Tom Burke Of Ours, Volume I

by Charles James Lever

  CHAPTER XV. THE CASTLE.

  Scarcely had the carriage driven from the gloomy portals of the jail,and entered one of the long, straggling streets that led towards theriver, when I noticed a singular-looking figure who ran alongside, andkept up with us as we went. A true type of the raggedness of old Dublin,his clothes fluttered behind him like ribbons; even from his hat,his long, red hair straggled and streamed, while his nether garmentsdisplayed a patchwork no tartan could vie with. His legs were bare, savewhere a single topboot defended one of them; the other was naked tothe foot, clad in an old morocco slipper, which he kicked up and caughtagain as he went with surprising dexterity, accompanying the feat witha wild yell which might have shamed a warwhoop. He carried a bundle ofprinted papers over one arm; and flourished one of them in his righthand, vociferating something all the while with uncommon energy.Scarcely had the carriage drawn up at the door of an old-fashioned brickbuilding when he was beside it.

  "How are ye. Major? How is every bit of you, sir? Are ye taking themthis mornin'--'t is yourself knows how! Buy a ha'porth, sir."

  "What have you got to-day, Toby?" said the major, with a greater degreeof complacency in his manner than I had ever noticed before.

  "An illigant new song about Buck Whaley; or maybe you 'd like'Beresford's Jig, or the Humors of Malbro' Green.'"

  "Why, man, they 're old these three weeks."

  "True for ye, Major. Begorra! there 's no chating you at all, at all.Well, maybe you 'll have this: here 's the bloody and cruel outragecommitted by the yeomen on the body of a dacent and respectable youngman, by the name of Darby M'Keown, with the full and true account of howhe was inhumanly stabbed and murdered on the eighth day of July--"

  "Ay, give me that. I hope they 've done for that scoundrel; I have beenon his track three years."

  The fellow drew near, and, as he handed the paper to the major,contrived to approach close to where I stood. "Buy one, master," saidhe; and as he spoke, he turned completely round, so as only to beobserved by myself, and as suddenly the whole expression of his vacantfeatures changed like magic, and I saw before me the well-known face ofDarby himself.

  "Did you get an answer to that for me, Toby?', said the major.

  "Yes, sir; here it is." And with that he pulled off his tattered hat,and withdrew a letter which lay concealed within the lining. "'Tis sixpence you ought to be afther givin' me this mornin', Major,"continued he, in an insinuating tone of voice; "the devil a less thantwenty-one mile it is out of this, not to spake of the danger I run, andthe boys out on every side o' me."

  "And what's the news up the country, Toby?" asked the major, as he brokethe seal of the letter.

  "'T is talking of a risin' they do be still, sir,--av the praties wasin; glory be to God, they say it 'll be a great sayson."

  "For which, Toby,--the crops or the croppies?"

  "Yes, sir," replied Toby, with a most provoking look of idiocy. "And youwon't buy Darby sir?" rejoined he, flourishing the printed placard. "Nomatter; here 's the whole, full, thrue, and particular account--" And sohe turned the angle of the building, and I could hear his voice minglingwith the street noises as he wended his way down Dame Street.

  The major looked after him and smiled; and brief as was that smile, Isaw in it how thoroughly he was duped.

  "Come, sir, follow me, if you please," said he, addressing me.

  I mounted a flight of old and neglected stairs, and entered an anteroom,where, having waited for a few seconds, the major whispered an order tothe porter, and passed on to the inner room, leaving me behind.

  As Major Barton passed out by one door, the porter turned the key in theother, and placing it in his pocket, drew his chair to the window andresumed the newspaper he was reading when we entered. How long I waitedI cannot say. My thoughts, though sad ones, chased each other rapidly,and I felt not the time as it passed. Suddenly the door opened, and Iheard my name called. I drew a deep breath, like one who felt his fatewas in the balance, and entered.

  The room, which was plainly furnished, seemed to serve as an office. Thegreen covered table that stood in the middle was littered with lettersand papers, among which a large, heavy-browed, dark-featured man wassearching busily as I came in. Behind, and partly beside him, stoodBarton, in an attitude of respectful attention; while, with his back tothe fire, was a third person, whose age might have been from thirty-fiveto forty. His dress was in the perfection of the mode: his topbootsreaching to the middle of his leg; his coat, of the lightest shade ofsky-blue, was lined with white silk; and two watch chains hung downbeneath his buff waistcoat, in the acme of the then fashion. Hisfeatures were frank and handsome, and saving a dash of puppyism thatgave a character of weakness to the expression, I should deem him amanly, fine-looking fellow.

  "So this is your 'Robespierre,' Major, is it?" cried he, bursting into alaugh, as I appeared.

  Barton approached nearer to him, and muttered something in a low,mumbling tone, to which the other seemed to pay little if any attention.

  "You are here, sir," said the dark-featured man at the table, holding inhis hand a paper as he spoke, "you are here under a warrant of the PrivyCouncil, charging you with holding intercourse with that rebelliousand ill-fated faction who seek to disturb the peace and welfare of thiscountry,--disseminating dangerous and wicked doctrines, and being inalliance with France--with France--What 'a that word, Barton?--to--"

  "In two words, young gentleman," said the young man at the fire,"you are charged with keeping very bad company, learning exceedinglyunprofitable notions, and incurring very considerable present risk. NowI am not disposed to think that at your age, and with your respectableconnections, either the cause or its associates can have taken a verystrong hold of your mind. I am sure that you must have received yourimpressions, such as they are, from artful and designing persons, whohad only their own ends in view when involving you in their plots. If Iam justified in this opinion, and if you will pledge me your honor--"

  "I say, Cooke, you can't do this. The warrant sets forth--"

  "Well, well, we 'll admit him to bail."

  "It is not bailable. Right Honorable," said Barton, addressing the largeman at the table.

  "Phelan," said the younger man, turning away in pique, "we really havematters of more importance than this boy's case to look after."

  "Boy as he is, sir," said Barton, obsequiously, "he was in the fullconfidence of that notorious French captain for whose capture youoffered a reward of one thousand pounds."

  "You like to run your fox to earth. Barton," replied theUnder-Secretary, calmly, for it was he who spoke.

  "In alliance with France," continued the dark man, reading fromthe paper, over which he continued to pore ever since, "for thepropagation--ay, that's it--the propagation of democratic--"

  "Come, come, Browne; never mind the warrant. If he can find bail--sayfive hundred pounds--for his future appearance, we shall be satisfied."

  Browne, who never took his eyes from the paper, and seemed totallyinsensible to everything but the current of his own thoughts, now lookedup, and fixing his dark and beetling look upon me, uttered in a deep,low tone,--

  "You see, sir, the imminent danger of your present position, and atthe same time the merciful leniency which has always characterized hisMajesty's Government,--ahem! If, therefore, you will plead guilty to anytransportable felony, the grand jury will find true bills--"

  "You mistake, Browne," said Cooke, endeavoring with his handkerchief torepress a burst of laughter; "we are going to take his bail."

  "Bail!" said the other, in a voice and with a look of amazementabsolutely comic.

  Up to this moment I had not broken silence, but I was unable to remainlonger without speaking.

  "I am quite ready, sir," said I, resolutely, "to stand my trial foranything laid to my charge. I am neither ashamed of the opinions Iprofess, nor afraid of the dangers they involve."

  "You hear him, sir; you hear him," said Barton, triumphantly, turningtowards the Secretary, who bit
his lip in disappointment, and frownedon me with a mingled expression of anger and warning. "Let him onlyproceed, and you 'll be quite satisfied, on his own showing, that hecannot be admitted to bail."

  "Bail!" echoed the Right Honorable, whose faculties seemed to havestuck fast in the mud of thought, and were totally unable to extricatethemselves.

  At the same moment, a gentle tap was heard at the door, and the porterentered with a card, which he delivered to the Secretary.

  "Let him wait," was the brief reply, as he threw his eyes over it."Captain Bubbleton!", muttered he, between his teeth; "don't know him."

  I started at the name, and felt my cheek flush. He saw it at once.

  "You know this gentleman, then?" said he, mildly.

  "Yes; to his humanity I am indebted for my life."

  "I think I shall be able to show, sir," said Barton, interposing, "thatthrough this Burke's instrumentality a very deep scheme of disaffectionis at this moment in operation among the troops in garrison. It was inthe barrack at George's Street that I apprehended him."

  "You may withdraw, sir," said the Secretary, turning towards me. "LetCaptain Bubbleton come in."

  As I left the room, the burly captain entered; but so flurried andexcited was he, that he never perceived me, as we passed each other.

  I had not been many minutes in the outer room when a loud laughattracted me, in which I could distinctly recognize the merry cadenceof my friend Bubbleton; and shortly after the door was opened, and I wasdesired to enter.

  "You distinctly understand, then, Captain Bubbleton," said Mr. Cooke,"that in accepting the bail in this case, I am assuming a responsibilitywhich may involve me in trouble?"

  "I have no doubt of it," muttered Barton, between his teeth.

  "We shall require two sureties of five hundred pounds each."

  "Take the whole myself, by Jove!" broke in Bubbleton, with a flourish ofhis hand. "In for a penny,--eh, Tom?"

  "You can't do that, sir," interposed Barton.

  The Secretary nodded an assent, and for a moment or two Bubbleton lookednonplussed.

  "You 'll of course have little difficulty as to a co-surety," continuedBarton, with a grin. "Burke of 'Ours' is sufficiently popular in theForty-fifth to make it an easy matter."

  "True," cried Bubbleton, "quite true; but in a thing of this kind, everyfellow will be so deuced anxious to come forward,--a kind of militaryfeeling, you know."

  "I understand it perfectly," said Cooke, with a polite bow; "although acivilian, I think I can estimate the esprit de corps you speak of."

  "Nothing like it! nothing like it, by Jove! I 'll just tell you a story,a little anecdote, in point. When we were in the Neelgharries, there wasa tiger devilish fond of one of ours. Some way or other, Forbes--thatwas his name--"

  "The tiger's?

  "No, the captain's. Forbes had a devilish insinuating way withhim,--women always liked him,--and this tiger used to come in aftermess, and walk round where he was sitting, and Forbes used to give himhis dinner, just as you might a dog--"

  The Castle clock struck three just at this moment. The Secretary startedup.

  "My dear captain," cried he, putting his hand on Bubbleton's arm,"I never was so sorry in my life; but I must hurry away to the PrivyCouncil. I shall be here, however, at four; and if you will meet me atthat time with the other security, we can arrange this little matter atonce." So saying, he seized his hat, bowed politely round the room, andleft us.

  "Come along, Tom!" cried Bubbleton, taking me by the arm. "Devilishgood fellow that! Knew I 'd tickle him with the tiger; nothing to what Icould have told him, however, if he had waited."

  "I beg your pardon, sir," said Barton, interposing between us and thedoor; "Mr. Burke is in custody until the formality at least of a bail begone through."

  "So he is," said Bubbleton; "I forgot all about it. So good-by, Tom, forhalf an hour; I 'll not be longer, depend on it."

  With this he shook me warmly by the hand, bustled out of the room, andhurried downstairs, humming a tune as he went, apparently in capitalspirits, while I knew from his manner that the bail he was in search ofhad about as much existence as the tiger in the Neelgharries.

  "You can wait in this room, sir," said Barton, opening the door of asmall apartment which had no other exit save through this office.

  I sat down in silence and in sorrow of heart, to speculate, as well asI was able, on the consequences of my misfortune. I knew enough ofBubbleton to be certain that all chance of assistance in that quarterwas out of the question: the only source he could draw upon being hisinvention; the only wealth he possessed, the riches of his imagination,which had, however, this advantage over any other species of propertyI ever heard of,--the more he squandered it, the more affluent did hebecome. Time wore on; the clock struck four, and yet no appearance ofBubbleton. Another hour rolled by,--no one came near me; and at length,from the perfect stillness without, I believed they had forgotten me.