Willy Reilly / The Works of William Carleton, Volume One

full view of her countenance, he thought he could observe her complexion considerably heightened in color, and from her his glance was directed to Reilly. The

oring under what he supposed to be a sense of

d he, "are the Pa

lied the other, "because t

pery, brass money and wooden shoes, I think the country

Folliard, I a

And now, Mr. Folliard, I am not conscious of having given you any earthly offence, but I cannot possibly pretend to misunderstand the object of your altered conduct and language. I am your guest, at your own express invitation. You know I am a Roman Catholic-Papist, if you will-yet, with the knowledge of this, you have not only insulted me personally, but also in the creed to whi

ll things, deliberately insult the man to whom you and I both owe so much? Oh, I cannot understand it. Some demon, equally cowardly and malignant, must have p

together in the dark, girl; but in a day

over to her. "Allow me to prevail upon you to suspend your judgment for

. Reilly, in the meantime, was waiting fo

and there you, sir, stand; and sooner than become the wife of Sir Robert Whitecraft I would dash myself from the battlements of this castle. William Reilly, brave and generous young man, goodnight! It matters not who may f

truth of her affection, be the result what it might. She had, indeed, much of the vehemence of her father's character in her; much of his unchangeable purpose, when she felt or thought she was right; but not one of his unfounded whims or prejudic

him for the moment. The baronet attempted to resume the conversation, but he found not his intended father-in-law in the mood for it. The light of truth, as it fla

disturbed, distressed. If I have treated that young man ungr

it is too late, that she is the more spellbound of the two. If I don't mistake, the spell begins to work already. In the meantime, as M

objects in the glowing embers, one of whom he thought resembled the Red Rapparee about to shoot him; another, Willy Reil

dream, he looked about him, and, forgetting for a moment all that had happened, inquired in his usual eager manner where Reilly and Whitecraft were, and if they had gone. In a few

to do!-may God forgive me if I have treated this young man with

his sorrow, and the more so as it was se

to make you happy, my dear treasu

"papa, I love William Reilly-love him with a pure and disinterested passion!-with a passion which I feel constitutes my destiny in this life-either for happiness or misery. That passion is irrevocable. It is useless to ask me to control or suppress it, for I feel that the task is beyond my power. My love, however, is not base nor selfish, papa, but founded on virtue and honor. It may seem strange that I should make such a confession to

ished by the magnanimity and truth which prompted you to disclose it to me. I will go to bed, dearest, and

fter attending him thither, left him to the care of

, as we have said, the same who, warned by his remonstrances,

have followed my advice. You have left the

ke. I don't look upon sayin' this as treachery to him, nor would I mention it only that Pavi

rgus, wha

rdon from government, and some kind of a place as thief-taker, if he'll engage in it against you. Now, you know, ther

e laws deal with him. As for me, you know what he deserves at my hands, but I shall never become the hound of a government which oppr

betray yo

, Fergus, all sympathy between me and the laws that oppress us is gone. Let them vindicate themselves against thieves and robbers and murderers, with as much vigilance and ener

warmly, M

gradation. Fergus, Fergus, I never felt that degradation a

l you list

o express what I feel. Proceed, however," he added, attempting to calm the tumult tha

the country. The red villain is to come in with a charge against you and surrender himself to

ou do. They may, however, be disappointed. Fergus, I have a friend-friend-oh, such a friend! and it will

the other. "I must lie quie

m time to time, and get whatever he knows out of him. His father was a

ergus, "and

nd let me hear it. I would give you shelter in my house, but that now w

. Reilly, I do an

leave this unhappy country; but as circumstances have turned out, you may for some time yet be useful

their resources and the inadequacy of their power, did not hesitate to propose terms to the leaders of these banditti, and, by affording them personal protection, succeeded in inducing them to betray their former associates. Now Reilly was well aware of this, and our readers need not be surpri

end Tom Steeple was met by its propriet

Big House?" for such is the general term applie

t of persons; he then shook his head and replied, "Me don't know whether you tall or not. Tom tall-wil

r cousin Larry Lanigan, the cook, will give

some moments until another of our characters met him on his way to

, poor devils, they must live. This, though,

d Molly, as she approached

me my fortune; but they say one must cross your palm with silver before you can m

that, because they secure themselves first and tell you nothing wort

at all events; let me hear

looked into it with a solemn aspect. "There, sir," she

so, M

n your hand a gre

foolish wom

happen to one of your family;

it be pr

alth, and that loves the member of your famil

the woman, who seemed to speak

, Molly; but granting that it

replied. "A feelin' comes over me, and I can't

want you to see my daughter's hand till I hear what

e take to this way of life we mustn't belong to an

elf to the

o, sir

t? Out w

did, I never could t

ken a fancy that you shall tel

she that has all the world admirin' her wonderful beauty. Sure, they say, her health was drunk in the Lord L

you. Come now, come up to the house, and tell her fortune; and mark

latter y

all I ask is that you won't flatter her. Spea

e to come in direct contact with this woman, papa. How can you, for one moment, imagine that a person of her life and habits c

tter; give her your hand; you

r papa, to pleas

aid, turning to the squire, "It's very odd, sir, but her

" said he, "l

e-teller, perfectly indifferent to her art, but not without s

the squire, "what

he wrong direction-a false step is mad

d, with an indignant glance at the fo

see a man of wealth and title who will just come in in time to sav

ntling with blushes of indignation, "that I am a better proph

ome from last, M

"from Jemmy Hamilton's a

leen Bawn, "you have told an untrut

Miss Folliard?" said the woma

d the wages of your dishonesty and his corruption are th

e is something' additional for you. What you have told us is ve

then withdrew

Whitecraft and no less a personage than the Red Rapparee. They approached the hall door, and after giving a single knock, it was opened

ted by anything or any person that was disagreeable to him. On seeing the man whose hand had been raised against his life, and what was still more atrocious, whose criminal

nd in your society and at your request I have suffered him to come here; under your protecti

sir, in leaving the door

bed nearly an hour ago. Indeed, the fact is, they

to say, he left it a little more than

ou, sir," said the Rapparee. "I never

am not a man very easily frightened; but I will confess that

rt of the Jesuit, Reilly, be at once cleared up. We wish, that is to say I wish, to prevent your good nature from being played upon by a designing vi

h Miss Folliard, or of getting into her company. Well, sir, aware that you were often in the habit of goin' to the town of Boyle, he comes to me and says in the early part of the day, 'Randal, I will give you fifty goolden guineas if you help me in a plan I have in my head.' Now, fifty goolden guineas isn't easily earned; so I, not knowing what the plan wa

, "for these are the identical terms in which

wild horse in it that comes out of moonlight nights to feed on the patches of green that are here and there among the moors-'near Loch na Gaitan,' says he; 'and when he gets that far turn out upon him, charge him with transportin' your uncle, and when you are levellin'

time, and then asked, "Was there no

ng mor

did he pay y

pulling out a rag in which were the

quire, "we lost o

his favor. That made very little difference. You would ha

Did not you yourself come down by the skylight, an

f makin' ourselves invisible. Do you think, sir-I put it to your own common-sense-that if we had been there no one would have seen us? Wasn't the whole country for miles round searched and scoured, and I ask you, sir, was

to be done with him. You see clearly it is necessary, Mr. Folliard,

deceived and imposed upon! Away with him-a thousand leagues away with him! And that quickly too! Oh, the plausible, deceitful villain! My child! my child!" and here

he realm. After my return home I took a note of them, and I trust that you, sir, will corroborate, with respect to this fact, the testimony which it is my purpose to give against him. I say this the rather, Mr. Folliard, because

fidence to my guests; I shall never violate the laws of hospitality. Treat the man fairly, I say, concoct no plot against him, bribe no

d Sir Robert, "contrary

his arms, he said that his neighbor, Bob Gosford, always lent him his gun whenever he felt disposed to shoot, and, to my own

aree, looking significantly at the baronet, "and I will

, you may rest assured, Mr. Folliard; I charge myself with the management of the whole affair. I trust, sir, you will

e removed by the fair operation of the laws; but I will never sanction any dish

dness was heard immediately outside the door; a sneeze

quire. "By the great Boyne, I fear so

, and the baronet, although unconscious of any cause for terror, stood rather u

have you not the use of your legs? Go and

onet, "but your house has the character of b

ng a candle, went outside the door, b

r. Who ever heard of a ghost sneezing? Never mind, though; for the curiosity

them that every one in the house was in a state of the most prof

uble sneeze. I am afraid, Mr. Folliard, that the report is too true-and

orities" were not in question, agreed to go with him, although he had a sma

doubt remained on his mind of Reilly's treachery. And that which convinced him beyond all arguments or assertions was the fact tha