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"Take that man out," said the sheriff.

"Don't hurry yourself, sir," returned the delinquent, amidst the laughter of " the boys," in proportion to whose merriment rose O'Grady's ill humour.

"I say there is a necessity for a vigorous member to represent this county in parliament, and support the laws, the constitution, the crown, and the-the-the interests of the county!"

"Who made the new road?" was a question that now rose from the crowd-a laugh followed-and some groans at this allusion to a bit of jobbing on the part of O'Grady, who got a grand jury presentment to make a road which served nobody's interest but his own.

"The frequent interruptions I meet here from the lawless and disaffected, show too plainly that we stand in need of men who will support the arm of the law in purging the country."

"Who killed the 'pothecary?" said a fellow, in a voice so deep that it seemed suited to issue from the jaws of death.

The question, and the extraordinary voice in which it was uttered, produced one of those roars of laughter which sometimes shake public meetings in Ireland; and O'Grady grew furious.

"If I knew who that gentleman was, I'd pay him!" said he.

"You'd better pay them you know," was the answer; and this allusion to O'Grady's notorious character of a bad pay, was relished by the crowd, and again raised the laugh against him.

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Sir," said O'Grady, addressing the sheriff, " I hold this ruffianism in contempt. I treat it, and the authors of it, those who no doubt have instructed them, with contempt." He looked over to where Egan and his friends stood, as he spoke of the crowd having had instruction to interrupt him.

"If you mean, sir," said Egan, "that I have given any such instruction, I deny, in the most unqualified terms, the truth of such an assertion.'

"Keep yourself cool, Ned," said Dick Dawson, close to his ear. "Never fear me," said Egan, "but I won't let him bully."

The two former friends now exchanged rather fierce looks at each other. "Then why am I interrupted?" asked O'Grady.

"It is no business of mine to answer that," replied Egan; "but I repeat the unqualified denial of your assertion."

The crowd ceased its noise when the two Squires were seen engaged in exchanging smart words, in the hope of catching what they said. "It is a disgraceful uproar," said the sheriff.

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"Then it is your business, Mister Sheriff," returned Egan, to suppress it not mine; they are quiet enough now."

"Yes, but they'll make a wow again," said Furlong, O'Gwady begins."

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"You seem to know all about it," said Dick; maybe you have instructed them."

"No, sir, I didn't instwuct them," said Furlong, very angry at being twitted by Dick.

Dick laughed in his face, and said, "Maybe that's one of your electioneering tactics-eh?"

Furlong got very angry, while Dick and Murphy shouted with laughter at him." No, sir," said Furlong, "I don't welish the pwactice of such di'ty twicks."

"Do you apply the word 'dirty' to me, sir?" said Dick the Devil, ruffling up like a game-cock." I'll tell you what, sir, if you make use of the word 'dirty' again, I'd think very little of kicking you-ay, or eight like you-I'd kick eight Furlongs one mile."

"Who's talking of kicking?" asked O'Grady.

"I am," said Dick, "do you want any?"

"Gentlemen! gentlemen! cried the sheriff, "order! pray, order! do proceed with the business of the day."

"I'll talk to you after about this!" said O'Grady, in a threatening

tone.

"Very well," said Dick, "we've time enough, the day's young yet." O'Grady then proceeded to find fault with Egan, censuring his politics, and endeavouring to justify his defection from the same cause he concluded thus, "Sir, I shall pursue my course of duty; I have chalked out my own line of conduct, sir, and I am convinced no other line is the right line. Our opponents are wrong, sir,totally wrong-all wrong, and, as I have said, I have chalked out my own line, sir, and I propose the Honourable Sackville Scatterbrain as a fit and proper person to sit in parliament for the representation of this county."

The O'Gradyites shouted as their chief concluded; and the Merryvalians returned some groans, and a cry of "Go home, turncoat!"

Egan now presented himself, and was received with deafening and long-continued cheers, for he was really beloved by the people at large; his frank and easy nature, the amiable character he bore in all his social relations, the merciful and conciliatory tendency of his decisions and conduct as a magistrate, won him the solid respect as well as affection of the country.

He had been for some days in low spirits in consequence of Larry Hogan's visit and mysterious communication with him; but this, its cause, was unknown to all but himself, and therefore more difficult to support; for none but those whom sad experience has taught can tell the agony of enduring in secret and in silence the pang that gnaws a proud heart, which, Spartan like, will let the tooth destroy, without complaint or murmur.

His depression, however, was apparent, and Dick told Murphy he feared Ned would not be up to the mark at the election ; but Murphy, with a better knowledge of human nature, and the excitement of such a cause, said, "Never fear him-ambition is a long spur, my boy, and will stir the blood of a thicker-skinned fellow than your brother-in-law. When he comes to stand up and assert his claims before the world, he'll be all right!"

Murphy was a true prophet, for Egan presented himself with confidence, brightness, and good-humour on his open countenance.

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The first thing I have to ask of you, boys," said Egan, addressing the assembled throng, "is a fair hearing for the other candidate." "Hear, hear!" followed from the gentlemen in the gallery.

"And as he is a stranger amongst us, let him have the privilege of first addressing you."

With these words he bowed courteously to Scatterbrain, who thanked him very much like a gentleman, and accepting his offer, advanced to address the electors. O'Grady waved his hand in signal to his bodyguard, and Scatterbrain had three cheers from the ragamuffins.

He was no great things of a speaker, but he was a good-humoured fellow, and this won on the Paddies; and although coming before them under the disadvantage of being proposed by O'Grady, they heard him with good temper:-to this, however, Egan's good word considerably contributed.

He went very much over the ground his proposer had taken, so that, bating the bad temper, the pith of his speech was much the same, quite as much deprecating the political views of his opponent, and harping on O'Grady's worn-out catch-word of "Having chalked out a line for himself," &c. &c. &c.

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Egan now stood forward, and was greeted with fresh cheers. began in a very Irish fashion; for, being an unaffected, frank, and freehearted fellow himself, he knew how to touch the feelings of those who possess such qualities themselves. He waited till the last echo of the uproarious greeting died away, and the first simple words he uttered were-"Here I am, boys!"

Simple as the words were, they produced "one cheer more." "Here I am, boys,-the same I ever was.'

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"Loud huzzas," and "Long life to you!" answered the last pithy words, which were sore ones to O'Grady; who, as a renegade, felt the hit. "Fellow countrymen, I come forward to represent you, and, however I may be unequal to that task, at least, I will never misrepresent you." Another cheer followed.

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My past life is evidence enough on that point; God forbid I were of the mongrel breed of Irishmen, who speak ill of their own country. I never did it, boys, and I never will! Some think they get on by it, and so they do, indeed;-they get on as sweeps and shoe-blacks get on,-they drive a dirty trade, and find employment;-but are they respected?" Shouts of "No-no."

"You're right!- No!-they are not respected,-even by their very employers. Your political sweep and shoe-black is no more respected than he who cleans our chimneys or cleans our shoes. The honourable gentleman who has addressed you last, confesses he is a stranger amongst you; and is a stranger to be your representative? You may be civil to a stranger-it is a pleasing duty; but he is not the man to whom you would give your confidence. You might share a hearty glass with a stranger, but you would not enter into a joint lease of a farm without knowing a little more of him; and if you would not trust a single farm with a stranger, will you give a whole county into his hands? When a stranger comes to these parts, I'm sure he'll get a civil answer from every man I see here, he will get a civil 'yes,' or a civil 'no,' to his question, and if he seeks his way, you will show him his road. And to the honourable gentleman, who has done you the favour to come and ask you civilly, will you give him the county, you as civilly

may answer 'No,' and show him his road home again. As for the gentleman who proposed him, he has chosen to make certain strictures upon my views, and opinions, and conduct. As for views-there was a certain heathen god, the Romans worshipped, called Janus; he was a fellow with two heads-and, by-the-bye, boys, he would have been just the fellow to live amongst us; for when one of his heads was broken, he would have had the other for use. Well, this Janus was called 'double-face,' and could see before and behind him. Now, I'm no double-face, boys; and as for seeing before and behind me, I can look back on the past, and forward to the future, and both the roads are straight ones. (Cheers.) I wish every one could say as much. As for my opinions, all I shall say is, I never changed mine; Mister O'Grady can't say as much."

"Sure there's a weathercock in the family," said the voice in the crowd.

A loud laugh followed this sally, for the old dowager's eccentricity was not quite a secret.-O'Grady looked as if he could have eaten the whole crowd at a mouthful.

"Much has been said," continued Egan, "about gentlemen chalking out lines for themselves :-now, the plain English of this very determined chalking of their own line, is rubbing out every other man's line. Some of these chalking gentlemen have lines chalked up against them, and might find it difficult to pay the score if they were called to account. To such-rubbing out other men's lines, and their own, too, may be convenient; but I don't like the practice. Boys, I have no more to say than this, We know and can trust each other!”

Egan's address was received with acclamation, and when silence was restored, the sheriff demanded a show of hands; and a very fine show of hands there was, and every hand had a stick in it.

The show of hands was declared to be in favour of Egan, whereupon a poll was demanded on the part of Scatterbrain, after which every one began to move from the court-house.

O'Grady, in very ill-humour, was endeavouring to shove past a herculean fellow, rather ragged, and very saucy, who did not seem inclined to give place to the savage elbowing of the Squire.

"What brings such a ragged rascal as you here?" said O'Grady, brutally; "you're not an elector."

"Yis, I am!" replied the fellow, sturdily.

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Why, you can't have a lease, you beggar."

"No, but maybe I have an article."*

"What is your article ?"

"What is it?" retorted the fellow, with a fierce look at O'Grady. "Faith, it's a fine brass blundherbuss; and I'd like to see the man would dispute the title."

O'Grady had met his master, and could not reply; the crowd shouted for the raggamuffin, and all parties separated, to gird up their loins for the next day's poll.

* A name given to a written engagement between landlord and tenant, promising to grant a lease, on which registration is allowed in Ireland.

CHAPTER XIX.

AFTER the angry words exchanged at the nomination, the most peaceable reader must have anticipated the probability of a duel ;-but when the inflammable stuff of which Irishmen are made is considered, together with the excitement and pugnacious spirit attendant upon elections in all places, the certainty of a hostile meeting must have been apparent. The sheriff might have put the gentlemen under arrest, it is true, but that officer was a weak, thoughtless, and irresolute person, and took no such precaution; though, to do the poor man justice, it is only fair to say, that such an intervention of authority at such a time and place would have been considered on all hands as a very impertinent, unjustifiable and discourteous interference with the private pleasures and privileges of gentlemen.

Dick Dawson had a message conveyed to him from O'Grady, requesting the honour of his company the next morning to " grass before breakfast;" to which, of course, Dick returned an answer expressive of the utmost readiness to oblige the squire with his presence; and, as the business of the election was of importance, it was agreed they should meet at a given spot on the way to the town, and so lose as little time as possible.

The next morning, accordingly, the parties met at the appointed place, Dick attended by Edward O'Connor and Egan-the former in capacity of his friend; and O'Grady, with Scatterbrain for his second, and Furlong a looker-on: there were some straggling spectators besides, to witness the affair.

“O'Grady looks savage, Dick," said Edward.

"Yes," answered Dick, with a smile of as much unconcern as if he were going to lead off a country dance. "He looks as pleasant as a bull in a pound."

"Take care of yourself, my dear Dick," said Edward, seriously. "My dear boy, don't make yourself uneasy," replied Dick, laughing. "I'll bet you two to one he misses me.

Edward made no reply, but to his sensitive and more thoughtful nature, betting at such a moment savoured too much of levity, so, leaving his friend, he advanced to Scatterbrain, and they commenced making the preliminary preparations.

During the period which this required, O'Grady was looking down sulkily or looking up fiercely, and striking his heel with vehemence into the sod, while Dick Dawson was whistling a planxty and eyeing his

man.

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