the purcell papers-2-第14部分

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he　might　prosecute　his　plan　touching　the

property　of　Martin　Heathcote；　rendering

his　daughter's　hand　free　by　the　removal　of

young　O'Mara。　This　appears　to　me　too

complicated　a　plan　of　villany　to　have

entered　the　mind　even　of　such　a　man　as

Dwyer。　I　must；　therefore；　suppose　his

motives　to　have　originated　out　of

circumstances　connected　with　this　story　which

may　not　have　come　to　my　ear；　and　perhaps

never　will。



Colonel　O'Mara　felt　the　death　of　his

son　more　deeply　than　I　should　have

thought　possible；　but　that　son　had　been

the　last　being　who　had　continued　to

interest　his　cold　heart。　Perhaps　the　pride

which　he　felt　in　his　child　had　in　it　more　of

selfishness　than　of　any　generous　feeling。

But；　be　this　as　it　may；　the　melancholy

circumstances　connected　with　Ellen

Heathcote　had　reached　him；　and　his

conduct　towards　her　proved；　more　strongly

than　anything　else　could　have　done；　that

he　felt　keenly　and　justly；　and；　to　a　certain

degree；　with　a　softened　heart；　the　fatal

event　of　which　she　had　been；　in　some

manner；　alike　the　cause　and　the　victim。



He　evinced　not　towards　her；　as　might

have　been　expected；　any　unreasonable

resentment。　On　the　contrary；　he　exhibited

great　consideration；　even　tenderness；　for

her　situation；　and　having　ascertained

where　his　son　had　placed　her；　he　issued

strict　orders　that　she　should　not　be

disturbed；　and　that　the　fatal　tidings；　which

had　not　yet　reached　her；　should　be　withheld

until　they　might　be　communicated　in

such　a　way　as　to　soften　as　much　as

possible　the　inevitable　shock。



These　last　directions　were　acted　upon

too　scrupulously　and　too　long；　and；

indeed；　I　am　satisfied　that　had　the　event

been　communicated　at　once；　however

terrible　and　overwhelming　the　shock

might　have　been；　much　of　the　bitterest

anguish；　of　sickening　doubts；　of　harassing

suspense；　would　have　been　spared　her；

and　the　first　tempestuous　burst　of　sorrow

having　passed　over；　her　chastened　spirit

might　have　recovered　its　tone；　and　her　life

have　been　spared。　But　the　mistaken

kindness　which　concealed　from　her　the

dreadful　truth；　instead　of　relieving　her

mind　of　a　burden　which　it　could　not　support；

laid　upon　it　a　weight　of　horrible

fears　and　doubts　as　to　the　affection　of

O'Mara；　compared　with　which　even　the

certainty　of　his　death　would　have　been

tolerable。



One　evening　I　had　just　seated　myself

beside　a　cheerful　turf　fire；　with　that　true

relish　which　a　long　cold　ride　through　a

bleak　and　shelterless　country　affords；

stretching　my　chilled　limbs　to　meet　the

genial　influence；　and　imbibing　the　warmth

at　every　pore；　when　my　comfortable

meditations　were　interrupted　by　a　long

and　sonorous　ringing　at　the　door…bell

evidently　effected　by　no　timid　hand。



A　messenger　had　arrived　to　request　my

attendance　at　the　Lodgesuch　was　the

name　which　distinguished　a　small　and

somewhat　antiquated　building；　occupying

a　peculiarly　secluded　position　among　the

bleak　and　heathy　hills　which　varied　the

surface　of　that　not　altogether　uninteresting

district；　and　which　had；　I　believe；　been

employed　by　the　keen　and　hardy　ancestors

of　the　O'Mara　family　as　a　convenient

temporary　residence　during　the　sporting

season。



Thither　my　attendance　was　required；　in

order　to　administer　to　a　deeply　distressed

lady　such　comforts　as　an　afflicted　mind　can

gather　from　the　sublime　hopes　and　consolations

of　Christianity。



I　had　long　suspected　that　the　occupant

of　this　sequestered；　I　might　say　desolate；

dwelling…house　was　the　poor　girl　whose

brief　story　we　are　following；　and　feeling　a

keen　interest　in　her　fateas　who　that　had

ever　seen　her　DID　NOT？I　started　from　my

comfortable　seat　with　more　eager　alacrity

than；　I　will　confess　it；　I　might　have

evinced　had　my　duty　called　me　in　another

direction。



In　a　few　minutes　I　was　trotting　rapidly

onward；　preceded　by　my　guide；　who　urged

his　horse　with　the　remorseless　rapidity　of

one　who　seeks　by　the　speed　of　his　progress

to　escape　observation。　Over　roads　and

through　bogs　we　splashed　and　clattered；

until　at　length　traversing　the　brow　of　a

wild　and　rocky　hill；　whose　aspect　seemed

so　barren　and　forbidding　that　it　might

have　been　a　lasting　barrier　alike　to　mortal

sight　and　step；　the　lonely　building　became

visible；　lying　in　a　kind　of　swampy　flat；

with　a　broad　reedy　pond　or　lake　stretching

away　to　its　side；　and　backed　by　a　farther

range　of　monotonous　sweeping　hills；

marked　with　irregular　lines　of　grey　rock；

which；　in　the　distance；　bore　a　rude　and

colossal　resemblance　to　the　walls　of　a

fortification。



Riding　with　undiminished　speed　along

a　kind　of　wild　horse…track；　we　turned　the

corner　of　a　high　and　somewhat　ruinous

wall　of　loose　stones；　and　making　a　sudden

wheel　we　found　ourselves　in　a　small

quadrangle；　surmounted　on　two　sides　by

dilapidated　stables　and　kennels；　on

another　by　a　broken　stone　wall；　and　upon

the　fourth　by　the　front　of　the　lodge　itself。



The　whole　character　of　the　place　was　that

of　dreary　desertion　and　decay；　which

would　of　itself　have　predisposed　the　mind

for　melancholy　impressions。　My　guide

dismounted；　and　with　respectful　attention

held　my　horse's　bridle　while　I　got　down；

and　knocking　at　the　door　with　the　handle

of　his　whip；　it　was　speedily　opened　by　a

neatly…dressed　female　domestic；　and　I　was

admitted　to　the　interior　of　the　house；　and

conducted　into　a　small　room；　where　a　fire

in　some　degree　dispelled　the　cheerless　air；

which　would　otherwise　have　prevailed

to　a　painful　degree　throughout　the

place。



I　had　been　waiting　but　for　a　very　few

minutes　when　another　female　servant；

somewhat　older　than　the　first；　entered　the

room。　She　made　some　apology　on　the

part　of　the　person　whom　I　had　come　to

visit；　for　the　slight　delay　which　had　already

occurred；　and　requested　me　further　to　wait

for　a　few　minutes　longer；　intimating　that

the　lady's　grief　was　so　violent；　that　without

great　effort　she　could　not　bring　herself

to　speak　calmly　at　all。　As　if　to　beguile

the　time；　the　good　dame　went　on　in　a

highly　communicative　strain　to　tell　me；

amongst　much　that　could　not　interest　me；

a　little　of　what　I　had　desired　to　hear。　I

discovered　that　the　grief　of　her　whom　I

had　come　to　visit　was　excited　by　the

sudden　death　of　a　little　boy；　her　only

child；　who　was　then　lying　dead　in　his

mother's　chamber。



'And　the　mother's　name？'　said　I；　inquiringly。



The　woman　looked　at　me　for　a　moment；

smiled；　and　shook　her　head　with　the　air　of

mingled　mystery　and　importance　which

seems　to　say；　'I　am　unfathomable。'　I

did　not　care　to　press　the　question；　though

I　suspected　that　much　of　her　apparent

reluctance　was　affected；　knowing　that　my

doubts　respecting　the　identity　of　the　person

whom　I　had　come　to　visit　must　soon

be　set　at　rest；　and　after　a　little　pause　the

worthy　Abigail　went　on　as　fluently　as

ever。　She　told　me　that　her　young

mistress　had　been；　for　the　time　she　had

been　with　herthat　was；　for　about　a　year

and　a　halfin　declining　health　and　spirits；

and　that　she　had　loved　her　little　child　to　a

degree　beyond　expressionso　devotedly

that　she　could　not；　in　all　probability；

survive　it　long。



While　she　was　running　on　in　this　way

the　bell　rang；　and　signing　me　to　follow；

she　opened　the　room　door；　but　stopped　in

the　hall；　and　taking　me　a　little　aside；　and

speaking　in　a　whisper；　she　told　me；　as　I

valued　the　life　of　the　poor　lady；　not　to　say

one　word　of　the　death　of　young　O'Mara。

I　nodded　acquiescence；　and　ascending　a

narrow　and　ill…constructed　staircase；　she

stopped　at　a　chamber　door　and　knocked。



'Come　in；'　said　a　gentle　voice　from

within；　and；　preceded　by　my　conductress；

I　entered　a　moderately…sized；　but　rather

gloomy　chamber。



There　was　but　one　living　form　within　it

it　was　the　light　and　graceful　figure　of　a

young　woman。　She　had　risen　as　I

entered　the　room；　but　owing　to　the

obscurity　of　the　apartment；　and　to　the

circumstance　that　her　face；　as　she　looked

towards　the　door；　was　turned　away　from

the　light；　which　found　its　way　in　dimly

through　the　narrow　windows；　I　could　not

instantly　recognise　the　features。



'You　do　not　remember　me；　sir？'　said　the

same　low；　mournful　voice。　'I　amI　WAS

Ellen　Heathcote。'



'I　do　remember　you；　my　poor　child；'

said　I；　taking　her　hand；　'I　do　remember

you　very　well。　Speak　to　me　frankly

speak　to　me　as　a　friend。　Whatever　I　can

do　or　say　for　you；　is　yours　already；　only

speak。'



'You　were　always　very　kind；　sir；　to

thoseto　those　that　WANTED　kindness。'



The　tears　were　almost　overflowing；　but

she　checked　them；　and　as　if　an　accession

of　fortitude　had　followed　the　momentary

weakness；　she　continued；　in　a　subdued　but

firm　tone；　to　tell　me　briefly　the

circumstances　of　her　marriage　with　O'Mara。

When　she　had　concluded　the　recital；

she　paused　for　a　moment；　and　I　asked

again：



'Can　I　aid　you　in　any　wayby　advice

or　otherwise？'



'I　wish；　sir；　to　tell　you　all　I　have　been

thinking　about；'　she　continued。　'I　am

sure；　sir；　that　Master　Richard　loved　me

onceI　am　sure　he　did　not　think　to

deceive　me；　but　there　were　bad；　hard…

hearted　people　about　him；　and　his　family

were　all　rich　and　high；　and　I　am　sure　he

wishes　NOW　that　he　had　never；　never　seen

me。　Well；　sir；　it　is　not　in　my　heart　to　blame

him。　What　was　_I_　that　I　should　look　at

him？an　ignorant；　poor；　country　girl

and　he　so　high　and　great；　and　so　beautiful。

The　blame　was　all　mineit　was　all　my

fault；　I　could　not　think　or　hope　he　would

care　for　me　more　than　a　little　time。　Well；

sir；　I　thought　over　and　over　again　that

since　his　love　was　gone　from　me　for　ever；

I　should　not　stand　in　his　way；　and　hinder

whatever　great　thing　his　family　wished　for

him。　So　I　thought　often　and　often　to　write

him　a　letter　to　get　the　marriage　broken；

and　to　send　me　home；　but　for　one　reason；

I　would　have　done　it　long　ago：　there　was

a　li