第70章

Then, as he instructed her, she gave up the key of the door to him, and a bit of the thatch of the house; and he raked out the fire, and said every living creature must go out.'It's only form of law,' said he.

'And must my lodger get up and turn out, sir?' said she.'He must turn out, to be sure--not a living soul must be left in it, or it's no legal possession properly.Who is your lodger?'

On Lord Colambre's appearing, Mr.Dennis showed some surprise, and said, 'I thought you were lodging at Brannagan's; are not you the man who spoke to me at his house about the gold mines?'

'No, sir, he never lodged at Brannagan's,' said the widow.

'Yes, sir, I am the person who spoke to you about the gold mines at Brannagan's; but I did not like to lodge--'

'Well, no matter where you liked to lodge; you must walk out of this lodging now, if you please, my good friend.'

So Mr.Dennis pushed his lordship out by the shoulders, repeating, as the widow turned back and looked with some surprise and alarm, 'Only for form sake, only for form sake!' then locking the door, took the key, and put it into his pocket.The widow held out her hand for it: 'The form's gone through now, sir, is not it? Be plased to let us in again.'

'When the new lease is signed, I'll give you possession again;but not till then--for that's the law.So make away with you to the castle; and mind,' added he, winking slily, 'mind you take sealing-money with you, and something to buy gloves.'

'Oh, where will I find all that?' said the widow.

'I have it, mother; don't fret,' said Grace.'I have it--the price of---what I can want.[What I can do without.] So let us go off to the castle without delay.Brian will meet us on the road, you know.'

They set off for Clonbrony Castle, Lord Colambre accompanying them.Brian met them on the road.'Father Tom is ready, dear mother; bring her in, and he'll marry us.I'm not my own man till she's mine.Who knows what may happen?'

'Who knows? that's true,' said the widow.

'Better go to the castle first,' said Grace.

'And keep the priest waiting! You can't use his reverence so.'

said Brian.

So she let him lead her into the priest's house, and she did not make any of the awkward draggings back, or ridiculous scenes of grimace sometimes exhibited on these occasions; but blushing rosy red, yet with more self-possession than could have been expected from her timid nature, she gave her hand to the man she loved, and listened with attentive devotion to the holy ceremony.

'Ah!' thought Lord Colambre, whilst he congratulated the bride, 'shall I ever be as happy as these poor people are at this moment?' He longed to make them some little present, but all he could venture at this moment was to pay the priest's DUES.

The priest positively refused to take anything.'They are the best couple in my parish,' said he; 'and I'll take nothing, sir, from you, a stranger and my guest.'

'Now, come what will, I'm a match for it.No trouble can touch me,' said Brian.

'Oh, don't be bragging,' said the widow.

'Whatever trouble God sends, He has given one now will help to bear it, and sure I may be thankful,' said Grace.

'Such good hearts must be happy--shall be happy!' said Lord Colambre.

'Oh, you're very kind,' said the widow, smiling; 'and I wouldn't doubt you, if you had the power.I hope, then, the agent will give you encouragement about them mines, that we may keep you among us.'

'I am determined to settle among you, warm-hearted, generous people!' cried Lord Colambre, 'whether the agent gives me encouragement or not,' added he.

It was a long walk to Clonbrony Castle; the old woman, as she said herself, would not have been able for it, but for a LIFTgiven to her by a friendly carman, whom they met on the road with an empty car.This carman was Finnucan, who dissipated Lord Colambre's fears of meeting and being recognised by Mrs.

Raffarty; for he, in answer to the question of, 'Who is at the castle?' replied, 'Mrs.Raffarty will be in it afore night; but she's on the road still.There's none but old Nick in it yet;and he's more of a NEGER than ever; for think, that he would not pay me a farthing for the carriage of his SHISTER'S boxes and bandboxes down.If you're going to have any dealings with him, God grant ye a safe deliverance!'

'Amen!' said the widow, and her son and daughter.

Lord Colambre's attention was now engaged by the view of the castle and park of Clonbrony.He had not seen it since he was six years old.Some faint reminiscence from his childhood made him feel or fancy that he knew the place.It was a fine castle, spacious park; but all about it, from the broken piers at the great entrance, to the messy gravel and loose steps at the hall-door, had an air of desertion and melancholy.Walks overgrown, shrubberies wild, plantations run up into bare poles; fine trees cut down, and lying on the gravel in lots to be sold.A hill that had been covered with an oak wood, in which, in his childhood, our hero used to play, and which he called the black forest, was gone; nothing to be seen but the white stumps of the trees, for it had been freshly cut down, to make up the last remittances.--'And how it went, when sold!--but no matter,' said Finnucan; 'it's all alike.--It's the back way into the yard, I'll take you, I suppose.'

And such a yard! 'But it's no matter,' repeated Lord Colambre to himself; 'it's all alike.'

In the kitchen a great dinner was dressing for Mr.Garraghty's friends, who were to make merry with him when the business of the day was over.

'Where's the keys of the cellar, till I get out the claret for after dinner,' says one; 'and the wine for the cook--sure there's venison,' cries another.--'Venison!--That's the way my lord's deer goes,' says a third, laughing.--'ay, sure! and very proper, when he's not here to eat 'em.'--'Keep your nose out of the kitchen, young man, if you PLASE,' said the agent's cook, shutting the door in Lord Colambre's face.'There's the way to the office, if you've money to pay, up the back stairs.'

'No; up the grand staircase they must--Mr.Garraghty ordered,'