
 voice became each moment more and more 
 distinct, a wish on her niece's part, just 
 then, to avoid, if possible, an interview. 
 Without giving utterance to this opinion, 
 he acted on it promptly Leaning forward 
 towards Agnes, he said rapidly, without 
 raifing his eyes to her face. 
 
 " Perhaps, Miss Power, you would wish 
 to see the housekeeper again before join- 
 ing your party V 
 
 Rising at the same time, and opening a
 
 136 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 door at the opposite side from where her 
 aunt's voice was heard, held the open door 
 in his hand, while Agnes passed through 
 with a quick, flurried step, not daring to 
 raise her downcast eyes to his, that con- 
 tinued fixed on her receding figure, as she 
 flew, rather than walked through the gal- 
 lery, until its terminating door shut her 
 from his view; he then gently closed the 
 one he stood at, and advanced towards the 
 party in the drawing-room.
 
 THE MILITTA MAJOR. 137 
 
 CHAPTER XL 
 
 ANTICS AND ANTIQUITIES. 
 
 Here the party, bound for the Hermitage, 
 were assembled under the chaperoning care 
 of Mrs.O'Brady ; her eldest daughter, totally 
 forgetful that her name figured in the 
 parish register, five-and-thirty years before, 
 was turning over the leaves of a book of 
 engravings, with the sentimental air of 
 sweet fifteen, and pointing out to Lieuten- 
 ant Jennings, who stood with a very 
 silly look beside her, some of the most 
 delightful spots in the world, "to wile away 
 a honeymoon," while her sister, Lucy and
 
 138 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 Captain Grant took possession of a conver- 
 sation stool, which, from some odd whim of 
 its inventor, besides the advantage of only 
 holding two, and those vis-d-ms, had also 
 a rocking movement ; this ingenious device 
 of the artistey keeping the pair in a kind of 
 sea-saw motion, very acceptable to a free- 
 born American, or a young gentleman just 
 parted from his hobby-horse. Though some 
 years had elapsed since the Captain had 
 taken that enlivening exercise, still he 
 seemed wonderfully pleased with his rock- 
 ing-stool and companion, while Lucy, a 
 fine showy-looking girl, who, besides loving 
 a hearty laugh for its own sake, always in- 
 dulged in that healthful exercise out of a 
 special regard to a handsome set of teeth ; 
 who, disdaining to be peered at, through a 
 cold measured smile, delighted to burst 
 open their vermillion boundary, and display 
 their pearly beauties, with a long, loud, 
 and what some fastidious folks might deem 
 a true, genuine, hoyden laugh — on the 
 present occasion the young lady indulged
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 139 
 
 in her favorite pastime, unrestrained, her 
 companion's bon niots^ and ludicrous re- 
 marlvs, at all times, would command an 
 uproarious burst of mirth from Lucy, but 
 when she now glanced at his pursy figure, 
 its rotund dimensions squeezed into a 
 space, that might accommodate a slim, grow- 
 ing boy, but certainly was never intended 
 to sustain the burly proportions of its pre- 
 sent occupant, rocking to and fro, with a 
 Bacchus like expression of countenance, 
 bearing a strong resemblance to the full 
 orb, so eloquently described by " young 
 Nerval,'' as lighting him in his first foray, 
 with perhaps this slight difference, 
 that the outline of the far famed 
 man in the moon, was a thought less 
 distinct, than the features of the Captain, 
 which, Falstaff-like, nearly obliterated 
 by his ample and inflated cheek, the merry 
 twinkle of two dark, sunken spots that 
 served for eyes, and a small aperture that 
 answered the purposes of a mouth, with 
 a round hillock of flesh, that lay between
 
 140 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 these distinguishing features, were aught 
 that appeared to mar the smooth equality of 
 his rubicund visage. 
 
 Lucy, in laughing at the comical -looking 
 being before her, lost her balance ; and, in 
 trying to recover it, set the seat rocking so 
 violently as to oblige her to jump off, leaving 
 her companion alone, but not in his glory, 
 whirling about at a tremendous pace, some- 
 thing like an infuriated wind-mill ; the in- 
 creasing velocity of his motion flinging him 
 at length into mid-air, and, fortunately 
 for his cranium, in his descent, coming 
 right against his Colonel, who at this mo- 
 ment entered the drawing-room. The ex- 
 planations on all sides prevented the en- 
 quiries Mrs. O'Brady would otherwise have 
 made on that gentleman's sudden and un- 
 expected appearance, and before the laugh- 
 ter and confusion, consequent on the Cap- 
 tain's upset, had subsided, Agnesand her host 
 made their appearance, and in the general 
 greeting, she escaped the observation of her
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 141 
 
 aunt, and found herself listening to the 
 Coionel giving a very laughable description 
 to Sir Maurice of the gymnastic evolu- 
 tions of his Light Infantry officer. None 
 laughed louder, or longer, than that gen- 
 tleman himself; he never desired a more 
 enviable position in society than affording 
 amusement to the company he mixed with 
 — he cared not to be called its butt^ his 
 good temper and social qualities, with a 
 keen sense of all that was ridiculous, either 
 in himself or others, ensured him in every 
 party to be considered the best fellow 
 amongst them, so, while he kept his com- 
 panion's jaws distended with laughter, he 
 cared little who possessed their respect or 
 grave approval. Lucy's early appreciation 
 of his buffo qualities, and the loud laugh 
 she bestowed on his harlequin efforts to 
 amuse, completely won his heart, and 
 amongst the three sisters, she could boast 
 of the most sincere admirer in the gallant 
 5— tb. 
 
 In the meantime Sir Maurice had con-
 
 142 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 
 
 sented to accompany the party to the Her- 
 mitage, aDcl with the politesse and gal- 
 lantry of the old school, did the honours of 
 Lisfinn ; he led the party through the 
 principal apartments, and pointed out to 
 their notice what he considered most wor- 
 thy of attention — the old castle was in it- 
 self a place of much interest. In feudal 
 times it was one of those strong-holds of the 
 arbitrary chieftains of that day, possessing 
 considerable strength ; and in the middle 
 ages it was equally remarkable for the taste 
 and splendour of its outward and interior 
 decoration ; the former was displayed in 
 that bold florid style of architecture which 
 characterised the period, and the latter was 
 exhibited in some fine specimens of the 
 olden school of painting, in the curiously 
 carved oak wainscoting of the principal 
 apartments ; the mantel-pieces, on which 
 were raised in relief the armsof theGeraldine, 
 the ceilings and walls decorated with the 
 proud banners that race had won amidst 
 storm and strife — all were in their turn
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 143 
 
 commented and dwelt upon by their host, 
 with that proud kindling of eye, and lofty 
 elevation of look, that proclaimed him no 
 degenerate son of a line that had bearded 
 kings, and flung down the gauntlet in the 
 very presence of the arbitrary daughter of 
 Henry the Eighth — and, as the old knight 
 now stood_ in the lofty entrance hall, with 
 its groined arches of black marble, its 
 deeply indented Gothic windows, through 
 whose stained panels streamed a dim religi- 
 ous sort of light, that lit up the grim por- 
 traits of his ancestors, their glittering 
 armour reposing beside them, all feh that 
 the present representative was no unworthy 
 son of such a race ; the noble scantling of 
 the man, deep, broad-chested, the unstooped 
 shoulder, and firm step, though the allotted 
 years of vigour had passed over him, the three- 
 score years and ten, failed in causing that step 
 to falter — or dimming the glance of that 
 falcon eye — it still sparkled with all the 
 fire of five-and-twenty, as he proudly 
 pointed out the objects around him, its
 
 144 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 lordly look of command, tempered with 
 the bonliommie, and lively humour that 
 characterised his other features — while the 
 proud bearing of his figure harmonised 
 well amidst the trophies and memorials of 
 a race, whose history is identified with that 
 of their country, whose name is still borne 
 by its highest peer. The exterior of the 
 castle next engaged their attention, and as 
 Sir Maurice led the way through the court- 
 yard, he stopped suddenly on perceiving 
 a man advancing towards him, wrapped in 
 one of those large loose coats worn by the 
 peasantry, of a dark blue colour, descending 
 to the ankle, and enveloping the throat, 
 which we suppose caused some one to de- 
 scribe this cotemar, or outside coat, as a fit 
 house for an assassin, but which we are in- 
 clined to think was adopted by our country- 
 men, as the African wears his bernoose, to 
 conceal the scanty supply of inner gar- 
 ments, or as we once heard a Munster 
 man explain the matter, and it is a truly 
 Irish way of accounting for this singular
 
 THE MILTTTA MAJOR. 145 
 
 costume, " that they wore it in winter to 
 keep out the cold, and in summer to keep 
 off the heat," no slight recommendation to 
 a people who are obliged, by necessity, to 
 make everything answer more purposes 
 than the one originally intended. 
 
 The man we have described as wearing 
 this garment, on the present occasion, dis- 
 played little else of his costume, save a 
 pair of unbound brogues, and coarse yarn 
 stockings, whilst on his head was placed a 
 half worn felt hat, low-crowned and broad- 
 brimmed, concealing the upper part of his 
 features, but which was now removed on 
 the approach of Sir Maurice, and displayed 
 a countenance on which time and care had 
 done its work, but failed in obliterating 
 traces of manly beauty that still marked 
 thin sunken features, expressive in no 
 cummon degree, of a haughty, uncontrolled 
 spirit. 
 
 In returning the courteous salutation of 
 the knight, he wore the air of an equal, 
 more than that of an inferior, and the 
 
 VOL. I. H
 
 146 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 grace with which he replaced his hat on his 
 head, would not have disgraced a courtier ; 
 he had passed over sixty summers, but a 
 casual observer would have added some 
 dozen to his years ; his figure was tall, gaunt 
 and slightly stooped ; his countenance bore 
 the traces of much mental, and bodily 
 suffering; yet not sufficient to subdue the 
 look of pride, almost amounting to scorn, 
 that dwelt on his sharp, emaciated features, 
 whilst the long silvery hair that fell at 
 either side of his pallid face, gave a patri- 
 archal character to his appearance, and 
 threw an air of wildness over the whole 
 contour of the man. 
 
 "Well, Mac Carthy," said the knight, 
 " you are the very man I want ; you can 
 tell the history of this old castle much 
 better than I can, to those ladies and gen- 
 tlemen ; fore George, I forget more than half 
 the legends and stories that are told of 
 Lisfinn." 
 
 " That oughtn't to be. Sir Maurice," re- 
 turned Mac Carthy. " You're left in the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. J 47 
 
 ould lair, an' ye ought to be able to tell ov 
 those who were in the cover afore ye." 
 
 " Oh ! I leave that to you, Corney," re- 
 turned the knight, laughing, " I know you 
 will do it well, for one day or another you 
 expect to get a share of the forfeited es- 
 tates, by remembering the tradition of every 
 old ruin in the country." 
 
 " An' who has a better right to them, 
 Sir Maurice," said the peasant. " Is it 
 Cromwell's soldiers, or those who have 
 broken faith, an' a union lord for a pedigree, 
 if there was wance jistice fur Ireland; are 
 those the title deeds to keep the Mac Carthy 
 More out ov his right, oh ! no," and the old 
 man's eye lighted up, " we would soon shew 
 them then that a Sassenach King or Queen 
 had no right to confiscate the estates of an 
 Irish prince; an' whin the ould race has its 
 own again, we'll bate urn into the say, as 
 Saint Pathrick did their ancesthors, the 
 toads an' sarpints ; an' then, an' not 'till 
 then, we'll be shut ov all the venemous 
 h2
 
 148 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 reptils that pizin ould Ireland, since the 
 days ov Strongbow an' Cromwell/' 
 
 The ladies of the party laughed at this 
 effusion, for Corny Mac Carthy was known 
 to them all, but the officers looked utterly 
 at fault, and did not well know whether to 
 set down Mr, Mac Carthy as an ex-Irish 
 king, or as a raving maniac. Mr. Foster 
 inclined to the former opinion, and feeling 
 curious to ascertain the sentiments of fallen 
 royalty, in regard to the restoration of legi- 
 timate right, surveyed Corny with a curi- 
 ous, investigating look, and addressing him 
 with the air of a man determined fairly to 
 argue the point, said — 
 
 *' You do not mean to say that if Ireland 
 had what you call justice, that Irish pro- 
 perty would be taken from the English 
 who fairly purchased it, by either service 
 or money, and given up or restored to the 
 descendants of those who forfeited it cen- 
 turies before." 
 
 Mac Carthy turned on the speaker a 
 scornful glance, at the same time exclaim- 
 ing—
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 149 
 
 " I mane to say that self-same thing, and 
 to prove it too, by a proposition. Suppose 
 your wages for keeping the people down by 
 the Insurrection Act, was to be the ould 
 castle we're in, do ye think the Fagarrald 
 would sit tamely down, an' let an English 
 king dispose ov his property ! no beganays ! 
 he'd fight for it as his father's did beforehim; 
 an' his seed, breed, an' generation would rise 
 to a man to turn the stranger and the Sas- 
 senach out ov the walls of Lisfinn.'* 
 
 "In one part of your proposition you 
 are quite correct. Corny," remarked Sir 
 Maurice, '' for it would cost me a struggle 
 to part with Lisfinn ; but your argument 
 does'nt hold good in all, for I never for- 
 feited my lands, but have always been a 
 loyal subject to my king, which those who 
 forfeited theirs were not, though the coun- 
 try had sworn allegiance to England at the 
 time." 
 
 *' A bad oath is better broken nor kept 
 anny day," returned Corny, '' an' moreover 
 to an ungrateful misthress as she has been
 
 150 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 
 
 always to the poor Irish. Take your own 
 case, Sir Maurice ; ye'erself, an' ye'er yeo- 
 men, were out in ninety eight, an' what 
 thanks did ye get for id ; ould Sir Thomas, 
 that was a rebel in his heart, an' a tbraytor 
 to the men that thrusted him, was b'liev'd 
 afore ye. You tould the government to give 
 the people fair play, an' thin they'd list'n 
 to rayson ; but Sir Thomas was for the 
 cat-o-nine-tail, an' the thriangle, an' 'tis his 
 advice was taken. 'Down wid the green,' 
 was the cry wid him thin, tho' he was a 
 sworn man himself ; an' if a man bud 
 wrote a letter in French, he was tied to the 
 cart tail an' flogged thro' the streets ov 
 Clonmel; bud they wor bint on carry in' the 
 Union, an' beganays, in these days the 
 people should be rebels whether they liked 
 id or no." 
 
 ** Well, those days are past and gone," 
 returned Sir Maurice, " and we won^t talk 
 of them now Corney." 
 
 " Bud why do I mintion um, Sir Maurice 
 Fagarrald, but jist to bring to ye'er mind
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 151 
 
 that the innocent man gits no quarter frum 
 the English, he may as well join aginst um 
 first as last, fur they'll parsecute him into 
 harum wan time or another, fur by dad, wid 
 them, the man that sells his counthry is 
 the boy on the gap, sure to get whatever's 
 goin/' 
 
 " Well, well, Corney, for all that, you 
 sha'nt make a rebel of me in my old age. 
 Man and boy I have stood by my king and 
 constitution." 
 
 '^ An' more's the pity," chimed in Mac 
 Carthy before Sir Maurice could finish the 
 sentence, " for ye wor a good warrant to 
 stick by the people too, an' bad as they are, 
 there's not a man among um that id injure 
 a hair ov ye'er head, or call ye out ov 
 ye'er name frum wan ind ov the country to 
 the other, an' that's a big word in these 
 bad times." 
 
 '' I can't complain of them, I can't com- 
 plain," repeated the old knight, " but those 
 English gentlemen can of our Irish manners
 
 152 THE MTLITIA MAJOR. 
 
 keeping them looking at these old towers, 
 without telling them who either built them 
 or burnt them before now." 
 
 '' Ye'U have ye'er jest, Sir Maurice, to the 
 last, an' the best ov the argument afther 
 all,'' returned Mac Carthv, with an approach 
 to a grim smile, that relaxed for a moment 
 the disdainful and ascetic cast of his fea- 
 tures. Then turning to the party of 
 visitors, he podded in the direction of a 
 grey Tower, whose crumbling battlements 
 and antiquated appearance gave it a right 
 to be considered the father of the building, 
 and leaning his back against a project- 
 ing buttress, while he folded his arms 
 on his breast, slipping either hand into 
 the opposite sleeve of his ample coat, 
 his countenance expressing formal civility 
 towards those he addressed, and an 
 evident wish to display his own ora- 
 torical powers, and impress his auditory, 
 at once, with his self-importance, and that 
 of the subject he was about to dilate on,
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 153 
 
 began in an oracular tone, suited vastly 
 more to fix the attention of a large assem- 
 bly than necessary to attract that of the 
 few individuals who stood immediately 
 around him. 
 
 H 5
 
 154 THE MILITIA MAJOE 
 
 CHAPTER XTI. 
 
 A LEGEND OF OPHALT. 
 
 " Well then, ladies an' giatlemen, this 
 same tower was built by John Fitzthoraas, 
 Lord ov Ophaly, in commemoration ov 
 havin' conquered William Vasey, Earl ov 
 Kildare, and that widout sthrikin' a single 
 blow. The Lord ov Ophaly was a mighty 
 brave man, nathur afeerd ov God or the 
 ould boy, (the cross atween us an' all 
 harum ;) but, tho' he had the will to kill 
 all afore him, he 'was bud a wakely body 
 afther all ; and what does he do, bud he
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 155 
 
 up and he sthrikes a bargin wid the iniiny 
 ov his sowl. 
 
 '^ ' GW me/ sez he, * the power to break 
 annything that stands afore me in this 
 world, an* ye'er welkim to the revarshan ov 
 me in the next.' 
 
 " ' A bargain,' sez ould Nick, quite oflf- 
 handed. 
 
 " An' wid that he shuk hands wid Lord 
 John, an' gives him sich a squeeze, that the 
 next thing he tuk a hoult ov, was, by the 
 same token, a smith's anvil, wid the smith 
 himsilf standin' hard by, puttin' a shoe on 
 his lordship's horse, the poor baist loosen'd 
 rampaugin' the ground, wid the dint ov 
 vexation, all the tithe his masther was dis- 
 coorsin' the divil. Well, be that as it will 
 — Lord John began to think anny way ov 
 the pawgraw^ the black villin had jist 
 given him, an' he up, and he thries his own 
 band on the anvil — may I nivir die in sin, 
 but it broke atween his fingers, like a 
 mashed praty — whin the smith seen his 
 anvil flyin' about in smithereens, he cried 
 out Mille a murtlier to the naburs, bud
 
 156 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 Lord John bid him whisht, and tould him 
 he had the worst ov id, fur the blessid iron 
 cut his hand straight across, an' frum that 
 day, to the day ov his death, signs on, he 
 nivir could stir aythur his thumb or little 
 finger — an, Til be bound, nivir touched 
 iron agin as long as he lived. Well, the 
 wind ov the word went abroad, an' bad 
 luck to the wan gintle or simple would say 
 boo to Lord John ; bud anny way, he had 
 an ould grudge to the Earl ov Kildare — 
 an' he sits down an' writes him a chal- 
 lenge. The Earl was a mighty cute man, 
 and fond ov his mammy's calf-skin more- 
 over, so he sends him a civil message, de- 
 clining the honour his lordship was so 
 mighty kind as to offer him, an' takes 
 himsilf out ov the counthry, as fast as the 
 best horse in his stable could carry him, 
 and, by all accounts, that was a good wan 
 — away wid Lord John to the coort, an' he 
 up an' he tells his story ov the Earl ; an', 
 bedad, there was nobody there to conthra- 
 diet him. The king was mighty indignant
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 157 
 
 intirely, at havin' sich a story go abroad 
 ov wan ov his lords; an' made a proclama- 
 tion that iv the Earl ov Kildare didn't ap- 
 pear to fight the Lord ov Ophaly aginst a 
 sartin day, that his title an' possessions 
 would be given to Lord John ; so, beganays, 
 frum that day to this, the Earl nivir came 
 back ; an' manny's the wan said, the good 
 people made away wid him ; bud whether 
 they did or no, mysilf can't tell ; bud 
 anny way, Shawn a lauve lauther^^ was 
 Earl ov Kildare, and built this tower, 
 moreover, to commemorate the victhory 
 that nivir as much as cost him a single 
 blow." 
 
 " But it did his descendents to defend," 
 remarked Sir Maurice, ** when those worthy 
 ancestors of yours, the MacCarthys, of 
 Slieve na riag, burnt all before them. The 
 father and grandfather were slain," con- 
 tinued he, addressing the party around 
 
 "*■ John of the strong hand.
 
 158 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 him ; ** their retainers fled from the castle 
 in a fit of consternation, leaving the infant 
 heir of Kildare alone in a cradle. A being 
 below the human and above the brute 
 species — an ape, kept in the family, with 
 sense or instinct, if you will, seized on the 
 child, and carried it to the top of the high- 
 est tower you see, parading it round and 
 round the battlements until the frightened 
 domestics returned, then descending with 
 his charge, laid safely in his cradle, he that 
 was afterwards Earl of Kildare, surnamed, 
 nuppagh^ or the ape ; and his descendants 
 have not been ungrateful," continued the 
 old knight, pointing to the arms of the 
 Fitzgerald, carved over the hall of entrance, 
 displaying two apes as supporters, with the 
 appropriate motto — crom-a-boo — I burn." 
 
 " There's an ould story afore that same 
 coat ov arms was put there. Sir Maurice,'' 
 said the old man, with the air of a privileged 
 and veteran story-teller, jealous of being 
 outdone, '' an' 'tis tould ov the purtiest 
 tower among um, aye bedad, an' ov the
 
 THE MILTTIA MAJOE. 159 
 
 purtiest tower in all Miinsther into the 
 bargin, an' that's the wan standin' straight 
 forenent ye, 'twas riz be the Guhhawn sair 
 himsilfy the same that built the fine ould 
 abbey of Holy Cross, the finest mason that 
 iver laid stone and morthar togither ; fur the 
 wan stone that was laid by day, there was 
 ten more to the back ov id by night ; seein^ 
 the good people stood to him fur some handy 
 turn he did um wan time, they were in 
 hoult, an' let people say what they will, 
 they bate the Christhins hollow fur remim- 
 berin a kindness. Well, be that as it will, 
 the story I am going to tell ye, ov the 
 Tower afore us, is as thrue as the blessed 
 Gospel itself, an' come down from father to 
 son, an' was tould me whin I was but a 
 garsoon^ be my grandfather, up at Bally- 
 curnane, an' manny a wan heerd it beside 
 myself; for it was he that kep' the open 
 house, the finest ov atin an' dhrikin, wid 
 lashins an' lavins for the hoccagh an' the 
 beggar. 'Cut, an' come again,' was the 
 word at Ballycurnane. His avenue gate
 
 160 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 niver was shut, laist the people id say he 
 was barrin um out; so he made sure ov 
 plinty ov the finest company, mornin', noon, 
 nn' night, an' whin he wint to glory, God 
 rest his sowl, his wake held in id fur a week ; 
 and manny's the sore skull was afther his 
 berrin; for the licker was as plinty as ditch 
 wather in id, an' they flocked in id frum far 
 an' near, seein, he was mighty well liked 
 among the people, an' was, moreover, wan 
 ov the ould race, a raal gintleman, bred, 
 born an' raired among um." 
 
 '' But the story of the Guhhawn Sair's Tow- 
 er, Corny," said the old knight, impatiently, 
 these ladies and gentlemen would rather 
 hear of it, than of your grandfather's funeral, 
 that is buried, if I remember aright, more 
 than fifty years ago." 
 
 "' Something about that time. Sir Mau- 
 rice," returned Corny, whose memory loved 
 to dwell on all that related to his ancestors, 
 "bud if I was up at the house, I could tell ye 
 to the day, for I have id in black an' white, 
 an' his will into the bargain, an' that was
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 161 
 
 the will thut bet the world; the Lord Chan- 
 cellor himself tould my father, God rest his 
 soul, there was as good as nine-an'-twenty 
 law shoots in the body ov id, an' that signs 
 on't would take the life ov ten sthrong men 
 to thry um all, and sure enough, id took 
 that ov my father, anny way, an' a good 
 part ov my own; an' if there was anything 
 like fair play in the coorts above, the law 
 shoot would last for manny's the year yet. 
 But there's little justice, at all, at all, fur 
 the poor man; an' afore half the law argu- 
 ments an' orashuns could be discoorsed about 
 id, the ejectment came down ; myself often 
 thought they cut it short on purpose, the 
 money growing slack wid us, though we rid- 
 dled the ground, an' sould the last baist we 
 had, to keep the lawyers' tongues wagging; 
 but all wouldn't do, down came the orther 
 to the Sheriff to sazye and sell all that was 
 left to Mac Carthy More, ov his ould esta- 
 tes; but sayin' an' doin are two things; an' 
 fur five years, we kept the forcible possession 
 in Bally curnane, an' would keep it our own
 
 162 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 to this day, bud for that black thraytor that 
 bethrayed us, he seen nothin^ bud frindship 
 from me an^ mine, bud, like his father afore 
 him, he sowld the pass on the house that 
 sheltered him ; and, sooner or later, Dan 
 Wetherell, you'll get your desarvins from 
 the hand ov Corney Mac Carthy ; an' the 
 mother that bore me, if she stood on the 
 airth again, couldn't save ye in that day." 
 
 The old man's eyes flashed with al- 
 most the light of insanity, as he 
 uttered these words, while his clenched 
 hand was raised, as if to strike the ob- 
 ject of his fierce hate in the vacant 
 space before him. The old knight reproved 
 him in a grave but still kind tone of voice 
 for this burst of violence, and reminding 
 him that they were all impatient to hear 
 the story of the Gubbawn's Tower. Mac 
 Carthy, at once recalled from his own pecu- 
 liar wrongs, shrugged his shoulders with the 
 air of a true Milesian, about to narrate a 
 story of the good ould time, began in a tone 
 and manner much more peaceable in its
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 163 
 
 character, than he had worn but a few 
 moments before. 
 
 " Wisha thin, Sir Maurice, you shall 
 have id an welkim, and who has a better 
 right to hear id than ye'ersilf, fur id con- 
 sarns them that are near enough to ye — bud 
 that's nathor here nor there — the buildin 
 was finished, and the giibbaivn sair was 
 mighty proud ov his job, sure enough, an' 
 the Fagarrald, an' all his people come down 
 to look at id, an' among the foremost was 
 the ould bard that followed the lord, and 
 whin the Guhhawn began boastin' like ov 
 himself, an' the fine buildin' afore um, that 
 he riz in less time than a man would a 
 mud cabin, the ould bard got jealous in 
 himsilf whin he seen the lord so taken wid 
 the Guhhawn, an' began ays, the bard was a 
 mighty remarkable man — his hair was 
 down below his shoulders, as white as the 
 driven snow, his eyes like two red balls ov 
 fire from the dint ov cryin, fur the Faggar- 
 rald himself nivir took to frettin, bud kep
 
 164 THE MIL[TTA MAJOE. 
 
 the ould fellow fur that same, an' to play 
 fur the compauy while the lord was 
 atin' his supper, and to strike up afore him, 
 an' his followers whin they wint to the 
 battle, and keep up the finest ov music 
 while they wor bat in all before um : this 
 wasn't all the ould chap had to do; bud 
 afther the fightin' was over he had to keen 
 them that were gone, an' fur all the world, 
 the music he play'd was like the cry ov the 
 banshee^ an* not wan among um was the 
 betther fur hearin id, or would like to hear 
 id agin ; but now what does he do, bud to 
 take the shine out ov the fairy man, he up, 
 an' he tchunes his silver harp he always 
 thravell'd with, an na bocklish^ bud 'tis he 
 that keened all the fine men that wer' to be 
 massacreed widin the four walls the Gub- 
 bawn was so proud ov, an' the fire an' 
 soord that was to come wan day or another 
 on um, that bad luck to the bit; bud the 
 Fagarrald in a fury, ordher'd his people not 
 to lave wan stone upon another, sooner
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 165 
 
 than sich a mee yaw should come upon 
 him, an' his ; well the Gttbhawn was a 
 wondtherful sinsible man, an' keeps his 
 timper to himsilf, an' sez he, mighty civilly 
 to the bard, 
 
 *' May be sir, you'd be afther lettin us 
 look at that harp ov yours, fur it's a mighty 
 purty instrument, an' I niver in all my born 
 days seen the like afore, wid so manny nate 
 kays on id." 
 
 " Well, the Guhhawn was the boy fur 
 mixin' the morthar, an' bad cess to id; bud 
 he plasther'd the ould lad so well, an' talked 
 so simple in himself, that he up an' hands 
 him the harp, bathershin if he didn't knock 
 music out ov id, the likes was nivir heerd 
 afore, an' wid a mighty knowing look he 
 asks the bard to favour the company wid a 
 tcliune; he'd refuse him iv he daare, fur 
 like manny a wan beside him, he liked to 
 be tellin' the bad news betther nor the 
 good, bud the mason put the spell on him, 
 so out id come, mighty much aginst his
 
 166 THE MILITIA MA JOE. ^ 
 
 will, an' the thradishion sez the ould sinner 
 died ov vexation the rainnit the last word 
 was out ov his head, praise be to the Bles- 
 sid Virgin, fur he always intinded to be- 
 quaythe the prophecy to his successor, bud 
 the Gubbawn was too manny fur him, an' 
 made him tell the good news fur wance in 
 his life, an so spare the buildin', an' its 
 manny's the long night id kep me awake 
 thryin' to make the sinse out ov that pro- 
 phecy, bud thanks to the mother ov Heaven 
 an' the little larnin' that was given me, it's 
 now as plain as a pike staff, bud like the 
 first knowledge that come into the world, 
 in the Garden ov Aiden, it brings throuble 
 to them that makes id out, an' signs on my 
 own end is fairly foretould in id." 
 
 This announcement caused a stare of 
 astonishment from the whole party, but 
 Mac Carthy, no way abashed, repeated in 
 a slow, solemn voice the following doggrel, 
 with a countenance that attested his own 
 faith in what he uttered.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 167 
 
 When the Gerald shall cease to rive, 
 
 And with Donald's race shall wive, 
 
 Peace and plenty then shall begin 
 
 To dwell in the Castle and around Lisfinn, 
 
 When the last of the race that burnt it first 
 
 By the Sassenagh's hand shall be laid in the dust.
 
 168 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 CHArTER XIII. 
 
 ADVERSE OPINIONS ON IRISH POLICY. 
 
 As MacCarthy pronounced the last line, he 
 perceived another had joined the party of 
 listeners around him, and a dark scowl 
 passed across the old man's face as his eyes 
 rested, for a moment, on the figure of our 
 old acquaintance. Major Power, who, ad- 
 vancing into the midst of the circle, saluted 
 them with — 
 
 " Gentlemen, I am glad to see you, but 
 would be much more so if I found you not 
 listening to a noted outlaw, that escaped 
 the gallows through the clemency of the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 169 
 
 Government, and who now has the hardi- 
 hood in the very court-yard of a Baronet, 
 and Grand Juror of the county, to spout 
 rebellion to a party of his Majesty's officers; 
 but, as a magistrate, I am called on to 
 silence such a miscreant ; and I warn you," 
 continued he, addressing MacCarthy, '' to 
 take yourself off from my presence, or Til 
 commit you for an attempted breach of the 
 peace, trying to stir up people's minds to 
 rebellion, by telling such improbable stories 
 of what never has happened, nor never 
 will." 
 
 MacCarthy replied to this by a look of 
 bold defiance his ancestors might have 
 worn to a foe they could crush, but consi- 
 dered too contemptible to exterminate ; and 
 drawing up his tall figure to its full height, 
 exclaimed in a tone of bitter irony, 
 
 " The dunghill cock crows loudest when 
 there's no danger. The coward in a fair 
 cries out ' Boys, don't hould me.' An^ 
 Major Power, whin there's plinty to save 
 him, attacks an ould man that id wish to 
 
 VOL. I. 1
 
 170 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 pass him by ; but let him take care, the 
 worm that's trampled in the dust has still a 
 kick left in id, an' MacCarthy More, may 
 turn on the man that wrongs him, whin 
 Major Power has naythur Sir Maurice Fa- 
 garrald, nor this company to back him ; an' 
 good mornin' to ye ladies an' gintlemen, 
 an' wan that saw better days, is obleeged to 
 ye for ye'er civility, an' knows how to re- 
 mimber friend an' foe, whin they laist expect 
 id." 
 
 Then bowing to all, save the Major, the 
 old man strided through the court-yard, 
 leaving some of the party much displeased 
 at the disagreeable interruption that gentle- 
 man had caused; amongst the number, Sir 
 Maurice who was the first to speak. 
 
 " You will pardon me for saying it, 
 Major, but I think you are very injudicious, 
 to say the least, in your treatment of Mac 
 Carthy. The man has strong passions, and 
 you rouse them against yourself by taxing 
 him with what he is really not guilty of — 
 disloyalty ; like most of his class, he is full
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR 171 
 
 of prejudices, harniless, if not unnecessarily 
 opposed ; but 1 would rather overcome 
 those prejudices, by the higher order show- 
 ing kindness to a people, whose patience, 
 under privation, has become a proverb, and 
 by introducing a proper system of educa- 
 tion amongst them, holding out a reward 
 to industry, and encouraging manufacture, 
 withdraw their attention from the past, and 
 teach them to enjoy present blessings, and 
 be thankful/' 
 
 *' An impossibility. Sir xMaurice," re- 
 turned the Major ; " in the Irish language 
 there is no such word as gratitude, nor has 
 it ever existed in the hearts of the Irish 
 people/' 
 
 " Irish history contradicts that asser- 
 tion ; in my own experience, through 
 life, I can practically deny it; but, iu 
 most instances, what have the people to 
 be thankful for? — ignorance and poverty ! 
 The former leads them to believe all that is 
 pernicious to their temporal or eternal wel- 
 fare; the latter plunges them into crime. 
 I 2
 
 172 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 Men that have no stake to lose, become 
 reckless — the wild justice of revenge is 
 the only law they recognize. The gen- 
 try, by setting themselves in array 
 against the peasantry, arm them against 
 themselves ; all confidence in their natural 
 protectors is lost; they fall an easy prey to 
 the demagogue and incendiary; these, to ac- 
 complish their own vile purposes, work on 
 the inflammable passions of a mercurial peo- 
 ple ; self-respect is then at an end, all moral 
 and social improvement is blasted, and a 
 people whose mental powers, and local advan- 
 tages might have placed them amongst the 
 happy and the free, are benighted, debased, 
 and poverty-stricken by the ungenerous 
 brand placed on them by those whose high 
 privilege it was, as well as bounden duty, 
 to ameliorate and civilize their condition." 
 "You always get warm on this subject. 
 Sir Maurice, so we will wave it, for the 
 present, first entering my protest against 
 your view of the matter. The Irish gen- 
 try, in my mind, have but one fault to
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 173 
 
 answer for, and that is, not forcing from 
 Government stronger powers to keep the 
 people in order. T would hang and tran- 
 sport them until I left no one in the country 
 to commit mischief, but the women and 
 children." 
 
 The advocate of the commons was about, 
 indignantly, to reply, when the Tower clock 
 struck five, the hour of tryste at the Her- 
 mitage, and Mrs. O'Brady gladly availed 
 herself of its friendly warning, to interrupt 
 a conversation that she knew, from former 
 experience, would be likely to end in Sir 
 Maurice withdrawing himself from her bro- 
 ther-in-law^s society; so now, with one of 
 her blandest smiles, reminded the gentlemen 
 of the hour, and securing the arm of the 
 good old knight, led the way through a very 
 beautifully planted demesne, to the appointed 
 place of rendezvous. Colonel Saville had 
 withdrawn himself from the party when 
 Mac Carthy left the court-yard, and follow- 
 ing his steps, overtook the old man as he 
 crossed the ancient fosse and draw-bridge
 
 174 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 the former filled up, and the latter con- 
 yerted into a solid causeway. 
 
 The Colonel addressed him with some 
 passing observation, until they were out 
 of sight of those in the court-yard, then, 
 wishing him good-bye, slipped a piece of 
 gold into the peasant's hand. Had a 
 scorpion stung him, it could not have 
 caused a greater revulsion in his look and 
 manner. 
 
 " I am no common beggar, sir, or beg- 
 gar's son," was Corny 's reply to this silent 
 offer of kindness, as he indignantly returned 
 it to its owner, "an' you that have the 
 looks ov a born gintleraan yerself, ought to 
 have some respect for the dacent blood in 
 others." 
 
 The young Englishman shrunk, abashed, 
 before the stern rebuke conveyed in the 
 words and manner of a man he deemed no 
 better than a peasant, and vainly attempted 
 to apologize, without at all understanding 
 why he ought to do so.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 175 
 
 "There are plintj of poor crathurs to 
 take your money, an' thank ye for givin it/' 
 interrupted Corny, " but the Mac Carthy 
 More isn't fallen so low as to be behoulden 
 to the charity ov the strangher ; the sense 
 an' larnin' God gave him, keeps the cabin 
 over himsilf an* the last ov the beef-eaters 
 ov his family, an' whin he dies, the finest 
 tomb in the ould Abbey ov Holy Cross 
 opens to resave him; your counthrymen 
 can't chate him ov that tho' they didn't lave 
 me or mine a sod ov land that we could call 
 our own. Take the best horse on the cur- 
 ragh, an' gallop him iv ye can, ov a long 
 summer day, round what belongs to the 
 Mac Carthy More, iv he had his own back 
 agin; bud that's nay thur here nor there, blood 
 is sthronger than wather, an' goold afther 
 all, can't make the gintleman," after pro- 
 nouncing this truism, so contraverted in 
 the present day. 
 
 Mr. Mac Carthy turned on his heel, 
 leaving the Colonel in a state of painful 
 embarrassment, at having his good inten-
 
 176 THE MILITIA MA JOB, 
 
 tions so completely misunderstood ; he would 
 willingly have offered apology and explana- 
 tion for unintentionally wounding the 
 feelings of the meanest individual ; but 
 he felt puzzled to account for the indig- 
 nation evinced by a man of Mac Carthy's 
 appearance, at his proffered bounty, 
 and determined to talk the matter over 
 with Sir Maurice, who seemed on such 
 friendly terms with this extraordinary old 
 man. As he joined the party, in the 
 grounds, an opportunity presented itself. 
 The knight first laughed heartily, then 
 looking ominously grave, said — 
 
 " I am sorry this should have occurred ; 
 Mac Carthy is revengeful to a degree, 
 where he considers any insult is offered to 
 his rank in life. Peasant as he is, his 
 ancestors were princes, and the lower order, 
 who live more in the past than in the pre- 
 sent, always take the part of the fallen, 
 and treat him with greater deference than 
 they do the man of many acres. Still Mac 
 Carthy, notwithstanding all his pride and
 
 THE MTLITIA MAJOR. 177 
 
 foolish prejudice, is a shrewd man, and per- 
 ceived well enough, I dare say, that you 
 meant him a kindness, though his spirit was 
 hurt at its being proffered by a stranger. 
 Be assured, notwithstanding all the Major 
 said against Irish gratitude, he'll pay you 
 off one time or another." 
 
 "Aye,'' returned the Colonel, smiling 
 ** after his country's fashion, I suppose, with 
 a soft word and a stone in a stocking, a 
 hearty shake hands and a knock down." 
 
 " Likely enough, Colonel, if he thought 
 you dealt him insult or wrong ; but nothing 
 more unlikely in the world, if he took it as 
 it was meant. An act of kindness from a 
 stranger, bestowed on him through neither 
 fear nor treachery." 
 
 I 5
 
 178 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 CHAPTER XIY. 
 
 THE HERMITAGE. 
 
 They had now reached an open space, in 
 front of the ivj covered building, that served 
 in former days as a place of penance for the 
 Geraldine, when his conscience led him to 
 seek, in solitude and devotion, a temporary 
 balm from its galling pressure ; and accord- 
 ing to the superstition of the age, offer an 
 atonement to that Heaven he had outraged, 
 by voluntarily withdrawing himself from a 
 world, whose votaries, in all ages, have 
 found, sooner or later, to be more or less 
 vanity and vexation of spirit. Deeds of
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 179 
 
 rapine and of strife were in those ages fre- 
 quently succeeded by acts of mortification 
 to the body, while the pride of the unhum- 
 bled spirit, took only another form. The 
 sword of the chieftain flaming first in the 
 battle field, gave way to the cross of the 
 hermit, the subjugation of the rights and 
 property of others — the aim of the former, 
 while the sandalled anchorite sought that 
 more subtle but not less powerful sover- 
 eignty, the homage of mankind. The 
 principle of conquest in both were alike ; 
 the weapons of their warfare only differed. 
 And the baron in his castle-hall, subject to 
 no will, save his own, surrounded with all 
 the pomp and glitter of a feudal age, was 
 leis respected and feared by the majority of 
 mankind than the lowly hermit in his cell, 
 performing the self-righteous acts of fast 
 and vigil, humbling his lacerated body in the 
 dust, that his spirit might be the more ex- 
 alted amongst the sons of men. Tiiis se- 
 cluded spot was chosen on the present occa- 
 sion by no ascetic, The lady who fixed on
 
 180 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 it was decided in her choice bj considering, 
 with her usual prescience, that it possessed 
 many ingredients necessary to the comfort 
 of a fete cliampetre, seclusion and shade, 
 with some delightful walks in its imme- 
 diate vicinity — a delicious spring that 
 perhaps induced the solitary in former 
 days to build his cell near, now containing 
 a less picturesque, but in the lady's estima- 
 tion, far more useful personage, in the shape 
 of an old servant, who took care of the 
 building, and was expected, on the present 
 occasion, to cook the salmon just caught 
 from the blue waters of the Suir, its flavour 
 heightened by the arbutus on which it was 
 roasted, " a dainty dish fit to set before a 
 king," rivalled only by that vegetable pro- 
 duction, Irish by adoption, which now, the 
 earliest of the season, in their light coloured 
 jackets, smoked invitingly on the spread 
 board, that extended under the friendly 
 shade of a magnificent yew, rising in solitary 
 grandeur, right in front of the building ; its 
 friendly shade, in fornier days, may be sup-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 181 
 
 posed to have been dedicated to less carnal 
 purposes, than at the present moment, where 
 the substantial and desirable were happily 
 blended, for with the tactics of an expe- 
 rienced general, Mrs. O'Brady had (to use 
 her favourite dogma) " quartered on the 
 enemy," by levying, en passant^ the projected 
 supplies, not only on the garden and larder 
 but the cellar of Lisfinn. The well-covered 
 table attested her diligence, and it now re- 
 warded her praise-worthy exertions, by 
 presenting a very inviting front, which 
 most of the company present attacked, with 
 a zeal and energy that would have sorely 
 disconcerted the former abstemious occu- 
 pant of the place. 
 
 After the slight bustle consequent on 
 arranging such a part}^ Agnes found 
 herself seated next the Colonel, he address- 
 ing her in that easy, confidential tone, an 
 &cqaintance of many years might have 
 assumed, and her manner, marked by some 
 slight restraint and embarrasment, at the 
 recollection of her retreat from the boudoir.
 
 182 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 though the subject was never alluded to by 
 either, still the remembrance of it, by both, 
 served to draw them more closely together 
 and establish a sort of understanding 
 between them, difficult to define, yet, per- 
 haps, the most dangerous to the peace of a 
 young, unsophisticated being like Agnes, 
 that could possibly be indulged in. She 
 felt that her opinion also of her Aunt and 
 cousins was silently reciprocated by her 
 companion, and with the warm sympathy 
 of early girlhood, fancied that on other 
 subjects they must also think alike ; and 
 what so dangerous to the young as a 
 similarity of sentiment in one of the other 
 sex ; and oh, how doubly dangerous to the 
 confiding, yet timid nature, who has hitherto, 
 with shy reserve, shrunk from exposing 
 feelings at variance with those of the 
 majority around them, when they first hear 
 one kindred spirit, with manly boldness, ad- 
 vocate the very sentiments that lie buried 
 in the secret recesses of their own breasts. 
 For some weeks back had Agnes been
 
 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 1&3 
 
 exposed to this danger, and she now lis- 
 tened, with thrilling interest, to a 
 stranger addressing her in the language of 
 friendly interest, such as a brother, wha 
 had braved the world's shock, might 
 becomingly use to a young and sen- 
 sitive sister, about to launch on its troubled 
 waters — the unresisting gentleness of whose 
 nature, exposed to the shoals and quick 
 sands that beset her course — the rude and 
 selfish natures, by which she was surrounded, 
 — nor was the situation one of safety to 
 Saville. His own master, from boyhood, 
 he had never known a parent's care. An 
 indulgent guardian and ample fortune had 
 early placed him in the profession of his 
 choice — his home, the mess table — his 
 domestic circle, the officers that surrounded 
 it — a naturally affectionate disposition 
 narrowed within such a compass, devoted 
 the best energies of its nature to that of 
 his profession, and the regiment, whose colors 
 he had carried at sixteen, he commanded at 
 eight and twenty. In his varied and cam-
 
 184 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 paigning life he had been thrown much 
 in the society of women, but none amongst 
 them elicited from the young soldier more 
 than passing admiration ; there was some- 
 thing within him whispered that rank, 
 beauty, and accomplishments did not come 
 up to his standard of wedded happiness, 
 and under it, he was determined not to wed. 
 In his secret soul he felt that a love such 
 as his, if once awakened, was worthy of 
 something better ; and despite the beauti- 
 ful, and fascinating beings that from time 
 to time crossed his path, he still retained, 
 at nine and twenty, his heart and his 
 liberty. Marrying mammas considered 
 him an eligible but impracticable man ; his 
 brother officers held their Colonel invul- 
 nerable, as far as cupid was concerned, and 
 he, himself, liked his present life too well 
 to indulge a wish to change it. The 
 beauty of Agnes had struck him at their 
 first meeting, the naivete of her unstudied 
 manner had since attracted his attention, 
 he looked on her as a mere beautiful child
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 185 
 
 in whose speaking countenance he delighted 
 to read the gentle, unworldly thoughts of 
 one so fair and good; and without a fear for 
 either her safety or his own, he sought to 
 gain the confidence of her young heart, and 
 win bright and happy smiles from the lovely, 
 unconscious being beside him. Her aunt 
 was just then too much engaged enjoying 
 the good things before her, and endeavour- 
 ing to obliterate from the mind of Sir 
 Maurice any reminiscence of the Major's 
 interrupion, to attend particularly to her 
 niece, and the rest of the party, in discus- 
 sing their dinner, overlooked their neigh- 
 bours. 
 
 The Major's spirits seemed to revive at 
 the dessert, for though he had done every jus- 
 tice to the viands, still he was what the fancy 
 would call over crowed, until he perceived 
 his worthy sister-in-law had been successful 
 in her manoeuvre, of conciliating Sir Maurice, 
 and then all his wonted flippancy returned; 
 he rattled and boasted in his usual bom- 
 bastic style, relating sundry anecdotes of
 
 186 THE MILITIA MAJOR 
 
 his own life, in all of which he was sure to 
 figure as the hero, whether personal valour 
 or witty finesse was the theme on which he 
 dilated — self, occupied the foreground, and 
 what achievement could be narrated, which 
 the unconscionable Major would not, in his 
 own person, have out done. Captain 
 Grant chanced to mention a circumstance 
 that took place in his first campaign, where 
 the bravery and presence of mind of a pri- 
 vate, placed on picqiiet, saved a whole de- 
 tachment from being cut off. Three of 
 the enemy stole close to the English lines 
 to reconnoitre their position, a weak one, if 
 discovered ; all depended on the picquet; 
 and the cool bravery of the man saved his 
 companions ; he shot one, bayonetted a 
 second, and with the butt end of his car- 
 bine knocked down the third man, who 
 was creeping up the steep ascent, at the 
 top of which he was placed.
 
 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 187 
 
 CHAPTER V. 
 
 TBADITIONS OF "THE GALLANT TIPPERARY. 
 
 ** A MERE nothing," remarked the Major, 
 " compared to what happened me in * The 
 Tipperary/ when we were lying in Chester; 
 there were two English regiments quartered 
 with us there, at the time, and to show 
 you what Irishmen can do, out of their own 
 country, and what much finer fellows we 
 were, than either of these regiments of the 
 line, one of our officers laid a bet with one 
 of their's that he'd get a man in * The 
 Tipperary' that would box six of their best 
 men, one down another come on/'
 
 188 THE MILTTTA MAJOR. 
 
 "John Bull said 'Done/ for the honour 
 of his regiment ; and big ]Vill Delaney, 
 the thresher^ was the man fixed on by 
 Mandeville, of ours, (father to the young 
 man you met at my house.) Well, the 
 match came off in the barrack-square, with 
 the officers of the three regiments looking 
 on, and half the town of Chester to boot. 
 
 '*Bill was a huge fellow — a real bully of a 
 boy — and to be sure, how the Englishers 
 did stare at him, as he threw aside his coat, 
 and squared at his first man, shouting 
 out 
 
 *' * Sweet Tipperary for ever, and the sky 
 over it.' 
 
 " He had him down while you'd say Jack 
 Robinson, and before they could well look 
 about them, the six were disposed of. 
 
 '' The officers, to be sure, were very mad 
 about it ; but our own fellows had a glo- 
 rious night, and drank Bill Delaney's health 
 three times three before morning. Poor 
 devil ! he went to the bad after ; he was 
 starving a short time after the regiment was
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 189 
 
 disbanded \ but I heard he took to night 
 walking, and so put Mandeville and some 
 other of our fellows against giving him any 
 thing. But the best of it was, in Chester, 
 after this match, scarcely a day passed 
 without a fight between the privates of 
 those English regiments, and the Tipperary 
 boys, nor had they all the fun to themselves, 
 for a dozen duels were fought in the 
 space of three months amongst the officers 
 — our fellows always cutting them out ; so 
 you may think we carried things with a 
 very high hand. Well, I got a fever about 
 this time, and was confined to my room for 
 nearly a fortnight, when one morning, 
 waking out of my sleep, I heard the 
 soldiers at the old work in the street, 
 fighting away for the bare life. I jumped 
 up, and ran to the window, and there was 
 Bill Delaney, and about half a dozen^ com- 
 rades, attacked by a whole company of the 
 English regiment. The Tipperary boys 
 retreated backwards through the narrow 
 street ; but their adversaries increased
 
 190 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 every moment, and the town's people began 
 to join them. The Irishmen had nothing 
 for it but to run away, (and with the 
 crowd that was scarcely possible) or fight 
 to the last. A few moments more, and 
 their account was settled. I looked round 
 the room, it contained no weapon offensive 
 or defensive. The very fire-irons had been 
 removed — as in a raving fit, I had struck 
 ray nurse a few days before. Delay was 
 death to the men of my own regiment out- 
 side, for if big Bill, the thresher, had the 
 power of seven Goliahs in his single arm, he 
 would have been overpowered by the 
 numbers that now surrounded him, and I 
 knew the moment he was down, it was all 
 over with the rest. I placed my knee 
 against the bottom post of the camp-bed- 
 stead — to wrench it asunder was the work 
 of a moment ; the next, the window was 
 flung up, and my first landing was on a 
 sort of booth, immediately in front of the 
 house. One spring, and the street was 
 gained. A lane was soon cleared before
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 191 
 
 me, with the formidable weapon in my 
 hand ; would you believe it, gentlemen, 
 the Tipperary boys never knew me, and 
 small blame to them if they had; I had only a 
 piece of a shirt on, for I lost more than 
 half of it knocking the fellows down. By 
 the time I sent them all flying before me. 
 Bill Delaney closed on me. My blood was 
 too much up to undeceive him as to who I 
 was. I flung the bed-post at his backers, 
 knocking them over like so many sparrows, 
 and grappled with their leader. I was 
 ' The Threshers' match at any time, but 
 now nearly naked, with nothing for him 
 to hold by. I was one too many for him, 
 and watching my opportunity, tripped up 
 his heels in no time, and giving him a^heave 
 over, sent him right bang through a shop 
 window opposite to where we stood, out- 
 side shutters, window-frame and all, leav- 
 ing a clear stage before me. I looked about 
 for the bed-post, climbed the booth in a jiffey, 
 and was safe under the blankets, before 
 those in the street could look about them.
 
 192 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 and from that day to the day I left the 
 regiment, not a man among them ever 
 knew who it was put a quietus on the 
 line bullies, and broke Bill Delaney's 
 thigh, into the bargain/' 
 
 " I have heard/' remarked Sir Maurice, 
 with an incredulous smile, " some such 
 story as that told of Mandeville, or mad 
 devil as the people used to call him, once 
 when he was with ' The Tipperary,' in 
 England. He was a powerful, athletic 
 man, and as I once heard him say of him- 
 self, ' up to anything, from pitch and tos s 
 to manslaughter.' " 
 
 *' Oh, poor Frank," returned the Major, 
 " took the credit of it in the regiment, and 
 he was heartily welcome to it, for my part.- 
 I lay snug in my bed for ten days after, 
 and kept the secret to myself, laughing 
 all the time, in my sleeve, at poor mad 
 demVs boasting." 
 
 This gasconade, so characteristic of 
 the Major, amused the party exceed- 
 ingly. Their merriment much in- 
 creased by Captain Grant's gravely sug-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 193 
 
 gesting that this deadly encounter of the 
 Militia Major, as it took place in hours 
 dedicated to slumber, might, after all, be 
 nothing more than a fevered vision or flit- 
 ting dream." 
 
 '* Dream," repeated the little man, with 
 indignation, '' Bill Delaney thought it no 
 dream, when his thigh was broken, nor you, 
 sir, would have thought it no dream, if you 
 caaie in for a share of the threshing I gave 
 the fello;vs with the bed-post. Tour health, 
 Captain Grant, and let me tell you, before 
 now, I have called a man out for a less thing 
 than that. We were queer fellows in 
 * The Tipperary,' passed our jokes, and 
 snapped our fingers afterwards at the best 
 of them, and who dare bring us to an ac- 
 count for what we either did or said." 
 
 Here the Major drew breath, filled his 
 glass, with an air of great satisfaction, 
 bowed complacently to the Captain who sat 
 eyeing him with a comical expression of 
 countenance, between a wish to knock him 
 
 VOL. I. K
 
 194 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 down or enjoy a hearty laugh at his ex- 
 pense. The latter prevailed as his eye 
 fell on the grave visage of Jennings, the 
 gullible faculties of the lieutenant, he at all 
 times delighted to minister to, and now 
 fooled the Major to the top of his bent, for 
 his special benefit, encouraging him to re- 
 late sundry and marvellous anecdotes of 
 his duelling propensities, raising the light, 
 wiry colored locks of the young soldier, in 
 mute amazement at the hair-breadth 
 escapes, and bold daring of the invincible 
 Major, 
 
 The ladies had retired for some time, and 
 the captain indulged, unrestrained, in his 
 favorite pastime, quizzing, in turn, both 
 Major and lieutenant, at the same time 
 eliciting shouts of laughter from the rest of 
 the party. 
 
 " Well now. Major, the story of your 
 duel with the Norfolk," cried Grant, with a 
 merry twinkle of the eye that bespoke plainly 
 his appreciation of the game in hand, '* you 
 were abroad at the time, were you not l"
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 195 
 
 *' No ?" returned the Major, with a pom- 
 pous air, 
 
 " It was before ' The Tipperary ' went 
 out to the Peninsula, I suppose," inter- 
 rupted the lieutenant, who took literally 
 each boast the little man had uttered for 
 the last hour, and had already set him 
 down as cutting a distinguished figure 
 amongst the heroes of Vimeira, Cuidad 
 Rodrigo, Badajos, and Salamanca. 
 
 *^ No," returned the Major, slowly, * The 
 Tipperary,' saw little of the Peninsula 
 campaign." 
 
 " But then," persevered the lieutenant, 
 wishing to make him a hero at all hazards, 
 *'you took an active part where blows 
 were thickest, and came in, I dare say, for 
 some hard knocks at Quatre Bras and 
 Waterloo." The Major did not give the 
 reply direct to this, but contented himself 
 by remarking with a supercilious air, that 
 *^The Tipperary" had seen some hard 
 knocks, in their day, sure enough, and had 
 been well knocked about into the bargain 
 K 2
 
 l96 THE MILTTIA MAJOR. 
 
 for beside marching through almost every 
 town in England and Ireland, they had 
 been quartered for over six months at 
 Jersey, and were on the very eve of embark- 
 ing for the Isle of Wight, when they were 
 countermanded by an order to return home 
 at once, and be disembodied." 
 
 The lieutenant in vain adjusted his stock 
 militairey and played with the ends of his 
 crimson sash. Neither would assist hira in 
 forming a proper estimate of the man of 
 many marches, who had mounted guard at 
 St. Hellier^s, and lest his confused faculties 
 by some sudden revelation, should jump at 
 the truth, the captain reminded the 
 pseudo veteran of his duel with the Nor- 
 folk ; and that gentleman filling his glass 
 with an air of affected dignity, remarked — 
 
 " That the experience of a senior, was, 
 at all times, profitable to the juniors of a 
 profession, so that he would try and re- 
 member the circumstances of the transac- 
 tion, for the benefit of the officers present." 
 Then emptying his glass, began the ex-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 197 
 
 pected narrative — " Well, gentlemen, ' The 
 Tipperary' were, at one time, quartered 
 with the Norfolk ; we were lying in the old 
 City of Cashel, at the time, expecting 
 every hour the order for us to go 
 abroad." 
 
 " ' To Portugal, I suppose,' observed 
 Lieutenant Jennings, who had a particular 
 desire to hear something relative to the 
 Major's foreic/n service. 
 
 "' No/ returned the Major, briskly, 'they 
 wanted us in England, at that time; and 
 the Tipperary were too well known to be 
 sent out to fight in Spain and Portugal, 
 while their valuable services were so much 
 more wanting nearer home.' 
 
 The Lieutenant was silenced. And the 
 Major continued — 
 
 "I may mention it to you, gentlemen; 
 but Sir Maurice knows the truth of what I 
 assert, that the discipline of an Irish 
 regiment, staying in its own county, is 
 always sure to be relaxed. ' The Tip- 
 perary' did not difierfrom others ; and our
 
 198 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 fellows went out to school their horses, 
 course their greyhounds, hunted, or idled, 
 just pretty much as they pleased. The red- 
 coat gentry, as you will find out yourselves 
 some of those days, are sure to come in, for 
 whatever fun is going on in Ireland ; and 
 ^ the Tipperary boys,' I promise you, were 
 no way backward. Well, the worst of it 
 was, the English fellows got on better, some 
 way, with the women than we did ; to be 
 sure, they ail knew us before we mounted 
 the lace and cockade, and the best man 
 amongst us was only Joe Power, or Bob 
 MacGuire, whilst the Norfolk men were 
 sure to be eaptain^d and majored to their 
 hearts' content. The ladies, too, found it 
 difficult to pronounce some of their names ; 
 and the poor silly things set them down 
 at once as grandees in their own country, 
 so that we were neither danced with, or 
 listened to, if one of those boobies chanced 
 to be in the room. Well, our young fel- 
 lows were mighty sore about it — and we 
 signed a round robin to take the Norfolk
 
 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 199 
 
 men down, or know for what. Outwit your 
 man first, and bully him after, if you want to 
 get inside him with an Irishwoman, and I 
 firmly believe, the receipt holds good in regard 
 to every woman in the world ; we tried it, at 
 any rate, to some purpose, and soon brought 
 the ladies to reason. Mandeville, and some 
 other of our chaps, were for insulting them 
 forthwith. Frank tried it one day on the 
 public walk, by whisking the end of a cut- 
 ting whip that he held under his arm into 
 the eyes of an officer that was walking with 
 a flame of his — then turned to beg his 
 pardon, and trod on his rival's toe, so con- 
 foundedly, that the fellow roared for pain, 
 I remember that evening, at the mess, we 
 were all in great spirits, for a meeting was 
 settled for the next morning. 
 
 '' Mad Devil, was a crack shot ; but 
 Captain Curzon was the deuce of a quick 
 one, and did'nt much like waiting for his 
 adversary's fire ; so before the signal was 
 given his ball whizzed by Frank's ear. 
 This threw Mandeville ofi" his centre, but not
 
 200 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 much. He coolly muttered something 
 about •" the gentleman taking his time 
 when he was more used to it/' — his ball at 
 the same moment winging the Captain, by 
 shattering his right arm, just below the 
 elbow. I never saw a fellow more pro- 
 voked with himself than Frank was, for not 
 sending the daylight through him. When 
 he met Curzon a week or two after, philan- 
 dering Miss Falkener, doing interesting, 
 with his arm in a sling, and in higher 
 favour than ever with the lady, after being 
 wounded in a duel. The whole regiment 
 besides was looked on as heroes by the 
 women, and of course ten times more inso- 
 lent and obnoxious to us. Well, such a 
 thing could not be let go on, so we bit our 
 lips and were friends from the teeth out^ 
 until we could fairly trap them. 
 
 " About this time a subscription ball was 
 got up, where the Norfolk men promised 
 themselves an open triumph ; well, the day 
 of the ball, as if by accident, we joined a 
 party of them that were strolling about^
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 201 
 
 and commenced telling one story or another 
 of the Eock of Cashel, that frowned above 
 us at the time, and when their curiosity was 
 well excited, turned up a steep path that 
 led to the old ruin. The Englishmen had 
 seen it over and over again ; but still were 
 very curious in examining every niche and 
 archway of the building. And our fellows 
 had told a bushel of lies that were all 
 swallowed down ; for there's no story, no 
 matter how absurd, but I do verily believe 
 would be credited of an Irish castle. Well, 
 as we were coming away, a question was 
 raised by one of our party, How, in time 
 of siege, in former days, the fortress was 
 supplied with water, as it contained none 
 within itself? 
 
 *' ' Easy enough,' said I, * that stone 
 image you see outside there, standing on 
 a pedestal,' pointing to a rude figure cut 
 out of grey granite, ^ Saint Patrick gave 
 the power to spout up water whenever the 
 defenders of the blessed rock, that contains 
 K 5
 
 202 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 the holy ehapel of king Cormac, should 
 want it/ 
 
 " ' Ah, aye/ said an English fellow, ' a 
 sort of Jet d'eau, I suppose, supplied with 
 water, from some spring we don't see," 
 
 " ' Not at all/ said I, ' the saint supplies 
 that image from Lady's Well, at the other 
 side of the valley yonder/ pointing to where 
 the clear fountain that supplies the town, 
 was bubbling nearly a quarter of a mile 
 from where we stood, and some hundred 
 yards below us. 
 
 " ' Impossible/ exclaimed they all in a 
 breath, * water so far below the level of the 
 image, could never rise to it unless forced 
 by some engine, whose machinery must be 
 concealed underneath the statue itself/ 
 
 "'Examine it, gentlemen/ said I coolly 
 'and satisfy yourselves that there is no 
 such thing/ and sure enough it underwent 
 a very close scrutiny, and all acquitted the 
 statue of having anything to do with L'ldy's 
 Well, or any other well whatsoever. They
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 203 
 
 puzzled and wondered, and wondered and 
 puzzled again, to find out how the stone 
 image could supply the fortress with water. 
 
 " Tou may smile, gentlemen, when you 
 hear;' said I, 'but I lay fifty pound with 
 any, or every man amongst you, that I 
 prove the truth of what I assert; and that 
 is simply this, when that image hears the 
 bishop's clock at the palace strike twelve 
 at midnight, it descends to Lady's well, 
 and takes a huge draught of water, which 
 I have heard given as a reason for the 
 scarcity of water in this town ; and I am 
 led to suppose the water then drank, is 
 retained for a time of siege, when it is 
 sure to be most wanting.' 
 
 " Laws ! how they stared ; but nothing 
 like betting a good round sum to convince 
 men you are in earnest; my bet was booked 
 in no time, by three of them ; and it was 
 agreed a guard should be placed on the 
 image, that very night, to test the truth 
 of my story. We all went to the bull, ex-
 
 204 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 cept the officers, who took up the bet ; they 
 formed an extra guard on the rock that 
 night, and a cold snowy one it happened 
 to be. Well, we laughed among ourselves 
 prodigiously ; and were all seated at supper, 
 talking of the bet, when the unfortunate 
 devils made their appearance, with their 
 noses as blue as indigo; and their teeth 
 chattering with the cold, crying out, 
 
 " Power's bet is lost." 
 
 '' The ladies made room for them at the 
 table, expressing no pity for me, but the 
 dear creatures commiserated the frozen 
 youths in the tenderest manner. Mande- 
 ville thought he was worse off than ever, 
 when Miss Falkaer turned a deaf ear to 
 one of his best speeches ; and pushed away 
 from him, to let Curzon sit between them. 
 
 " '• Well, Mr. Power,' said he, as he took 
 his seat opposite to where I sat, ' your 
 friend, the statue at the rock, has not been 
 so thirsty as usual to-night, or forgot to 
 be punctual in his visit to Lady's Well ;
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 205 
 
 SO we'll thank you for a cool hundred and 
 fifty ; your bet is fairly booked, and lost.' 
 
 " * Not so fast, sir/ said I, slowly. 
 ' Can you prove the palace clock struck 
 twelve V 
 
 " * We have twenty witnesses to prove it/ 
 cried a number of voices, 'aye! and to 
 prove too/ added Curzon, " that the 
 stone image, when it struck, never stirred 
 an inch, nor would I am sure, had it 
 struck on from this till Doom's-day/ 
 
 *' * I only wonder how any man in his 
 senses could make such a bet,' cried a half 
 frozen ensign, ' with a positive certainty 
 of losing, staring him in the face/ 
 
 " All now laughed at my expense, the 
 whole company regarding me as a Bedlamite, 
 in much need of a keeper. 
 
 " ' You booked my bet this morning, if I 
 remember aright, Captain/ said I, address- 
 ing Curzon, ' Will you have the goodness 
 now to hand it to General Matthew; and 
 he'll be kind enough to read it for the 
 benefit of this respectable company, to
 
 206 THE MILITTA MAJOR. 
 
 whose judgment I submit, as to whether I 
 have lost mj bet, or not.' 
 
 The General was handed the pocket-book, 
 and while the attention of every person 
 present was fixed on him, read aloud — 
 
 " * Mr. Power of ' the Tipperary ' holds 
 fifty pounds with Captain Curzon ; the 
 same sum with Mr. Majendie, also with Mr. 
 Woody, all of * the Norfolk/ that when a 
 certain specified stone statue on the rock, 
 hears the palace clock strike twelve at 
 midnight, it descends to Lady's Well, and 
 swallows a huge draught of water/' This 
 set the table in a roar, and for some mo- 
 ments, the General's voice was not heard, 
 announcing, " that the bet had been taken 
 up by P. Curzon, F. Majendie, and J. 
 Woody, Esqrs." 
 
 " These three gentlemen, amidst peals of 
 laughter, claimed the bet as lost. I begged 
 them not to decide rashly ; for I certainly 
 did not consider it so until they proved to 
 my satisfaction, that the statue, specified 
 by the bet, had actually heard the Palace
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 207 
 
 clock strike twelve ; for I only undertook 
 to say it would visit Lady's Well when it 
 heard the clock strike twelve, a circum- 
 stance I thought would be difficult for even 
 their twenty witnesses to prove ; so 1 would 
 thank those three gentlemen for their tifty 
 each as soon as convenient. This turned 
 the tables completely in my favour ; the 
 whole room gave it against them, the 
 ladies present looked on them as mere 
 noodles that " the Tipperary boys " were 
 too sharp for, and nothing lowers a fellow in 
 a woman's opinion equal to seeing him the 
 jest of others — at all events, the rest of 
 the night none of us could be jealous of 
 the Norfolk men, the ladies laughed at 
 them most unmercifully — they had lost 
 their money, and were nearly frost-bitten 
 into the bargain, and had, worse than all, 
 to run the gauntlet of a jest from every 
 man in the room. We had it all our own 
 way that night; but the next morning 
 Mandeville stood at the side of my bed, 
 and tried to make me understand, (fori
 
 208 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 was quite done up from all I laughed and 
 drank the night before,) that three invita- 
 tions lay on the table from the gentlemen, 
 who had lost their bet, to meet them on the 
 sod in half-an-hour. Frank, who had ex- 
 pected, and hoped as much, was stirring 
 early, and now threw a jug of cold water 
 on my head to make me understand the 
 pros and cons of the business. 
 
 " I started up, and dressed in double 
 quick, while Frank went into the next 
 room to settle the preliminaries with the 
 seconds; this was soon over, and we were 
 on the ground in no time. A dozen of our 
 own fellows accompanied us, and more than 
 half the Norfolk surrounded Mr. Majendie, 
 who it was arranged should take my first 
 shot ; Curzon had modestly declined pre- 
 cedence on the occasion, kindly waving his 
 rank, in consideration of his wounded arm, 
 he relinquishing the honour of making a 
 target of my precious body, to Messieurs 
 Majendie and Woody, both famous hands at 
 taking down a flying swallow with a bullet
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 209 
 
 So with but little chance of escape I took 
 my ground, and heard Frank Mandeville 
 determine the distance. 
 
 "• * Muzzle to muzzle, gentlemen/ cried 
 he, in high glee, ' the nimble finger is sure 
 to have it — I hope your friend has good 
 nerves,' addressing Majendie's second, and 
 glancing at the poor devil himself, who 
 stood in a kind of fit between a palsy and 
 an ague, from the perishing and badgering 
 he got the night before, and now with his 
 teeth chattering, and a nipping easterly 
 wind blowing straight in his face, seemed 
 hardly able to hold a pistol in his hand, let 
 alone have nerve to fire it close to a man, 
 who held his at his breast, and moreover 
 looked so utterly unconcerned at the whole 
 afiair as I did. 
 
 '' ' I could never agree to it, sir,' said 
 the second, * it would be down right mur- 
 der ; besides Mr. Majendie is a nervous 
 man.' 
 
 " ' Well,' said Frank, carelessly, ' per- 
 haps Mr. Woody is not ; he can try his
 
 210 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 hand first, and your friend can whistle back 
 his pluck in the meantime — No offence to 
 the gentleman — You know the old saying 
 — ' a looker on sees more of the game than 
 the man that plays, and the best hurler 
 stands on the ditch.' '' 
 
 " * I know nothing of old sayings, sir/ 
 cried the second, impatiently ; ' but this I 
 do know, that the boldest man amongst us 
 would feel nervous in such a position as 
 you propose fco place my friend in.' 
 
 " ' Speak for yourself, and your brother 
 officers, sir,' said Frank, in a high tone ; 
 * but don't take on you to judge a Tip- 
 perary man — why, the very cockles of his 
 heart rises at the click of one of these 
 sparklers ;' glancing at his favorite tools 
 that lay near him, reposing in their velvet 
 case, exposed to public view ; * not to say 
 the comfort of handling the old true boys, 
 that never hung fire, or missed their mark, 
 since Humpy Carney hanselled them by 
 sending the daylight through Bob Domvil, 
 the fire-eater. Reckon the notches on their
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 211 
 
 handles, sir, and you'll find they haven't 
 been idle since ; and, please the fates, with 
 my consent, shan't be, for some time to 
 come.' 
 
 This allusion to the clear score of notches, 
 that stood as plain as A B C for an equal 
 number of pleasant murders, determined at 
 once the Norfolk man. 
 
 *' ' It can't be, sir,' he repeated. ' Your 
 friend must consent to twelve paces at the 
 least.' 
 
 ' My friend will consent to no such 
 thing — nor neither willl,' returned Frank; 
 * the law of honor allows us choice of dis- 
 tance and weapon ; and, I tell you, sir, 
 we insist fighting muzzle to muzzle ; and do 
 jou mark me, sir, with pistols loaded with 
 ball too ; however contrary it may be to the 
 practice of your regiment, these are the 
 terms ours fight on, and your friend must 
 withdraw his challenge and make an ample 
 apology for sending it, or accede to them, 
 without a murmun If not, he must take 
 the consequences."
 
 212 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 "The second withdrew a few paces from 
 Frank, and whispered with his own party, 
 for a moment; he then returned to enquire 
 what signal should be used, if he allowed 
 his friend to fight on such terms. 
 
 *' ' The usual signal given on these occa- 
 sions, to be sure/ replied Frank, with a devil 
 may care sort of expression in his eye, at the 
 unfortunate second. ' Both gentlemen 
 hold a handkerchief at opposite corners, 
 with their left hand, and present the pistol in 
 their right, at the breast of their adversary; 
 the signal is to let fall the corner held by 
 themselves and fire at the same time; prac- 
 tice makes master, and Power is pretty 
 quick at the work, for he drops it like a hot 
 potato, and is sure to go right bang at the 
 same time. But I think you want to freeze 
 his hand this morning, keeping us dallying 
 in this way. Place your friend, sir, the 
 thing will be over in a minute; besides it's 
 not fair to keep the other two gentlemen 
 waiting, though, to be sure, if a man was 
 going to be hanged, he must wait for his
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 213 
 
 turn; and I see nothing against the same 
 rule holding good for a man's heels being 
 tripped up with a bullet. So Mr. Majendie 
 comes first, and let us make a beginning at 
 anj rate/ 
 
 " That gentleman's looks no way autho- 
 rised his friend to give him the lead on this 
 occasion; so whether Frank's pantomimic 
 representation of a muzzle to muzzle duel, 
 was not exactly to their taste, or the 
 morning was unpropitious, the affair ended 
 with my pocketing the money, an dan apology 
 into the bargain. The Norfolk were right 
 glad to cut their stick when the rout came 
 — indeed, I heard, they applied for it pri- 
 vately. Sally Falkner, like a girl of spirit, 
 gave the go-bye to Curzon, and married 
 Frank Mandeville; and I," continued the 
 Major, in conclusion, with an air of modesty 
 that was very amusing, '' might (now that 
 it's past and gone, I may tell it) have the 
 pick and choice of the finest woman amongst 
 them, and right glad for the asking ; but
 
 214 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 ' old birds are not to be caught with chaff ' 
 — there was no tin flying, and Joe Power 
 was n't the lad, in those days, to en- 
 cumber himself with heavy baggage, with- 
 out knowing for what/'
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 A SQUIREEN AT HOME, 
 
 CHAPTER XVI. 
 
 By the time the Major had concluded this 
 reminiscence of his earlj campaign, the 
 evening was falling fast, and Sir Maurice 
 reminded the party that though the ladies 
 had promised to wait coffee for them, still it 
 was not gallant in them to try their pati- 
 ence so long. This hint set them all in 
 motion towards the castle ; and after con- 
 signing those gentlemen to the female 
 portion of the party, we shall take the 
 liberty of introducing our readers to another 
 of a different character, in its neighbour-
 
 2t6 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 hood. These were two young men, ap- 
 parently of the same age, and rank in life, 
 seated at a large bay window in a half 
 furnished apartment, whose rich cornices, 
 and curiously carved bouffets, the gilding 
 effaced by time and damp, their faded 
 beauties looking somewhat respectable, 
 evidently the ' light of other days,' but 
 now, like ancient gentlewomen, reduced, 
 still dignified, they looked down, in solemn 
 mockery, on the soiled boards, patched and 
 broken in various places, uncarpeted, and 
 uncared for, whilst the dilapidated window, 
 bespeaking symptoms of not slow but rapid 
 decay, was in perfect keeping with all 
 around ; still its fractured panes exhibited 
 some skill and attention in the artiste, who 
 had laudably endeavoured to restore their 
 shattered relics, to, at least, one of the 
 pristine purposes, intended by the inventor 
 of glass — the material used at Kilgroggy 
 possessed another advantage besides ex- 
 cluding air, which entitles it to the special 
 patronage of all proprietor^ of cobwebbedand
 
 THE MILTTIA MAJOR. 217 
 
 neglected apartments, admitting Heaven's 
 light but faintly ; the dim obscure of the 
 brown or blue paper patch, good-naturedly 
 shading, from curious eyes, things better not 
 seen by the searching glare of day ; and 
 in this age of expediency, and we may add 
 luxury, when the advertising columns of 
 every newspaper we take up, announces 
 some new invention to suit the wants and 
 wishes of mankind, we may be forgiven 
 for alluding to this truly Irish mode of 
 glazing a window; and, lest the custom 
 should fall into disuetude, we mention it 
 for the sole benefit of slovenly housekeepers, 
 who, by reviving the usage, may not only 
 defy external vapour, but effectually baffle 
 the 'detective force' in discovering any 
 discrepancy or inaccuracy in the arrange- 
 ment domestiqiie. On the present occasion, 
 light and air were both freely admitted into 
 the rooii), we have attempted to describe, 
 by the sash being thrown up midway. One 
 of the young men occupied the window, 
 lying rather than sitting, his legs thrown in 
 VOL. I. L
 
 218 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 
 
 a careless attitude on its seat, his elbow 
 resting on its framework, while, from time 
 to time, he sipped, from a glass, some punch 
 he had left on the window sill to cool, at 
 intervals smoking lazily and listlessly from 
 a blackened pipe, which seemed to afford 
 him much enjoyment; though its soothing 
 puffs were lost on his companion, who re- 
 garded the apathy of the smoker with any- 
 thing rather than a look of approval, or 
 admiration : but gave way to his own 
 impatient feelings, by bestowing a hearty 
 kick on the greyhound, who, that moment, 
 stirred beneath the table he sat at ; then 
 swilling off, hastily, a second tumbler of 
 hot punch, exclaimed, in a voice of irrita- 
 tion, 
 
 " Well, Nick, Fd give anything for your 
 indifference about people — hang me, but I 
 would give the last shillingi have in the world 
 to care as little for your sister Lucy as you 
 do ; to see you smoking there as happy as 
 a king, and she flirting away with that fat 
 Captain — that for all the world is like a
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 219 
 
 butt of beer, with a face raddled on it, and 
 two bung holes for eyes, and it set rolling 
 about, to be laughed and kicked at by 
 whoever liked." 
 
 *' I'd rather be at the tapping than the 
 kicking of it," returned Nick, withdrawing 
 fur a moment, the pipe from his mouth, and 
 squirting into the weed-covered semicircle 
 of gravel, that lay before the house. 
 *' Nothing better than a good drink of 
 beer," continued he, regardless of his friend's 
 evident chagrin, ''and in^this hot weather, I 
 think its far before that scalding punch, but 
 there's no doing the brewery out of it this 
 time; Frank, my bill there is as long as my 
 mother's pedigree was, when she was down 
 in Galway, in hot pursuit of a thirty-first 
 cousin of the O'Connor Don', and wanted 
 to pass Jenny on him as a thorough-bred 
 Milesian, and no mistake." 
 
 *' But, he wouldn't bite," said Frank. 
 
 •' No," returned his companion, " he was 
 too knowing a cove, though Jenny and the 
 mother played him like a trout, and proved, 
 L 2
 
 220 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 beyond all reasonable doubt, their near re- 
 lationship to Fin Mac Coul; but all 
 wouldn't do, there's no getting round a 
 Connaught man, by boasting of a long pe- 
 digree; he's always sure to have the best of 
 that argument; and this chap talked of 
 Fin, as a mere upstart, in comparison with 
 his ancestors, that were born gentlemen 
 before the flood; and every man of them, 
 worth their weight in gold, as he hoped 
 would be the case, with himself one day or 
 another, when a bill was brought into Par- 
 liament, for the reclaiming of waste lands, 
 as most of his property came under that 
 denomination." 
 
 "Well, I suppose it ended as Lucy's 
 flirting with that Grant will some of those 
 days — he cut and run." 
 
 " To be sure, he did," returned Nick, 
 " I told them, from the first, it was a 
 wild goose chase. The fellow was a dead 
 shot, so there was no bullying him, and as 
 to nabbing one of his sort with talk about 
 your ancestors, and he looking for a girl
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 221 
 
 with the shiners all the time. It was all 
 mj eye ; but women will be wilful ; 
 they saw their folly out, and Jenny saw 
 her Connemera lover, pedigree, waste lands 
 and all, spliced to a tanner's daughter with 
 twenty thousand down on the nail. Of 
 course, he married for spite, as Jenny vowed 
 she had refused him ; and as the game was 
 up, lost no time in cocking her cap at ano- 
 ther." 
 
 This little piece of family history, so 
 descriptive of the failure of Jane O'Brady's 
 matrimonial speculation, restored, in some 
 degree, the good-humour of Mr. Frank 
 Mandeville, who, mixing a third tumbler, 
 evinced symptoms of being more communi- 
 cative than in the earlier part of the 
 interview. 
 
 ^' Well, Nick, if you saw what I did, to- 
 day, down at the hermitage, you'd say she 
 was trying her hand at another chap, and 
 he but a raw one, into the bargain ; but I 
 didn't look much at her," continued he, 
 with something approaching to a sigh.
 
 222 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 **To tell the truth, I was too much taken 
 up watching her sister Lucy making 
 a fool of herself with that buffoon 
 of a Grant, laughing as if her heart 
 would break at every word he said ; and 
 that laugh of LucyX you know, that comes 
 straight from her heart, that, if she was 
 after killing me I would forgive her. While 
 I was looking at her beautiful teeth, and 
 her lips, Nick, that were as red and as 
 fresh -looking, to-day, as the cherries she 
 was eating — '' 
 
 Here Nick's impatient " pish" at once 
 proclaimed him brother to the lady, as well 
 as the increased energy with which he got 
 up the steam, puffing away vehemently at 
 this lover-like burst of his friend, and 
 he, evidently much relieved from un- 
 burthening his vexation, continued in a 
 tone, half descriptive, half complaining 
 the sequel of what he had witnessed that 
 morning — - 
 
 " I saw the whole party, Nick, crossing 
 the wooden bridge on the way down to the
 
 THE MILITIA MA JOE. 223 
 
 Hermitage; I was playing a salmon at the 
 very minute just near the Weir, a good 
 way from where they were then ; but I 
 knew Lucy at a glance, and the fat beast 
 beside her, and guessed how the land lay ; 
 that they were on some party of pleasure 
 that neither you nor I were to know any- 
 thing about — Well, in my surprise, I gave 
 the salmon a chuck that snapped the line 
 in two, and who should come up to me at 
 that instant but ycur boy, * Nickey the 
 Nurse.' ' Oh, Masther Frank,' says he, 
 ' a sight ov company intirely is comin' 
 down to the Hermitage. The officers, an' 
 the young ladies, an' I drove the misthress 
 over this mornin', they'll have great divar- 
 shun bine by, an' I'm sure they'll be 
 mighty glad to see you, sir, if you come 
 over, an' I'll carry the tackle fur ye !' ' It's 
 manners to wait to be asked, Nickey/ says 
 I, * but I'll go over at any rate, and see 
 what they're about.' So we made a short 
 cut, and were there long before them, and 
 sure enough, before the old building, just
 
 224 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 under the yew tree, a table was laid out in 
 the greatest style — 'twould make a man 
 after his dinner hungry to look at it, and 
 you may think how my teeth watered, that 
 hadn't tasted a bit since breakfast this 
 morning, before seven o'clock. When Nickey 
 found I wouldn't appear to them, he took 
 some of the best things off the table, and 
 settled me very comfortably in the old 
 building, where I had a spy-hole out 
 through the ivy, without being seen at all 
 myself; and there I set towork and had my 
 pick and choiceof the dinner without leave or 
 license, and heard them all below chattering 
 and talkinglikeaflockof magpies; your uncle, 
 the Major, the biggest man among them, put- 
 ting in his prate about everything. Well, 
 if it wasn't for the way Lucy got on, grin- 
 ning and laughing at every word that fat 
 fool said, I'd have enjoyed looking at the 
 rest, more than the best play I ever was at. 
 Your mother was palavering Sir Maurice, 
 who looked mighty high I thought. Your 
 sister Jane^ was hanging on the arm of
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 225 
 
 that white-haired, raw-boned boy, as if 
 she were dying for love of him, crying out, 
 * Ah ! do look at those lovely mountains, 
 with their lights and shadows ; while he, 
 T promise you, threw a much more longing 
 look at the dinner-table." 
 
 "And had no objection to lighten its sub- 
 stantials. I should think," remarked Nick, 
 laying down his pipe, and laughing immoder- 
 ately athisown pun, and the picture his fancy 
 drew of the hungry lieutenant, obliged to 
 swallow his sister's mawkish sentimentality, 
 instead of his dinner. 
 
 Frank joined heartily in his friend's 
 mirth, and continued his description of the 
 party. 
 
 " The best scene among them was Kitty, 
 cr, I beg her pardon, Miss Kate, with an 
 accordion in her hand, that she picked up, 
 I suppose, somewhere on her way, or may 
 be came ready primed and loaded with, to 
 slay the unwary : this she kept drawing 
 backwards and forwards, playing some- 
 thing like a psalm tune, or the Dead March 
 L 5
 
 226 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 in Saul, into the ears of that unfortunate pale, 
 quiet-looking young man, who seemed every 
 moment on the eve of running away from 
 her, but she stood in an attitude before 
 him, with her large gooseberry eyes fixed 
 like a basilisk on his face, so that the poor 
 wretch hadn't the power to move, but 
 looked for all the world like * patience on 
 a monument smiling at grief/ while she, 
 with her face half a yard longer than usual 
 kept playing away^ driving the man nearly 
 mad, until the Colonel interfered in his 
 favor, and got him a reprieve from Miss 
 Kate's music, by asking the young lady to 
 allow the poor woe begone creature to eat 
 his dinner ; then to be sure, when they were 
 seated, to hear all the lies the Major told 
 of the time he was in 'the Tipperary/ 
 Everything wild or funny my poor father 
 did, he told as if it happened to himself ; 
 and to hear him talk, you'd think he was 
 the finest fellow that ever stood in shoe 
 leather." 
 
 "And there's not a greater coward in
 
 THE MTLITJA MAJOK. 227 
 
 Munster between you and I," remarked his 
 hopeful nephew. 
 
 '' I wish you could have heard him an 
 hour ago," returned Frank. 
 
 **It strikes me," said Nick O'Brady, 
 who loved mischief for its own sake, " that 
 it would be capital fun to waylay the Major 
 on his way home ; they won't leave Lisfinn 
 until it is dusk, for Nickey was ordered to 
 bring back the car here, as they all in- 
 tended to cross in the boat ; so we might 
 come up with him, without his ever know 
 ing who it was, and give him another story 
 to tell." 
 
 "Fd enjoy seeing such a confounded 
 coward blown up before the very party 
 he boasted so too, and give the old chap 
 a good fright into the bargain, for all the 
 lies he told to-day." 
 
 *'rd like to duck him," added Frank, 
 who felt very sore at the Major's ap- 
 propriating to himself the well-known ex- 
 ploits of his sire in ' the Tipperary.' 
 
 " We'll frighten him well, at all events,"
 
 228 THE MILITIA MAJOR 
 
 resumed his companion ; " and now let us 
 go out to the stable, and see Nickey, and 
 he'll be able ta tell us, what hour they're 
 likely to break cover at Lisfinn." 
 
 The young meu accordingly strolled out 
 in the direction of the stable-yard, followed 
 by the greyhound that lay under the fcable, 
 and joined, before they reached their desti- 
 nation, by a spaniel, two noble pointers, 
 and a black setter, that always kept close 
 guard on his master^s footsteps — whatever 
 scarcity was about Eilgroggy, it could not 
 be said to be that of the dog species. 
 Each of the canine tribe found a repre- 
 sentative there, and besides a regular pack 
 of barriers, the proprietor of the establish- 
 ment could boast of a miscellaneous col- 
 lection of the dog ge7iusi^ that would supply 
 a Norwegian Market for nearly a twelve- 
 month. Somebody we once heard, shrewdly 
 enough, observe, that the decline and fall 
 of an Irish family, was most surely indica- 
 ted whenever the dog species about the 
 locale outnumbered considerably the pigs
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 229 
 
 and cows of the farm-yard. Around Kil- 
 groggy, they enjoyed an undisputed 
 majority, for no other animal made their 
 appearance, nor do we believe it contained 
 any, save a badger, fastened up in an out- 
 house, and some young foxes — especial 
 favourites with Misther Nick — nursed and 
 petted to be hunted and killed by the next 
 winter, whilst the stud that was to come in 
 for a share of the sport, scampered at large 
 through the badly kept paddocks around. 
 The grooms, themselves, (if two bare-leg- 
 ged, and bare-headed garsoons^ able to wisp 
 down a horse with the best man at the 
 curragh, deserved that epithet) seemed to 
 enjoy the general sort of holiday, that 
 reigned in and about the establishment ; 
 ihey now played pitch and toss, on a piece 
 of gravel that originally constituted part 
 of a drive leading from the hall door of the 
 mansion to the large wooden gate that 
 formerly shut out the back-yard and its 
 unsightly offices from the public gaze ; but 
 which now, paralysed at one side, had fallen
 
 230 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 from its high estate, and bit the dust, while 
 its standing member looked more like a 
 mendicant seeking for alms, than a sturdy 
 sentinel, to prevent access to, or oppose egress 
 from, the back settlements it originally pro- 
 tected. The gravel drive itself had changed 
 much from its former appearance, and pre- 
 sented now, a striking resemblance to some 
 verdure gardens we have seen, chequered 
 alternately with lively green and sterile 
 space ; the only difference unassisted nature 
 had done its work for the gravel, while the 
 bad or good taste (if you will) of the 
 florist, intersected the verdant luxuriance of 
 the grass plot with zig-zag and fantastic 
 heaps of clay too often, to preserve their 
 form unimpaired, with aught save scanty 
 shrub or flower. 
 
 Nick O'Brady and his companion stopped 
 a few moments, en passant^ to witness the 
 edifying play of his varlets, and after 
 bestowing a few scientific remarks on the 
 game, led the way to the stable yard. 
 
 Nickey Murphy, or as he was more generally 
 known, Nickey the Nurse the latter appel-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 231 
 
 lation having been bestowed on him at an 
 early age, to distinguish him from his young 
 master, whose foster-brother he was, now 
 stood leaning against the manger, divested 
 of his livery coat, which hung jauntily on 
 the stable door; eyed by Nickey, with a 
 very malevolent expression of countenance, 
 as he stood smoking away, with an air of 
 utter indifference to the comfort of the poor 
 horse he had just driven, standing beside 
 him with its harness still unremoved, but ma- 
 king up for any privation he might have 
 endured that morning, by now exercising 
 with all diligence, his masticatory powers, 
 on the pro vender that lay before him. As the 
 two young gentlemen entered the stableyard 
 Nickey withdrew the pipe from his mouth, 
 but without moving his eyes off the dark 
 green jacket and shining buttons that had 
 hitherto engaged his attention, commenced 
 a conversation, half soliloquy, half expostu- 
 latory; and certainly no way complimentary 
 to his serving garment. 
 
 " Wisha, sweet bad luck to you fur a coat,
 
 232 THE MTLITIA MAJOE. 
 
 that's like the mate the divil tempted the 
 pedlar with, naither fish, flesh, nor fowl, but 
 mate fur all that; like yeersilf, naither wan 
 thing nor th' other; not a Bang up nor a 
 riding coat, nor a sarvent's frock, but a 
 scutiy watty that skivers my arms all day as 
 if I war a turkey skewered for biling, or a 
 dog in body clothes, looking like some out- 
 landish highlandher, not as if myself was in 
 it, at all, at all. Wisha, what made me put 
 you on; 'tis little the young ladies knew the 
 figure Td cut, or the scrooge Fd be in all 
 day, when they kept such a bother 'bout my 
 lookin' ginteel, attindin afore the officers, or 
 little they'd care aythur,'' added Nickey 
 whose wrath seemed to rise at the remem- 
 brance of bis sufferings, "the quality, mav- 
 rone, think ov nothin bud their own fun and 
 divarshun. Whoever dances, the poor sar- 
 vints are sure to pay the piper. Morphyhere 
 and Morphy there,' I'm always Morphy afore 
 the company," here Nickey chuckled, "and, 
 why didn't you do that, Morphy f here he 
 affected the company voices of his young
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 233 
 
 mistresses, *' while their poor sarvint 
 boy," continued he, resuming his natural 
 key, " was suflfering the pains of purga- 
 tory all the time, wid that wizzen ov a 
 coat that's not big enough for wan ov 
 the garsoom^ let alone to say a man like 
 mysilf." 
 
 His master, with his companion, now 
 entered the stable, and the current of 
 Nickey's thoughts, no way disturbed by 
 this accession to his listeners, addressed 
 them on the subject nearest his own heart; 
 first pointing to the objectionable raiment 
 which looked provokingly unconscious, as 
 it hung on the open door, then shrugging 
 his shoulders with much energy, to give 
 practical proof of being no longer confined 
 within its scanty limits; regarding it at 
 the same time, with a look of profound 
 contempt. 
 
 "Oh thin, misther Nick, 'tis myself is 
 proud to be rid ov that crab shell; bad 
 cess to me, bud Td sooner walk to Cork, 
 than attind another day in it, an' only
 
 334 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 I didn't wish to harum the young ladies 
 and their bachelors to the fore, when I 
 stood attindin um at dinner, Fd have 
 dhrawn my two shouldhers together in 
 the frunt, an' sent the back flyin in 
 smithereens before um." 
 
 Here the two young gentlemen laughed 
 heartily, and expressed their regret at 
 Nickey's non-performance of this feat." 
 
 Beganays^'^ resumed Nickey, '* it's aisy 
 fur ye to laugh when ye war'nt crampt up 
 in that haythin ov a coat, that was never 
 intended fur a christian man at all, at all ; 
 sure I have it frum the young ladies own 
 lips, that when the misthress an they were 
 up in Limerick, they kept a tiger or some 
 wild baist ov the kind, dhressed up in that 
 livery, and the misthress herself tould me 
 that whin yeer honour stopt paying the 
 the jointher, she could'nt aflford to feed him 
 or pay him. These wor her own words, 
 an' little blame to her fur the feeding part 
 ov it, for sure 'twould take a good forthune 
 to fill the maw ov a wolf at self, not to say
 
 THE MILITTA MAJOR.* 235 
 
 a tiger. But heganaijs, as to the paying, 
 'twould never lighten the pocket ov anny 
 body, for who'd give anny thing to a wild 
 baist ov the kind, but piper's wages, 
 more, kicks than ha'pence." " Sorra 
 blame to her fur keepin him, if it was 
 her figary, bud 'twas a sin and a shame 
 to turn sich a wild brute loose on the coun- 
 try, and ax a dacent boy like myself to wear 
 his cast offs — moreover, whin they fit me 
 like a sthrate waistcoat, an bedad like that 
 same is enough to drive a man out ov his 
 seven sinses entirely, entirely, to think 
 ov it." 
 
 '* Well Nickey," said his master, gravely, 
 " sure if the coat pinched at self, you had 
 the comfort to think that you were all in 
 the fashion, and that it was worn by your 
 betters before now." 
 
 '^ My betters, Misther Nick," retorted 
 Nickey indignantly, '* do you call a tiger or 
 anny baist ov the sort, the betters ov an 
 honest boy, that man or child nobody had 
 ever to say black was the white of his eye,
 
 236 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 to yet; if ye do, sir, y e'er greatly mistaken, 
 beggin ye'er pard'n, fur I would'nt compare 
 myself wan day wid anny baist, not to say 
 a wild cat dv the sort. For what's a tiger 
 afther all, sir, bud an overgrown cat, left to 
 nathure widout any edicashun — let to run 
 wild in the woods in those foreign parts, 
 where, I suppose, the misthress had him 
 caught and snaffled like a young horse, 
 before she put the livery on him ; an' 
 mavrone^ it's no wondher fur the people to 
 turn out bad in those times, or turn aginst 
 their own masthers and misthresses, when 
 they look upon the wild baists as their 
 betters, an' put um in the place ov their 
 own born sarvints ; but the world is turn'd 
 upside down, an' no blame to it, whin a 
 young gintleman uv family an forthin that 
 ought to know the difference, reflects on his 
 own fosther brother, an' thinks more ov a 
 tiger in a livery jacket than he does ov 
 his own flesh and blood I may say, that was 
 raired on the wan milk, wid himself be- 
 fore now."
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 237 
 
 Here Nickey the Nurse folded his arms 
 in mute despair, and looked with profound 
 melancholy and reproach at his master, 
 though that gentleman could not refrain 
 laughing at the rueful expression of his 
 serving man's countenance ; still his claim 
 of fosterer saved him, for the present, from 
 carrying the joke any further. A piece of 
 self-denial Mr. Nick O'Brady seldom prac- 
 tised, preferring, on most occasions, his jest 
 to his friend ; but now, contrary to his 
 wont, perhaps from some early association, 
 called up from memory's cells, by the 
 touching appeal of Nickey, he relieved the 
 evident distress of his humble companion 
 in the sports of boyhood and maturer years, 
 by saying — 
 
 " Never mind, Nickey, I was only taking 
 a rise out of you. I wouldn't swap you for 
 the best tiger that ever stood on four legs, 
 or two. Money couldn't purchase you 
 from me ; and I'll say this much for you, 
 Kickey, I don't think money's worth would
 
 238 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 tempt you to sell me to any man that ever 
 breathed/' 
 
 ^'Thank'ee Misther Nick/' said the poor 
 faithful creature, his good natured counte- 
 nance brightening up at being thought so 
 far above all price, '' an' sure, sir, afther 
 all, it's only justice fur ye to say so, fur 
 the last dhrop in my body is at ye'er ser- 
 vice; and why not, or to a dog belongin' to 
 man, woman, or child ov ye'er seed, breed, 
 or generation." 
 
 " Well Nickey, your master knows that," 
 said Frank Mandeville, " but he thought 
 it too bad for you to complain of your 
 livery, after looking at all those dashing 
 officers eat their dinner with such an appe- 
 tite to day." This was thrown out as a 
 feeler to draw Nickey out on the subject 
 that engaged his own attention most, 
 and was what sportsmen would call heating 
 the Bush. 
 
 Nickey, with a tact and delicacy, almost 
 peculiar to the lower order of Irish, started 
 the game^ without at all shocking the young
 
 THE MILTTIA MAJOR. 239 
 
 lover's sensibility ; besides the fosterer was 
 a privileged person. He had been almost 
 the constant companion of both young men, 
 from his childhood, and without ever pre- 
 suming on the intimacy formed in those 
 early days, he still retained sufficient influ- 
 ence over each, to share their confidence, and 
 if not actually made the depository of their 
 respective secrets, at least to understand 
 them sufficiently to warrant an allusion 
 to the lover^s feelings, not unseemly at the 
 present moment. 
 
 " Oh, bedad^ I saw that same Misther 
 Frank, if it did me anny good, bud it's not 
 the likes ov some ov um that I'd like to see 
 sayted near a sartin young lady, nor what 
 she'll like herself some ov those days, when 
 she gets over the figary and grandher ov 
 the thing; but it's a tight, handsome, young 
 fella, wid a pleasant look, and word fcr every 
 wan he meets ; not that Captain Soocj' 
 gawn that nobody knows where he come 
 frum, and looks for all the world like a 
 bundle of sthraw, wid a coat and a hat put
 
 240 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 on it to frighten away the crows He'd 
 do fur that same, bud he wouldn't be able 
 to jump a ridge ov pray tees if a pack of 
 the best hounds that ever broke cover or 
 crossed a country, was at his back like some 
 wan I know." 
 
 *' You're pretty right/' returned Frank, 
 much pleased at Nickey's description of his 
 rival, ''but Master Nick and I want to 
 know what hour they're likely to leave 
 Lisfinu — we'd like to give those gentlemen 
 a bit of a fright, and teach the old Major 
 not to tell in future, of himself, what was 
 done by a man he couldn't hold the con- 
 die for, and that was my own poor father, 
 when he was in the '* Tipperary." 
 
 **No, nor a farthin rushlight," returned 
 Nickey, who like most of his countrymen, 
 delighted in superlativising a metaphor, 
 " sure I remember his honour well, and a 
 fine, portly man he was, as you'd see in a 
 day's walk. MadDivil^ as the people used 
 to call him, for sure the fun was in him to 
 the last. Ould Biddy Cantwell, my owu 
 mother's sisther, was the nurse tendher
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 241 
 
 that was in it, whin he departed (God rest his 
 sowl, tho' he wasn't wan ov my own 
 way ov thinking,) an hilped to lay him out, 
 afther I ha'd it from her own lips. You 
 wor at the boordin' school, sir, the same 
 time, an' a man and horse was sent (-IF fur 
 you in the dead hour ov the night ; for the 
 docthers said, he wouldn't last any time, 
 an' he kept callin for ye, frum dusk the 
 night before. Well, Biddy was sitting up 
 wid him, an' he used to say to her every 
 minnit — 
 
 ''' Wbin'ill Masther Frank be here. I must 
 wait to see him," he'd cry, as if he had 
 partiklar business wid ye, "an' much as 
 they wish to see me in th'other world, an 
 great as their hurry is, they must have 
 patience untie he comes.' 
 
 ^'*Well, he kept up this tchune all 
 night, an' the next day; an' to'ards evenin' 
 sure enough, you rode into the back yard, 
 wid the foam an inch thick on the mare. 
 An' whin he hears the sound ov ye'er horse's 
 feet, he rises himself up in the bed, as 
 
 VOL. I. M
 
 242 THE MILTTTA MAJOR. 
 
 stbrong as if he had twenty years to live, 
 an calls out to Biddy — 
 
 '' ' Bad luck to you, Biddy Cantwell, don't 
 ye hear Masther Frank. Open the doore 
 fur him in a hurry, and if I don't see him, 
 Biddy, be sure you tell him from me that 
 he'll live and die a keen fsportsman, for 
 he's in at the death/ 
 
 " Before Biddy could run to the door, 
 ye wor in the room ye'rself, sir. " 
 
 "And before either of us could reach 
 the bed," added Frank, in a melancholy 
 tone, " it was all over with the poor 
 governor." 
 
 " He died as he lived," remarked Nick 
 O'Brady, " true ga?ne to the last, and 
 didn't deserve such an old codger as the 
 Major should crow over him when he was 
 gone." 
 
 '' Bedad, that's thrue enough, Masther 
 Nick," returned the fosterer, removing the 
 harness off the horse, and commencing 
 busily to wisp him down ; " but wan good 
 turn desarves another, an' sure I'll get
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 243 
 
 some ov the boys to pin the Major this 
 evening ; for the misthress an' the young 
 ladies, Til be bound, won't lave the castle 
 untie it's purty late ; an'give him a squeeze, 
 fur there's not many among urn that does'nt 
 owe him a grudge for wan thing or another 
 that he did to themselves before now." 
 
 It was then arranged that the two young 
 gentlemen should prepare themselves as if 
 for rabbit shooting, and when returning from 
 the meadows near the river, accidentally, 
 on purpose, join the party, from Lisfinn, in 
 their way to the boat; contrive to separate 
 the Major from the officers; " the boys" at 
 that moment to pounce on him, and without 
 materially injuring the gentleman's person, 
 frighten him into good behaviour for the 
 future, and expose his braggadocia vaun- 
 tings within hearing of the very men he 
 had boasted so extravagantly to but a few 
 hours before; besides thus punishing the 
 plagiarist of his father, Frank solaced 
 himself with thinking, that in the general 
 confusion he would be able himself to effect 
 M 2
 
 244 THE MILITIA MAJOR, 
 
 a movement on the fat captain's ribs, whilst 
 Nick O'Brady, with the glee of a school- 
 boy, looked forward to knocking up, what 
 he called, a scrimmage amongst the whole 
 party.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOK. 245 
 
 CHAPTER XVII. 
 
 A NIGHT ATTACK. 
 
 The evening set in quickly, as the two 
 friends started on their projected sortie ; 
 they had gained the meadows through 
 which the party would pass, and keeping 
 their eye on the gravel drive, that wound 
 its way in the direction of the boat, recon- 
 noitred a neighbouring grove, in which lay, 
 perdu, Nickey and his friends ; then, dis- 
 charging their pieces, sauntered about, 
 until the sound of voices, at a distance, 
 rendered distinct by the stillness of the 
 night, announced that the party were in
 
 246 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 motion. In a few minutes Frank had the 
 mortification of hearing Lucy's laugh, borne 
 on the breeze, joined in chorus with that of 
 his hated rival. 
 
 " Well, now, Nick, isn't this too bad," 
 said the unfortunate lover, in a tone between 
 vexation and reproach, ''to hear her laugh- 
 ing in this way, at half a mile off, with a 
 man that she knows only for a few 
 weeks — '' 
 
 " And you,'* said Nick, finishing the 
 sentence for his friend, " that have known 
 her for as many years ready to throw her 
 in the river, for laughing at a man that 
 you didn't care was at the bottom of it 
 this very minute.'' 
 
 " No, it's not for that I'm angry with 
 her, nor would I care so much about her 
 laughing with the greatest stranger ; but 
 you saw it yourself, as well as I did, that 
 since that odious detachment came into the 
 neighbourhood, she never gave me a fair 
 look, but, on the contrary, turned up her 
 nose at every word I said, while that bungy
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 247 
 
 captain, if he only cried, fiddle-sticky she'd 
 burst her sides laughing/' 
 
 " Don't take it to heart, old fellow !" re- 
 turned his companion. " Lucy and you 
 shall be married yet, and if she broke faith 
 with the man she promised when she was 
 but a little girl, and that man my friend 
 to boot, as sure as we stand in this field, I'd 
 shoot, with my own hand, her husband at 
 the altar, and disown her for a sister from 
 that day to the day of my death; but 
 there's no fear of her thinking of Grant ; 
 only you're in love with her, man — ^you'd 
 never think of such a thing — a girl laugh- 
 ing with a man, or at a man, is no sign of 
 her caring for him, and Lucy is a right 
 good girl, and worth the Royal George full 
 of the other two. So never fear, when your 
 old uncle slips his cable, some fine day, but 
 she'll think as much of you as she did be- 
 fore she ever left Kilgroggy; and when once 
 in harness, like myself and all other 
 harum scarums^ she'll draw, as kindly as if 
 the snaffle was on all her life."
 
 248 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 Thus comforted, our friend Frank awaited 
 the party ; but not without sundry mis- 
 givings in his own mind, that the flirta- 
 tion of his " lady love," with the gallant 
 Captain would end in his own dismissal ; 
 and as the green-eyed monster fastened on 
 his heart, he determined to profit by the 
 present opportunity, and pay oflp that gen- 
 tleman for any damage he might have per- 
 petrated on the lady's affections by making 
 him corporeally feel the enormity of his 
 conduct, in the weight of a rival's arm, 
 bestowing what he considered well-merited 
 chastisement for such presumption. The in- 
 dulgence of any base passion lowers the in- 
 dividual ; but one we blush to acknowledge, 
 even to ourselves, is sure to lead to meanness 
 and injustice; Frank Mandeville was naturally 
 brave and honorable, and ere his jealousy 
 was awakened, would have disdained the 
 idea of taking advantage of any man in an 
 unguarded moment ; but the very con- 
 sciousness now, that he indulged a feeling 
 he was ashamed to avow, led him to re-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 249 
 
 venge himself, secretly, on the object of his 
 jealous fears; flinging to the winds the 
 better feelings of his nature, and give him- 
 self up unreservedly to the indulgence of a 
 vengeful and ungenerous passion. When 
 the pseudo sportsmen came up with the 
 party they had so long waited for, the 
 night had set in, and they found some 
 difficulty in singling out the Major ; 
 not from the increasing dusk, but that 
 gentleman, with an eye to his own safety, 
 had placed himself rather centrally; his 
 daughter and two nieces, with their attend- 
 ant beaux, formed the advanced guard; his 
 flank consisted of Mrs. O'Brady, and 
 sergeant Wetherell, who had been sent for 
 by his master, at an early hour, in order to 
 strengthen the escort; whilst Captain Grant, 
 Lucy, and Mr. Foster formed his poi7it 
 d^ifpid^ laughing and talking quite loud 
 enough to tell the enemy that, whoever 
 was napping, the co7"ps de reserve were not 
 sleeping on their post; the picquet of the 
 . party were safely landed in the boat; Nick 
 M 5
 
 250 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 O'Brady had dutifully taken his mother^s 
 hand, to assist her in; but whether a sud- 
 den faintness had come over him, or the 
 lady required more assistance than one 
 gentleman was able to bestow, her son found 
 himself unequal to transport the maternal 
 burden from the bank to the boat,^ and 
 called to Mr. Foster to lend a hand; both 
 gentlemen v/ere in the act of depositing the 
 lady in safety, when a shout and momentary 
 scufSe on the bank, attracted their atten- 
 tion ; the next moment, Frank Mandeville, 
 with his arm round Lucy 0' Brady's waist, 
 carrying, rather than supporting her, came 
 plump into the midst of the party, on the 
 water, and nearly upset the boat; a strong 
 muscular arm (it was Nick O'Brady's,) 
 righted her, and seizing an oar, calling out 
 to Frank, to do the same, and row for his 
 life. A few strokes sent the boat flying 
 across the river, leaving the Major, his own 
 man, and Captain Grant in the hands of 
 the enemy; their shouts had no other effect, 
 on the rowers, than to increase, if possible
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR 251 
 
 their speed, nor did thej pause from their 
 labours until they reached nearly the centre 
 of the river; too far to afford^thera any as- 
 sistance, yet near enough to discern, by the 
 dim light, the party that were left behind. 
 Colonel Saville and the other gentlemen in 
 the boat, now urged, vehemently, those who 
 had taken possession of the oars to row 
 them back in order to rescue, their brother 
 officer and the Major, out of the hands of 
 seemingly desperate men, who might be, for 
 all they knew to the contrary, the most 
 sanguinary murderers. 
 
 '' Keep yourselves quiet gentlemen," said 
 Nick O'Brady, coolly, " that's not the way 
 murder is committed in Ireland ; besides, if 
 they were about anything of that kind, 
 'twould be all over with them before we'd 
 be half way back, so well just stay where 
 we are, and listen to what the fellows are 
 about, I see they have the Major on his 
 knees." 
 
 *' Oh, I hope," cried Mrs. O'Brady, shut-
 
 252 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 ting her eyes closely, to prevent her 
 being hereafter called as evidence to what 
 she actually mw^ *' that they're not going 
 to shoot your poor uncle; do Nick, like a 
 dear good creature, as you are, row us to 
 the Drumgar side, before anything occurs.'^ 
 
 *' Oh no, cousin Nick,''' cried Agnes, in a 
 voice of terror, starting from her seat, 
 ''would you leave papa, to be murdered with 
 in a few yards of us, and we near enough to 
 save him. Oh dear, dear Nick, do not de- 
 sert him at this dreadful moment/' And 
 exhausted with her own fears, she sunk 
 back in an extremity of agony. 
 
 " Impossible,'' cried Colonel Saville, in a 
 determined voice; ^^ we must return at 
 once, Mr. O'Brady, and rescue those gen- 
 tlemen ; " then grasping the oar the other 
 held, was about practically to carry out his 
 intentions, while Nick, perceiving his design, 
 clutched it with all his might, exclaiming 
 in a cool, half-jesting tone, still firmly hold- 
 ing the oar.
 
 THE MILiriA MAJOR. 253f 
 
 "I know what rm about — we'd do more 
 harm than good, if we attempted such folly, 
 as to go near them now.'' 
 
 " You cannot prevent me, sir," said 
 Colonel Saville haughtily, "from attempting 
 to save my brother officer, and the two 
 helpless men with him, from such fearful 
 odds.'' 
 
 " None of us three can swim well, 
 Colonel," said Lindsay; ''but never fear, 
 we'll follow you to the last." Then flinging 
 off their neck gear, preparatory to a plunge. 
 Nick O'Brady called out, 
 
 " The boat must inevitably upset." 
 
 And his mother and sisters, acting on the 
 hint, by a simultaneous movement, pulled 
 the four officers down to their respective 
 places. Mrs. O'Brady held the Colonel 
 firmly, in her by no means feminine grasp, 
 and her daughters, acting on their mama's 
 Amazonian example, secured his three com- 
 rades from attempting anything like a cold 
 bath; the uproar in the boat now became 
 deafening; both mother and daughters alter-
 
 254 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 natelj screamed, and scolded their captives 
 into quiet submission, while Agnes lay 
 more dead than alive, in silent shame and 
 horror, at the whole proceeding; her aunt 
 vociferously besought her son to land theui 
 at the opposite bank from her friend the 
 Major; and her intended son-in-law, having 
 a very decided objection to rescue those 
 gentlemen in person, while the Colonel 
 seeing all resistance vain in opposing the 
 lady's muscular and oratorical powers, 
 quietly capitulated, glad on any terms to 
 secure his freedom from her gentle embrace, 
 having literally hugged him nearly to suf- 
 focation. 
 
 " Will ye hold your clatter,'^ cried Nick, 
 addressing his mother and sisters in a tone 
 of voice, sounding clearly distinct above 
 the general uproar. "Let us hear and 
 see what those fellows are doing ; while ye 
 women keep jabbering there like a flock of 
 wild ducks, we can't know what's going on ; 
 tell us how frightened you were, when it's 
 all over, but hold your tongues for the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOK. 255 
 
 present, and we'll say ye were fainting all 
 the time/' 
 
 Then shifting the boat, so as to command 
 a view of the party, on the bank, he assured 
 the officers that there was no cause for any 
 alarm ; for that no attack, conducted as 
 that had been, was ever attended with 
 serious consequences ; the coolness of both 
 his, and his friend's manner, who must 
 necessarily know the country and people 
 well, served as a kind of guarantee to those 
 gentlemen, for their brother officer's safety ; 
 besides, they had no alternative but to 
 submit in silence, guarded as they were, 
 hy the four ladies, ready to pounce on 
 them if they offered to make the least 
 movement, or evinced the slightest in- 
 clination to escape from the boat ; they 
 had nothing for it, but to sit still, and 
 watch their friends at a tantalizing dis- 
 tance, and wish their fair guards anywhere 
 but beside them; who,deaf to all arguments 
 but their own safety, now that that was 
 in some degree secured, kept comparatively
 
 256 THE MILITIA MAJOK. 
 
 quiet. The voices from the bank came dis- 
 tinctly across the water, heard in the still- 
 ness of a summer night, while the pale 
 moon that had just risen as if to shame 
 deeds of darkness, threw a faint, shadowy 
 light on the figures crowded close to 
 the water ; a ring seemed to have been 
 formed of some twenty or thirty men, 
 broken on the outer edge, next the river ; 
 so that the party in the boat commanded 
 a full view of the centre of the circle, 
 where knelt the valiant Major, who seemed 
 to have undergone a severe cross-exami- 
 nation, and now with his hands clasped 
 imploringly together, besought, in the 
 most piteous accents, mercy from seemingly 
 the leader of the party. 
 
 " The marcy you desarve,^^ said this 
 personage, facing his fallen foe, and his 
 voice expressing bitter irony and half- 
 suppressed passion, " the marcy you'll give 
 some of those days the tenants of Knocka- 
 nure; dhrive um from house and home, and 
 bekase the last life in the laise dhropt, set
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 257 
 
 the lands over their heads to the highest 
 bidder, get the sheriff an the sogers to 
 level their cabins, before their eyes, that 
 their fathers, an* their granfathers lived in. 
 "What marcy would ye give him, boys?" 
 cried he, addressing those around, ''for 
 doin' this good-natured turn, to the poor 
 honest men that never as much as put a 
 piece ov mate in the pot, barrin' ov a 
 Christmas day, sthrivin' to pay him the 
 hardrint; what marcy does he desarve?' 
 repeated he. 
 
 '' The marcy he shewed Keerivan, the 
 outlaw," cried a voice from the crowd, 
 " promised him protection first, an* hung 
 him afther." 
 
 " Well not give him that same," cried 
 another, he desarves the hanging widout 
 the protiction. An' faia^s" added the 
 speaker, in a facetious tone, '' he knows 
 himself, we never promised him the like/' 
 
 Here the Major groaned audibly and 
 essaying to speak, vainly endeavoured to
 
 258 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 be heard amidst the different modes of 
 death decreed him by the assembly. 
 
 "Dhrown him like a puppy dog," cried 
 one. 
 
 " Hang him up widout benefit of clargy/' 
 shouted another. 
 
 "Knock the day-light through him/' 
 proposed a third; while a fourth party, 
 more mercifully inclined, were for giving 
 him a tithe-proctor's end, "clipping his 
 ears, slitting his tongue, and burying him 
 alive, jist to show the naburs he come by 
 a nathural death.'' 
 
 "Give him a fair thrial any way,'' ob- 
 served the first speaker, "an' let him be 
 heerd in his own defence; an' spake up, 
 man," added he, addressing the crest-fal- 
 len Major, *' that's not the way ye be 
 talkin' to the people, whin ye have the 
 Peelers an' sogers at ye'er back ; 'tis 
 yoursilf crows purty loud too, whin ye'er 
 say ted on the Binch up at Bally voyle dis- 
 pensing jistice, that for all the world, is 
 like the handle ov a can, all at one side,
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 259 
 
 an' begannys, Major/' added the speaker, 
 in a tone of mock humour, *' if the nayburs 
 spake thruth, that's always sure to be ye'er 
 oum side ov the questhun." 
 
 Here a roar of laughter attested how 
 well this piece of witticism was appreciated 
 by the auditory. 
 
 The culprit thought it a favourable 
 moment for the hearing of his defence, and 
 in a broken and nervous voice, declared his 
 innocence of even in thought dispossessing 
 his tenants at Knockanure, not to say^let- 
 ting the land to any others, or raising 
 the present rents; that it was his fullest 
 intention to give the tenants, in possession, 
 the land at the same rent they held it at; 
 and, as to serving them with ejectments, it 
 was a mere legal form, and after they gave 
 up the peaceable possession, he would con- 
 sider them as much his tenants as ever, and 
 most willingly give them all new leases." 
 
 This was the substance of the Major's 
 promises ; after he had ended, his in-
 
 260 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 terrogator exclaimed in an incredulous 
 tone of voice, 
 
 " May be so, bud weM like to have 
 some other security beside your own; 
 what would you think of gettin some of 
 the gintlemen in the boat to pass their 
 word for ye^er future good behaviour." 
 
 " It's more than any oy us' would do/' 
 shouted Nick 0' Brady, *' but what do you 
 require of any gentleman but his word ?" 
 
 *'He has broken it a hundred times," 
 shouted a number of voices. 
 
 " Well, bind him over/' was the response 
 from the water, but not in his dutiful ne- 
 phew's voice ; and the Major inwardly 
 registered a vow, to wreak his vengeance 
 on the cargo in the boat, whenever his 
 safety was secured, for the cruel sug- 
 gestion that now subjected him to undergo 
 the ordeal of an oath. 
 
 " Boys, which ov ye have a book," cried 
 the principal speaker of the party ; one was 
 immediately produced, and the unfortunate 
 Major, still on his knees, was exorcised,
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 261 
 
 *' to spake the whole thruth an' nothing bud 
 the thruth, or that id would be worse fur 
 himself hereafter; fur that he'd get the 
 death ov a thraytur — shot widout jidge or 
 jury, an' that naither priest nor ministher, 
 nor the pope ov Room himself id save him 
 from their vingince, if he daare to break 
 the black oath he was about to take." 
 
 The exorcee solemnly promised to fulfil 
 it to the letter; and, with great formality, 
 was called on to repeat the good intentions 
 he had just stated, and after going through 
 the formula, in a very faint voice, by way 
 of codicil, was made to declare, " that he 
 forthwith dismissed from his service Dan 
 Wetherell, and would neither countenance 
 nor protect him for the future, that Martin 
 Sweeney's debt at the Loan Bank should be 
 cancelled, as an act of justice to that in- 
 dividual, and that henceforth, he (the 
 Major,) should keep himself quiet — not to 
 ride rough shod over the people ; but see 
 justice done to the poor man, as well as to 
 the rich."
 
 262 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 To all this the gentleman on his knees 
 unhesitatingly consented ; and what would 
 he not have assented to at that moment, 
 kissing the book fervently, by way of ratifi- 
 cation, and then was liberated, so far as 
 being placed under the surveillance of two 
 stout fellows, who mounted guard on his 
 honour by presenting — what the Major's un- 
 steady nerves at that moment converted 
 into a blunderbuss — at either ear the butt 
 end of two carmen's whips; while their 
 shining brass ferules appeared, to his dis- 
 ordered imagination, as murderous engines 
 designed by popular vengeance to blow him 
 up ; and thus suffering the tortures of a 
 living death, he heard distinctly, and 
 solemnly announced, to the. meeting, by 
 their leader- — *' that fur the sake ov some 
 belonging to Major Power, they had granted 
 him a long day, and that, if he attimpted, to 
 break the oath he had just taken, to order 
 his coffin ; fur that id would be wantin' be- 
 fore the week was out." 
 
 " Dan Witherill, the informer, an' the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 263 
 
 informer''s son,^^ was next called on to ap- 
 pear. 
 
 That personage was soon dragged into 
 the circle his master had just occupied, 
 forced down on his knees, whilst a shout of 
 derision from all around, attested how few 
 friends he had amongst the company as- 
 sembled. 
 
 '' He's thried, an* found guilty, long 
 ago," cried several voices, " don't throuble 
 ye'erselves thryin' him agin, there's more 
 than a dozen here owes it to him fur his 
 threachery, an' now give him his blood to 
 dhrink to night, an' make no more ov 
 killin* him than you would a mad dog, 
 fur it's only jistice to the blessid ground 
 we walk on, to rid it ov sich varmint." 
 
 Here a rush was made on Mr. Wetherell, 
 that would soon have freed him from the 
 horrors of suspense ; and ended in positive 
 certainty, had not one of the party flung his 
 assailants back, and a voice sounding mar- 
 vellously like Nickey the Nurse's, cried 
 out —
 
 264 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 " Is it afore the ladies ye'd kill the likes 
 ov him. Honour bright, boys, ye pro- 
 mised not to spill anny blood to-night, an' 
 don't disgrace ye'erselves afore them that's 
 looking at ye, from the wather ; bud give 
 the ould villin three ducks in the river, for 
 the present ; an' settle ye'er own account 
 wid him, some other time; an' take that 
 fat captain, that five ov ye arehouldin' down 
 there, an' thrust him sthraight into the 
 sthreet ov Ballyvoyle, jist to shew him his 
 room is good company, and to clear the 
 way fur his betthers ; while I give a grain 
 ov a lecthur here to the Major, whin I 
 have him all to myself." 
 
 These several modes of dispensing yz^^zc^ 
 to the prisoners, were received with a shout 
 of approbation. Mr. Wetherell was marched 
 off to a neighbouring slip, a little below the 
 bend of the river, and out of sight of 
 the party in the boat ; there, to receive 
 his sentence ; while Captain Grant cut a 
 very laughable figure, trotted off at top 
 speed, in the direction of his "country
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 265 
 
 quarters;" leaving the Major and his 
 solitary companion in possession of the 
 field. 
 
 As the footsteps of the receding parties 
 died away, Nick O'Brady shouted to his 
 uncle to knock the fellow down, and then 
 jump into the river, and he'd save him. 
 The Major evidently seemed repugnant to 
 this active mode of joining his friends; and 
 tried a conciliatory harangue upon his sen- 
 tinel, whose face was entirely covered with 
 black crepe ; and, though unarmed, and some- 
 what below the middle size, seemed a strong 
 junk of a fellow, shaking his companion 
 about with something of the same license, a 
 bear would a young kitten in his paw, 
 and peremptorily demanded the Major^'s 
 fire-arms ; denial was vain, so out came a 
 pair of detonators, with their caps off, for 
 fear of accident, whilst his merciless tor- 
 mentor transferred them to his own pocket, 
 remarking — 
 
 " They wor mighty pretty keepsakes." 
 And commenced again jostling the little 
 
 VOL. I. N
 
 266 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 man about. The voice of Frank Mande- 
 ville came from the water — 
 
 " Now's your time, Major, give him what 
 you gave ]5ill Delaney in Chester ; sure 
 that fellow isn't your match, though you 
 haven*t a bed-post to knock him down; 
 you that made a whole regiment run be- 
 fore you, ought to be able to give him 
 enough of it/' 
 
 A shout of laughter followed this, which 
 increased the Major's mental and bodily 
 sufferings nearly to madness ; he called on 
 the party in the boat by everything sacred 
 and divine, individually and collectively, to 
 come to his rescue; and declared, in tones of 
 mingled terror and anguish, that every rib in 
 his body was broken from the unmerciful 
 pounding he was in the very act of receiv- 
 ing ; whilst ever and anon he addressed his 
 assailant in language that would admirably 
 suit the three leading words of a humble peti- 
 tion ; the next moment offering him, he knew 
 not, and he cared not, what, to induce him to 
 desist, from pommelling his unfortunate
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 267 
 
 bones. His wilful nephew, with Frank, 
 and some of the officers, despite all decorum, 
 laughed alternately at the Major's suflPerings, 
 and shouted words of encouragement to the 
 fallen hero; the former vowing they could 
 not believe a man of such prowess and 
 valour, in " The Tipperary,^' could be 
 worsted by such a sprusawn^ as that in 
 single combat. 
 
 " Come an' thry it ye'erself jintlemen," 
 cried the Major's veiled foe, dropping 
 the disguised voice he had hitherto spoken 
 with. ''May be the sprissawn, was a 
 match for wan ov ye'erselves before now, 
 an no mistake.*' 
 
 These words uttered in a voice familiar, 
 to at least some of the party, had the effect 
 of opening Mrs. O'Brady's eyes, in order to 
 identify the speaker, the lady's tongue was 
 loosed in a second. 
 
 *' Nickey the Nurse, you'll catch it, hot 
 
 and heavy, as soon as I reach Kilgroggy," 
 
 uttered by the lady in a threatening voice, 
 
 hoarse from rising passion, caused an in- 
 
 k2
 
 268 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 stantaneous diversion in the Major's favor, 
 adding an impetus to his tormentor's heels, 
 who fairly took the sod, never vouchsafing 
 a look on those left behind, until he cleared 
 a double ditch in true sporting style, leav- 
 ing the Major to make the best of his way 
 to the boat that was now rapidly approach- 
 ing the bank, where he stood; as it neared 
 he lost no time in throwing himself in 
 exclaiming — 
 
 " A pretty business this, gentlemen, when 
 the man that waited on me at dinner, at- 
 tempts my life, before his own master and 
 mistress. If martial law is'nt wanting in 
 this country, with a vengeance, Til say 
 nothing." 
 
 " It's neither law, nor fair play,'' re- 
 turned his nephew, ^' for ray mother or you 
 to say Nickey the Nurse was able to give 
 you such a drubbing as you got just now." 
 
 '' '111 tell you my opinion, when we're at 
 the other side," said his worthy uncle. 
 
 " But before we leave this side," inter- 
 rupted Frank, ''remember your faithful 
 Ban is in the hands of the Rockites."
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 269 
 
 " And there let him remain," said his 
 master. ** For Heaven's sake row us across. 
 I shall never consider myself safe until I 
 have stone and mortar between me and 
 those desperate ruffians." 
 
 ^' But the man is so detested amongst 
 them, that they'll murder him," persevered 
 Frank. 
 
 '' And I'm sure I can't prevent them," 
 returned the Major impatiently; "he was of 
 great use to me, but it can't be helped, and 
 what in the name of wonder are we wait- 
 ing here for 1" 
 
 *' For me to land," said Nick O'Brady, 
 coolly, " and any other person who doesn't 
 care so much about their own safety as to 
 take themselves off, while an unfortunate 
 wretch is being murdered." 
 
 Then jumping from the boat, the officers 
 prepared to accompany him ; Nick pre- 
 vented them, saying " that strangers in- 
 terfering would exasperate the people." 
 
 Hurrying on in the direction the 
 shouting still came from, he was soon out of
 
 270 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 sight. The Major urged vehemently cross- 
 ing the river, with as little delay as possible; 
 and as the rowers stretched towards the 
 opposite bank, commenced a hurried and 
 exaggerated account of what he termed 
 his miraculous escape, totally regardless of 
 his child, who lay nearly insensible in the 
 stern. Providence had mercifully spared her 
 the misery of being sensible, during her father's 
 degraded trial. She became unconscious 
 almost at its commencement — saw and heard 
 nothing of the heartless cowardice of the 
 man, who had boasted so vauntingly but a 
 few hours before, and that man, her own 
 parent — none but a child, placed in similiar 
 circumstances, can, at all, understand the 
 agony of such a moment — fortunately, she 
 was saved that bitter hour — saved the heavy 
 woe of despising him, whom, the natural 
 feelings of her own mind, and a Heavenly 
 Father, had alike commanded her to honor. 
 The weakest of her sex, the most timid 
 woman that ever breathed, scorns the brag- 
 gadocia and the craven ; what then must
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 271 
 
 be the feelings of a noble nature, capable 
 of appreciating all that was brave and 
 generous ; they who exposed her to such a 
 trial, neither understood nor cared to 
 wound the feelings of such a daughter — 
 and woe be to such, and their name is 
 legion, who, for a moment of selfish grati- 
 fication, can expose the weakness and mean 
 shrinking of a parent, totally regardless of 
 the dagger they are planting in the helpless 
 breast of a sensitive and high-minded child; 
 some such feeling as this was awakened in 
 the breast of Colonel Saville as he leaned 
 over the unconscious Agnes; the increasing 
 moonlight rendering more distinct the 
 beautiful outline of features, invested with 
 a tenfold interest in his eyes, from the very 
 consciousness that the fair, insensible being 
 whose cheek now rested on his shoulder was 
 suffering, at that moment, the bitter penalty, 
 ever the lot of those, whose destiny is cast 
 amongst the selfish and unfeeling ; the rude, 
 heartless kindred that surrounded her, had 
 exposed her gentle nature to the misery of
 
 272 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 that hour, and, totally indifferent to the 
 anguish she endured, abandoned her, over- 
 come with mingled terror and sorrow, to 
 the care and kindness of a stranger, fraught 
 with how much danger to both, those only 
 placed in a similar situation, can at all 
 conceive. The deep crimson that mantled 
 on the brow of Saville, the wild gushing 
 thoughts that swept tumultuously through 
 his breast, revealed, as if with the light- 
 ning's flash, that the time of indifference 
 was past — he struggled not against the all- 
 absorbing feeling that took possession of his 
 soul ; but in its inmost shrine, did homage 
 to the blind deity, whose power he had 
 hitherto defied — whose shafts he had 
 scorned ; the fair, young creature, whose 
 utter helplessness he now supported, he felt, 
 for the first time, was dearer, oh, how far 
 dearer, to his subdued heart, than pride, 
 fame, fortune; the pomp and circumstance 
 of military glory ; or aught else this world 
 could offer in exchange; he felt, in its 
 secret core, that his years, be they few or
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 2T3 
 
 many, must be past as that beloved one's 
 protector, guide, companion, friend, ur life 
 was to bim, henceforth, a blank. 
 
 What a world is within ourselves; how 
 many unrevealed feelings sleep within the 
 compass of the human breast, shrouded 
 from the minutest self-examination, yet, 
 springing into action when touched by the 
 most trivial circumstance. On such occasions 
 — the hand of a giant or a child can alike 
 set in motion the 'pulses that throb,' and 
 beings, in every way, so uncongenial to 
 Saville, as the aunt and cousins of Agnes, 
 were the first to discover to himself the 
 secret passion, undreamed of and unsus- 
 pected, that had influenced his conduct for 
 weeks before, unmolested, unquestioned, in 
 the quiet possession of what, in the pride of 
 manhood, he had deemed an invulnerable 
 heart. 
 
 That night, as he resigned her to the 
 
 care of Mrs. Power and Amy, what would 
 
 he not have given to read, in the faint, 
 
 fluttered voice that bade him good night, 
 
 N 5
 
 274 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 similar feelings to his own ; but Saville was 
 not a vain man, and up to his twenty-ninth 
 year, he had lived a practical infidel to the 
 tender passion; so with a timidity, unknown 
 to men who have given and exchanged 
 vows o'er and o'er again with every pretty 
 woman they have met, he regarded the 
 chances of awakening in the gentle heart 
 of Agnes, an attachment as fervid, as 
 devoted, as lasting as his own, doubtful, to 
 say the least, and determined to conceal, 
 like a miser's hoard, the story of his love, 
 until he was fortunate enough to discover 
 the lady sympathised in his feelings. 
 
 In the meantime, much to the surprise 
 of his mistress and the Major, Nickey the 
 Nurse's voice saluted their astonished ears, 
 at the hall door of Drumgar, in answer to 
 the summoning knock of the latter; and 
 after the brief enquiry, "who's there?'* 
 with the characteristic response of the 
 Major, 
 
 " A friend, you rascal, open the door," he 
 presented himself to their bewildered gaze;
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 275 
 
 green jacket, buttons, and all, with a pla- 
 cid, self-approving smile beaming on the 
 disk of his unmoved countenance, sufficient 
 to acquit him, in any court of justice, of 
 having taken the prominent part they had 
 supposed Nickey played in the late trans- 
 action; besides his being actually at this 
 moment at Drumgar, not to say anything 
 of his quiescent looks, was alibi sufficient 
 for an acquittal. Had he been mounted 
 on Harkaway since the supposed Nickey had 
 parted, from the Major, he could not have 
 reached that gentleman's residence coming 
 round by the bridge, in the space of time 
 that had elapsed , and there was no other 
 way of getting across the river except by 
 swimming, and Nickey 's whole appearance 
 negatived his having" taken the water." His 
 mistress, sorely puzzled at the mistake 
 her ears had made, sought, by a close 
 lire of cross*questioning, to elicit from 
 the imperturbable Nickey something con- 
 firmatory of her own hearing powers, but 
 she examined and cross-examined in vain.
 
 276 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 Nickey clearly proved, and the night 
 Pathrol could prove the same, that he 
 was employed " drivin' the ould black 
 horse, that, by the same token, cast a .shoe, 
 comin' down the hill of Knockdharrag un- 
 dher the jauntin' car at the very same time 
 be was suspected of night-walking. That 
 he, Nickey never heerd the like before, bud 
 ^twas a bad sign anny way to have Mx^ fetch 
 seen so near twelve o'clock at night, fur 
 Father O'Donnell, God rest his sowl, ap- 
 peared in the same way to Anty Maher 
 up at Kilmallogue three weeks afore his 
 death, praise be to the blessid Vargin an' 
 prepared her wid the extreme unction, the 
 house all seen him come out ov the room, 
 an' Anty hersiJf would swear to her recai- 
 ving the last rites from his raverence, whin 
 hedad^ he was a montNs mine twinty miles 
 off saying mass at the same time; bud whin 
 he heard it, he gave himsilf up for as 
 good as gone, an' sure enough, afore three 
 weeks, he was wakin' in the Chapel ov 
 Ballycross. An' a month's 7nine^ sayin' for
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR 277 
 
 himself, soon afther, in his own padler, the 
 cross atween us an^ all harum," continued 
 Nickey, devoutly, " from that day to this, 
 I never like hearing of a fetch showing 
 itself afther dark; moreover whin it be- 
 gins discoorsin' and handlin' a body into 
 the bargain/' 
 
 This story of Father Donnell was 
 evidence conclusive in Nickey's favour; 
 and proof positive to the speaker himself 
 that his own end was drawing nigh ; and 
 as the feats his fetch performed on the 
 Major's person were recounted by his mis- 
 tress, he drew from them the edifyin* 
 morale^ " that sich things were sent for 
 warnins, an' that, hecjanneys^ he'd look to 
 his ways fur the futhur; for that it wasn't 
 fur nothin' that * the cat winked with both 
 eyes,' an' afther all his misthress saw, 'twas 
 plainly foretould to him his time wouldn't 
 be long in id; so he'd make hay while the 
 sun was shinin' an' attind to his dhuties 
 from that day out."
 
 278 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 With the vow of amendment upon him, 
 Nickey retired, and his master soon after 
 made his appearance, followed by the 
 rescued sergeant — a frightened Neptune — 
 dripping, but not from the briny wave, a 
 fresh water bath having reduced him to his 
 present deplorable condition ; however far 
 voluntary immersion may go to soothe the 
 nervous system, we much doubt the efiicacy 
 of a compulsory hydropathic plunge; on the 
 present occasion, it certainly shed no calm- 
 ing influence on the vindictive sergeant; 
 but on the contrary roused the worst feel- 
 ings of a bad nature, into a fiend-like 
 thirst for vengeance, to be satisfied only 
 with the utter ruin and annihilation of the 
 objects of its malevolent hate.
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 279 
 
 CHArTER XVIII 
 
 THE MEEHILL. 
 
 The harvest had yielded to the sickle. The 
 joyous laugh of the embrowned peasant 
 girl rang right merrily as her day of toil 
 ended; the last ledge of the field cut; the 
 last sheaf bound — nought but stooking now 
 remained to make a clane finish of the ten 
 acre field of Paddy Dooly, a farmer well 
 to do on the lands of Knockanure, who now 
 with much pride and pleasure, with wife 
 and friends, headed the meehill, who 
 came that morning from far and near to 
 shew respect for Paddy, in cutting down 
 his corn, in one day ; all now lent a hand to
 
 280 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 the stooJiing, from the hoccagh who had 
 come after his perquisites, the lavins of the 
 dinner, to the master of the field himself, 
 or a far greater personage, Mr. Mac Car thy, 
 the village school-master; none were idle, 
 save the blind fiddler, if he could be called 
 so, who played with might and main as the 
 work went on ; and short work they made of 
 it sure enough, for besides the actual force 
 employed, many were the supernumeraries 
 pressed into the service ; scarcely a house on 
 the townland that had not its representative 
 there, toshew "'respid" to Misther Dooly. The 
 very nature of the work permitted a vast num- 
 ber and variety of assistants. The services 
 of none were despised — the disbanded 
 urchins from Mr. MacCarthy's seminary, let 
 loose for a half- dm/, out of respect to the 
 Meehill^ were as busy, and as uproarious, 
 as the best man amongst them, whilst 
 stooking. And why not ? It was a gene- 
 ral holiday, and all felt its influence — all 
 felt they were doing a turn to a kind neigh- 
 bour; and one that amidst full and plenty,
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 281 
 
 never forgot those that had nothing to 
 spare ; and loud was the laugh, and light 
 were the hearts that had toiled all day 
 without fee or reward, in his service. And 
 now the work was done, and the master's 
 eye rested with honest pride on the golden 
 store that had been secured in one day, by 
 the good-will of his neighbours; to trate 
 them as they deserved, was next his plea- 
 sing duty ; and a busy and important 
 man he looked, as he headed *the boys and 
 girls,' for in Ireland that appellation applies 
 to all ages, while the blind fiddler brought up 
 the rear of the merry party, playing his very 
 best. The boys whooped, the girls sung 
 and laughed by turns, and all shouted for 
 a! doore as they entered the bawn. In no 
 time one was off the hinges, placed on four 
 solid stones, so as to elevate it a foot from 
 thegrouad. A ad Jim Sallivan, a clane 
 boy, and a nate dancer, as ever stood on a 
 floor, with a hop, step, and leap, accom- 
 panied with a whoop, sending his caubeen 
 flying into mid air at the same time, dis-
 
 282 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 persed the crowd around him, and reached 
 the centre of attraction, videlicet^ the door. 
 No pet Danseuse of a London season was 
 ever more encouragingly cheered than Jim ; 
 and to do him justice, none ever made their 
 debut with more trustfulness in his own 
 powers. The hornpipe was ended ; another 
 and another succeeded. The critique and 
 repeated encore of the lookers on would 
 have sadly puzzled an opera audience, and 
 bewildered the followers of Taglioni and 
 Celeste, yet their taste was not a whit less 
 fastidious, or their admiration less sincere. 
 
 "More power to ye'er elbow, Jim. Thry 
 it again. You'r the boy that id take the 
 shine out ov the best ov um. What a 
 power ov steps is in him ; an' his feet play- 
 ing the tchune all the time. Wan id know 
 the music by their smack against the 
 boords, iv the fiddle never was in id. Anny 
 way, Jim, you're intitled to the best partner 
 in the place. Mary Devaan, where are ye 
 hidin' yourself ? Has n't he fairly airn*d 
 you fur the next dance, wid steps that id
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 283 
 
 turn on a threncher? Come, make ye'er 
 curtsey, alanna, the girls are dyin to ax 
 th' other boys, and waitin fur ye to take 
 the lade — the barn floore's swept, an' all 
 fur ye/' 
 
 Thus publicly called on, Mary advanced 
 with her light flowing hair smoothed, her 
 handkerchief adjusted, and her apron 
 tightened; slight but not unbecoming ar- 
 rangements of her toilette, after the labori- 
 ous exertion of binding during the heat and 
 brunt of the day, after three of the ablest 
 reapers in the field ; and now, with a sup- 
 pressed sparkle in the eye, a sly, conscious, 
 yet coquettish expression in her blooming 
 face, she dropped her curtsey to the per- 
 former on the door, with " I dance to ye, 
 Jim Sullivan," and the next moment the 
 young couple were footing it on the barn 
 floor, with a springy elasticity of step and 
 happy enjoueinent of countenance, to be 
 met with no where, but in Ireland, after 
 a day of unceasing toil. The other girls 
 were no way slow in following her exam-
 
 284 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 pie, asking their respective partners after 
 the same fashion; for though a solo exhi- 
 bition of any of the fair sex is looked on 
 as a disgrace amongst the peasantry, yet 
 etiquette prescribes that the lady must be 
 the wooer, as far as the dance is con- 
 cerned. Couple succeeded couple; each 
 one that retired from the stage dropping a 
 small coin into the old hat, held by the 
 little raggetty boy that always accompanied 
 the blind fidler, whose hearing power was 
 sharpened either by much use, or what is 
 frequently the case, in the deprivation of 
 one sense, the other becomes more acute, so 
 that the chink of the coin announced its 
 value to him, for whom it was intended, 
 before it was whispered in his ear, by the 
 urchin at his side. Then came "the 
 givin's out," and all were unanimous in 
 their praise and blessing of Paddy Dooly's 
 mode of entertainment. 
 
 " A dacent man an' no churl," was heard 
 at all sides, and as Paddy " sarved the 
 company," with a look of deep responsi-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 285 
 
 bility on his brow, lest any might be over- 
 looked, hearty and many were the commen- 
 dations passed on him ; and his **a good 
 warrant he is, an' kind faather fur him, an 
 bedad^ we nivir knew a Dooly, wid their 
 heart in id yet/' met his ears, and what 
 so sweet to an Irish ear, as the praise of 
 their race. What was said of Paddy's own 
 generosity, no doubt was gratifying to his 
 spirit ; but when they spoke of his father, 
 and '•^ them that come afore him" he only 
 thought of his own inferiority in feeding 
 the hungry and relieving the distressed; 
 and as if struck by a sudden thought, made 
 a hasty exit from the barn, to seek his help- 
 mate, within doors; here sat Mrs. Dooly, in 
 what may be termed the dais of an Irish 
 farm-house, known by the expressive ap- 
 pellation of '' the room'' a place of confi- 
 dence and retirement, never used but on 
 solemn and state occasions, and then only 
 entered by visitors, whose rank and respecta- 
 bility are considered in no way derogatory 
 to the apartment; on the present occasion
 
 286 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 it shone out in its best and bravest; the 
 floor freshly sanded, the substantial oak 
 chairs and tables, polished so as to reflect the 
 bouquet of meadow sweet and cabbage roses 
 that sprang out of a bed of moss, in the well 
 scoured grate ; the walls decorated with 
 lively colored prints of saint and sinner; 
 the chef d'cBUTve, of the mural embellish- 
 ment, being an ancient piece of needle work, 
 executed by someindustriousgentlewomen of 
 the Mac.Carthy More race, nearly a century 
 before; and handed down to its present 
 mistress, by her maternal grandmother, who 
 was a follower of the ould family — an heir 
 loom to be prized and valued by all future 
 generations ; a friendly pane of glass neatly 
 framed, at once revealed its beauties, and 
 prerserved their lustre ; and the Saxon 
 black letter, and Roman alphabets were still 
 as vivid and as instructive to the tyro in 
 marking, as when first traced by the fair 
 artiste a century before. Modern inven- 
 tion, embodied in a bottle of marking-ink, 
 was as unknown to Mrs. Dooly, or her
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 287 
 
 visiting acquaintance, as the political eco- 
 nomy, patronised by the man in the moon, 
 so that up to the time we write of, the 
 sampler enjoyed a celebrity and utility, no 
 way impaired by the knowledge that such 
 a thing as a substitute could find a place, 
 even in the boldest imagination; far less 
 in a country shop; nor we much doubt 
 could the two doves pecking at ripe cherries, 
 that stood in alto-relievo, at its base, ever 
 be rivalled in Mrs. Dooly's estimation, by 
 the most elaborate piece of Berlin work 
 that exercised, for days, weeks, and months, 
 the fingers, head, and heart of a modern 
 fine lady. 
 
 " Nelly, avourncen, I don't wish to be 
 afthur disturbin' ye," was Paddy's address 
 to his spouse, after drawing her aside ; *' but 
 I came to remind you ov the poor desolate 
 crathur, down in the quarry field, afeer'd 
 she'd be overlooked in the reeraw this even- 
 ing." 
 
 " Thrue for ye, Paddy; but no fear ov 
 that same, an' Misther Mac.Carthy is afther
 
 288 THE MILITIA MAJOK. 
 
 tellin' me, that it's all up wid little Mainy ; 
 she was lyin' as good as dead whin he left 
 her poor disthracted mother, comin' up here 
 watchin' her, an' signs on she'll never pass 
 the night, an' more's the pity ; fur she was 
 the raal beauty, an' the darlin' ov her poor 
 faather's heart." 
 
 " Bad luck to them that dhruv um into 
 sickness an' hardship," was Paddy's re- 
 sponse, as he drew a chair, and filled from 
 the huge jug a bumper of the native, brewed 
 into stif punch by the skilful hands of 
 Mrs. Dooly. 
 
 "' I dhrink to ye'er toast, Misther Dooly, 
 an' now Fll give ye wan in return — Here's 
 confusion to Power, an' may the Knock- 
 annre tenants give him his blood to dhrink 
 before they give up right and title to their 
 lands." 
 
 Mac.Carthy's toast was duly honoured, 
 and, as the punch told, deep and loud were 
 the exercrations bestowed on the landlord of 
 Knockanure. 
 
 *' I tell ye, man alive," cried Mac
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 289 
 
 Carthy, in answer to a cottier farmer on 
 the town-laud, who seemed to rely on the 
 Major's exhorted oath for his own fixity of 
 tenure, " he'll keep it to the first ov Novem- 
 ber, an' not a day longer — arn't ye all 
 sarved long ago? an' what is be waitin' for 
 but the gale day to level the houses over 
 ye'er heads ! Isn't the sogers up at Eally- 
 voyle ready to back him — ain't he an' the 
 Sheriff for manny a day as thick as hand 
 an' glove; an' do ye think the man that sent 
 Dan Witherill to put his own pistols in the 
 thatch ov an honest man's house, would 
 stick at the thrifle ov an oath to beggar 
 every woman's son ov ye, an' put cash in 
 his own fob into the bargain." 
 
 Mr. Mac.Carthy's reasoning was correct; 
 the oath administered to the Major was 
 not selo7i le refjle, nor had he at any 
 time contemplated fulfilling it, or altering 
 his original intentions respecting the 
 Knockanure tenantry; their doom was 
 fixed, as far as his own will was concerned, 
 and many a time and oft, had he revelled 
 
 VOL. I.
 
 290 THE MILITIA MAJOE. 
 
 in the thought of their expulsion, and al- 
 ready in imagination had grown green crops 
 — nay, fattened bullocks on the land that 
 hitherto had been the home-stay, the support 
 of a people whose ^//depended, at the expira- 
 tion of their leases, on the will of an arbi- 
 trary landlord. 
 
 We now return to Corny Mac.Carthy ; 
 after the conference had broken up, with 
 hasty strides he sought the quarry field, 
 alluded to by Dooly ; a harvest moon 
 partially revealed the deep passions that, 
 at this still, calm hour, lit up his woe worn 
 countenance; his features never could be 
 said to be in repose, but now each was 
 convulsed by strong emotion; his eyes 
 gleamed wildly, as he watched the flitting 
 clouds, passing o'er the moon's disc, throw- 
 ing his path, this moment, into deep shade, 
 the next leaving it clear as the noon day. 
 
 '''Twill be bright enough with the peo- 
 ple, after the black deed is done," he mut- 
 tered to himself, assimilating, as it were, 
 his own thoughts to the luminary above
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 291 
 
 him. ** Light they'll never have until 
 it's dark with him, the black villin, an' 
 dark enough he made id, to you, Biddy 
 Sweeney," he murmured, as his eye 
 rested on the kiln, in the eye of which he 
 himself, with the assistance of Jim Sulli- 
 van, had erected a temporary shed to shelter 
 her and her children, when that poor 
 man's scourge — typhus fever — laid its heavy 
 grasp on those helpless beings, after being 
 driven from their own roof-tree by the 
 unrelenting Major. And where was the 
 wretched husband and father? a wandering 
 outcast, hiding in bog and mountain, yet 
 ever hovering near the beings so dear to him, 
 without being able to mitigate their suffer- 
 ings or distress, carrying on a half-famished 
 existence, in the neighbourhood of those 
 beloved (mes, rather than move to a distant 
 quarter where subsistence might be earned, 
 and the wife and children of his bosom left 
 to brave the horrors of sickness and of 
 poverty by themselves. With but slight 
 chance of even seeing these miserable ob- 
 2
 
 292 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 jects of his affection, did Martin Sweeney 
 remain in a neighbourhood where danger 
 beset his path at every turn ; but the 
 wretched man thought not of himself — to 
 bear each, night he stole from his hiding- 
 place, from some kind hearted neighbour, 
 that his little family still lived, more than 
 atoned for all the privations he under- 
 went ; and oh, how many were endured in 
 those few short weeks, since Major Power's 
 pistols were drawn out of the thatch 
 of Martin Sweeney's cabin by Sergeant 
 Wetherell ; how they came there — a few 
 days after they were surren-iered by the 
 Major to Nickey the Nurse's fetch — the 
 owner and the finder must account ; the 
 victim of having unconsciously entertained, 
 on the house-top of his domicile, such war- 
 like visitors, was in a happy state of igno- 
 rance respecting even their existence at the 
 very moment they were discovered to be 
 his out-door guests, nor did he remember 
 even making their acquaintance, when His 
 or Her Majesty's (as it may be) consta-
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 293 
 
 bulary proclaimed him a royal prisoner. 
 The hospitality of his cabin's thatch, how- 
 ever, unknowingly to the proprietor, ex- 
 tended to these missiles, was, nevertheless, 
 proof positive of his guilt ; nor did Martin, 
 for one moment, contemplate the possibility 
 of escaping by legal means; though he rested 
 his best hopes on the use he might make 
 of his legs before he was lodged in the next 
 bridewell, to be forwarded, with a military 
 escort, to Clonmel; escape from thence he 
 regarded hopeless, as well as in his transit 
 thither ; to do the peelers then was his only 
 chance. 
 
 Vainly should we attempt describing 
 the anguish of Biddy on this occasion, nor 
 the uproar and confusion which ensued, 
 when half a dozen neighbouring women, 
 that had come to console her in this afflic- 
 tion, insisted on placing a young Sweeney 
 in the arms of either policeman, and the 
 infant of the family in that of Sergeant 
 Wetherell, asking them all the tiiae, "would 
 they have the hard heart to rob sick
 
 294 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 cliildre ov their faather, fur the sake ov the 
 Major's arums f" 
 
 The sergeant, as well as his escort,, stoutly 
 resisted this defot of arms in theirs ; but 
 the ladies were vehement, and the hint was 
 no way lost on the prisoner. One kiss of 
 agony imprinted on Biddy's cheek, and 
 the next moment, Martin Sweeney cleared 
 the garden hedge, and distanced his pur- 
 suers by a fiell ; but escape was still 
 doubtful ; in this very field, lay perdu^ 
 a party of police, commanded by the 
 cautious Miijor, lest anything like a res- 
 cue might be attempted. The apparition 
 of a man, Hying p:ist them, brought them 
 to their legs as wtll as to their arms, and, 
 as the Sergeant and their comrades fol- 
 lowed in liot pursuit, the younger and 
 more active of the party joined the chase, 
 whilst the Major roared, at the top of his 
 voice — " To shoot Sweeney through the 
 heart, and that every man amongst them 
 would be reporte :. and broke, if they did
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOK, 295 
 
 not bring him back dead or alive before 
 night" 
 
 The first of these orders, the foremost 
 men could not well comply with ; inasmuch 
 as, to enable them to keep the pace, they 
 had dropped their pieces at the first start, 
 and the rear-rank men had some compunc- 
 tion in firing after the prisoner, where 
 there was all but a certainty of their balls 
 lodging in their comrades^ backs ; but fur 
 the credit of the force be it recorded, that 
 on this occasion they strained every nerve 
 to meet the wishes of their superiar nor 
 shall we stop to enquire whether the threat 
 of their own dismissal had anything to do 
 with the activity of their heels, or that 
 laud-ible wi^h, inherent in every policeman, 
 to be distinguished as a captor, no matter 
 how convinced he may be of the innocence 
 of the captive, but '^ Sing the dangers of 
 the chase," which now amounted to fearful 
 odds against Sweeney. Piece by piece was 
 each article of dress flung oflf by the 
 hunted man, an advantage the pursuers in
 
 296 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 their closely buttoned jackets, and tightly 
 laced boots couldnotavailtheniselvesof; still 
 there were active men amongst them, better 
 fed, though not better taught — practice 
 being Martin's school- master — and a sheet 
 might have covered the the three foremost 
 of the party, and the object of their 
 pursuit in the last field which skirted a 
 wide, straggling bog, where some dozen 
 men and women were employed with slanes 
 cutting turf. A regular rasper^ to use a 
 sporting phrase, lay between him and 
 them ; a high, double-breasted, ditch, broad 
 dyke, filled with bog water, was regarded 
 by Biddy Sweeney from the top of a 
 neighbouring hill, with an intensity of 
 anguibh that arrested all power of moving, 
 as her breathless husband kept scarcely 
 a yard a head of his pursuers ; no words 
 came to her parted, and parched lip, 
 but there was a fearful consciousness in 
 her strained eye, and the dew of death 
 lay clammy on her pallid brow, as she 
 watched his flagging pace towards the
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 297 
 
 goal of liberty or death. The last spring 
 was to be taken, and exhausted nature 
 shrank from the elf )rt, but freedom lay 
 before him, the loving eye of a fond wife 
 was on hiQ3, and he knew it — mind over 
 matter proved victorious. 
 
 " Mother of Heaven, save him !" was 
 Biddy's scream of agony, as her fingers 
 described a cross, in vacant space, before 
 the glazed eyes that refused to witness 
 that husband in the hands of an enemy 
 — a prisoner and a felon. When she dared 
 look again, her wild laugh told he was 
 free ; the number of the pursued now 
 increased to some five or six, all divested 
 of hat, coat, and waistcoat, sans hose, or 
 brogue, with naught but small clothes and 
 shirt to impede the freedom of their action. 
 In this race of cross-purposes; some were 
 caught,bur, only to laugh at their captors and 
 enquire — "why they werelbllowedfor nothing 
 at all;"' whilst others led the fresh police, that 
 presently came up, a will-o-the wisp dance 
 5
 
 298 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 
 
 that allowed the real Simon Pure time to 
 escape. 
 
 The Feelers were foiled, and the turf- 
 cutters were gratified by the success of 
 their maDoeuvre; they cared not what crime 
 Sweeney might either be charged with, or 
 guilty of, they sought only to baffle the 
 "powers that be;" and this feeling, so uni- 
 versal in Ireland, is acted on, almost 
 invariably by the people. To know that a 
 man has rendered himself obnoxious to the 
 laws, is a sure claim for protection and 
 succour, certain to be responded to, where 
 even the nature of his crime, nay, his very 
 name, is unknown. 
 
 Would that " those in authority" in the 
 days we write of, condescended an enquiry 
 into the origin of this feeling, as well as 
 traced its fatal effects on the social condition 
 of their country — its blood-stains would 
 then have been unrecorded; its crimes, as 
 well as its misrule unheralded throughout 
 civilized Europe. Surely, confidence in 
 those who administer the lav/s, induces
 
 THE MILITIA MAJOR. 299 
 
 respect for the law itself, and we trust the 
 time will come, nay, now is, when the axe 
 shall be laid to the root of the evil, and 
 this noxious tree of monster growth, whose 
 dark shadow lay heavily on the land, will 
 be uplifted by the giant grasp of even- 
 handed justice. 
 
 END OF VOL. I. 
 
 T. C. Newby, Printer, 30, Welbeck Street, Cavendish Squart.
 
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