Valentine M'Clutchy, The Irish Agent / The Works of William Carleton, Volume Two

the Head Agent-Darby O'Drive, the B

s of Mr. Valentine M'Clutchy, although he had on his external manner and bearing. He now assumed more of the gentleman, and endeavored to impress himself upon those who came in contact with him, as a person of great authority and importance. One morni

on't forget that such was the

il, I'm a patient and a forgiving man notwi

" replied the son, "none of the rest ventured to go so

continued the father, followi

il, "why should you co

er, "I think you have hear

well that had he done so they could not exactly have looked each other in the face without sensations regarding their own conduct, which neither of them wished to avow. There is a hypo

his pretty daughter yet-and you know they have the cash. Th

, "you must give her up-that's pas

ime-of honest Solomon. Keep back the forgiveness yet awhile, may be they may come round-begad, and upon

at once dark and pallid, "listen to me;-I'll forgive him, Phil, until the nettle, the chick-weed, the burdock, the fulsome preshagh, the black fungus, the slimiest we

by O'Drive? the rascal should have been here before-oh no," said

you intend to

ocrisy, not capable of carrying a difficult matter successfully out; he overdoes everything by too much caution, and consequently gets himself into ridiculous scrapes, besides I cannot and

a

it will be worse for him. By the way, I have that fellow in my eye too-he had the assurance to tell me the other day, that he could not po

ed in his usual lofty state on "Handsome

dge of the parentage and personal history of Mr. Valentine M'Clutchy, as well as a brief statemen

first place, the mere fact of assuming the true name, was a standing argument of the father's profligacy. Secondly, the morals of the class and the period were so licentious, that the legitimate portion of a family did not like to be either outnumbered or insulted by their namesakes and illegitimate relatives, almost at every turn of the public roads. In the third place, a young man of this description could not, when seeking for a wife, feel the slightest inclination to have a living catalogue of his immoralities enumerated to her, under the names of Tom, or Dick, or Val so and so, all his children. This, of course, was an involuntary respect paid to modesty, and perhaps the strongest argument for suppressing the true name. The practice, however, was by no means universal; but in frequent instances it existed, and Val the Vulture's was one of them. He was named after neither father or mother, but after his grandmother, by the gaoler's side. Deaker would not suffer his name to be assumed; a

an, and to live in a respectable manner. Much, however, will have more, and Val was rapacious. On finding himself comparatively independent, he began to take more enlarged, but still very cautious measures to secure some of the good things of the estate to him and his. This he was the better able to do, as he had, by the apparent candor of his manner, completely wormed himself into the full confidence of the head agent-a gentleman of high honor and integrity, remarkable alike for humanity and benevolence; but utterly with

andlord, was as strong, if not stronger than those of the agent himself, he began to give a greater and less guarded scope to his natural principles. Mr. Hickman, the agent, had been strongly disgusted by the political profligacy with which the union was carried; and had, on more than one occasion, intimated a doubt whether, as an honest man, he could render political support to any one who had participated in its corruption or recognized the justice of those principles on whic

s so penally taxed, he immediately gave orders that such exactions should be discontinued by M'Clutchy, and resisted by the tenants. In spite of all this, however, there were upon the property many timid persons, who, drea

onest. Old Tom's venality, however, at the union, made him rather sick of the connection, and the conduct, or rather expensive profligacy of the young

as he could legitimately, and within the ordinary calculations of humanity, feed Lord Cumber's prodigality of expenditure he did it. This, however, was not exactly the kind of agent which his lordship wanted, and however highly he respected, and honored him, still that direful word necessity goaded him into a forgetfulness of his own real interests, and of what was due to Hickman. He wanted an agent with less feeling, less scruple, less independen

w miles distance, a range of fine mountains-and between them stretched as rich a valley, both in fertility and beauty, as the eye of man could rest upon. The ground before the door fell by an easy and gradual descent, until a little further down it reached a green expanse of level meadow, through which a clear river wound its lingering course, as if loth to pass away from between the rich and grassy banks that enclosed it. It was, in fact, a

as we said, but a single one, yet there was no mistaking its double meaning. It was impudent and servile; it was impudent, as much as to say to the servants, "why don't you open the door quickly for a man who is so deep in yo

my or navy. At all events, shuffling, and cringing, and slinking Darby O'Drive presented himself to Val the Vulture. There was a downcast, cowardly, shy, uneasy, expression in his blank, straggling features, that seemed to say, for God's sake spare my very life-don't annihilate me-h

arp, imperious;one, "you'

he top of his nose with the finger and thumb of an

g, tongue, you knave, wh

well I a

knaves-every bailiff is a knave-ahe

indeed, plais

e than you after all,

please, for sure, God help me

it. Come now, no jaw, I tell you, but answer m

aise your honor, I

he townland of

aise you

ady-have the

,-an other some is axin

asking

t it's wondherful the onraisonableness of some people. Says I, 'his honor, Mr. M'Clutchy, is only doin' his duty; but a betther hearted or a kinder man never bruk the world's bread than he is to

say, were they abusi

norance and foolishness on their part-onr

knave, or upon my honor and soul I'll tur

tther, 'twas for a raison I had." He gave a look at M'Clutchy as he spoke, compounded of such far and distant cunning, scarcely

lad-but go on-what did they say,

ll you-but, sure, if you'd give your promise, sir-your bright

g reptile, out with i

at-bad luck to them I pray-that there wasn't so black-hearted a scoundrel on the face of the airth as your four quart

g forward in the other's mind, and knew that he had nothing else for it but to look him steadily in the face, as a mark of his perfect innocence. Gradually, therefore, and slowly he raised his small gray eyes until they met those of M'Clutchy, and thus the gaze continued for nearly a minute between them, and that with such steadiness o

peculiar point to the opinions expressed by the tenantry against the Vulture, perhaps w

ther a firm or a steady one, removed it from Darby, who nevertheless followed it with a simple but pe

nity on the next object to him; "and, you beggarly scoundrel, what did you

face-for it's next to that. Now,' says I, 'be guided by me, and all will be right. In the first place, you know, he's entitled to duty-fowl*-in the next place, he's entitled to duty-work.' 'Ay, the landlord is,' said they, 'but not the Vul--' 'Whisht,' says I, in a friendly whisper, puttin' my hand across Dan's mouth, an' winkin' both my eyes at him; 'send his honor down a pair of them fine fat turkeys-I know his honor's fond o' them; but that's not all,' says I-'do you wish to have a friend in coort? I know you do. Well and good-he's drawing gravel

itous exactions, r

old landlords

without a single observation,

r; they'

Magon

on next Thursday and Saturday. On Friday they mu

w Gaf

hat I may never die in

what did

ckman is-but, God forbid, sir, I'd spake a word against the absent; but any way, he's a g

sent situation, never open your lips against that excellent gentleman, Mr. Hickman.

d forgive me for spakin' th

ee the Mul

on, sir, I forgot. Throth, sir, when I mentioned th

tled

ither duty fowl nor duty work, but to do their own business, a

abroad for a minute or two,-"well-so much for Ball

he whole townland, sir, all I got was two men for the aveny-a goose from Barney Scadden, and her last ten, along wid half-a-dozen eggs, from that

them all,

fleeshed in this manner,' says he. Yes, your honor, that's the upshot from Ballymackfud-two day's work-a sick goose (for I disremembered to mention that Barney said, wid a wink, that she'd require gr

mentioned in my presence. Give this letter to Mr. M'Slime, and brin

therfairin' wid

on't take it; you o

he red wather in my stomach, I'll try it. I drank bog-bine la

water-the Irish n

hich he held steadily before his eye

ar to throw me out o' fifty windies, I'll add to that-here's wis

said Val, starting with rising

e seized his hat, bolted outside the door, and putting in

'S PLACE, y