CHAPTER X. AN INTRIGUE DETECTED
Of all the evil influences which swayed the destinies of Ireland inlatter days, none can compare, in extent of importance, with the fataltaste for prodigality that characterized the habits of the gentry.Reckless, wasteful extravagance, in every detail of life, suggestedmodes of acting and thinking at variance with all individual and,consequently, all national prosperity. Hospitality was pushed toprofusion, liberality became a spendthrift habit. The good and the badqualities of the Irish temperament alike contributed to this passion;there was the wish to please, the desire to receive courteously, andentertain with splendor within doors, and to appear with proportionatemagnificence without.
A proud sense of what they deemed befitting their station induced thegentry to vie in expenditure with the richly endowed officials of theGovernment, and the very thought of prudence or foresight in matters ofexpense would have been stigmatized as a meanness by those who believedthey were sustaining the honor of their country while sapping thefoundation of its prosperity.
If we have little to plead in defence or in palliation of such habits,we can at least affirm that in many cases they were practised with ataste and elegance that shed lustre over the period. Unlike the vulgardisplays of newly acquired wealth, they exhibited in a striking lightthe generous and high-spirited features of the native character, whichdeemed that nothing could be too good for the guest, nor any expenditurefor his entertainment either too costly or too difficult. The fatalfacility of Irish nature, and the still more ruinous influence ofexample, hurried men along on this road to ruin; and as politicalprospects grew darker, a reckless indifference to the future succeeded,in which little care was taken for the morrow, until, at last,thoughtless extravagance became a habit, and moneyed difficulties thelot of almost every family of Ireland.
That a gentry so embarrassed, and with such prospects of ruin beforethem, should have been easy victims to Ministerial seduction, is farless surprising than that so many were to be seen who could prefertheir integrity to the rich bribes of Government patronage; and it isa redeeming feature of the day that amid all the lavish and heedlesscourse of prodigality and excess there were some who could facepoverty with stouter hearts than they could endure the stigma of gildedcorruption: nor is it the history of every Parliament that can say asmuch.
Let us leave this theme, even at the hazard of being misunderstood, forthe moment, by our reader, and turn to the Knight of Gwynne, who nowwas seated at his breakfast in a large parlor of his house in HenriettaStreet. Sad and deserted as it seems now, this was in those days thechoice residence of Irish aristocracy, and the names of peers andbaronets on every door told of a class which, now, should be sought forin scattered fragments among the distant cities of the Continent.
The Knight was reading the morning papers, in which, amid thefashionable news, was an account of his own wager with Lord Drogheda,when a carriage drove up hastily to the door, and, immediately after,the loud summons of a footman resounded through the street.
While the Knight was yet wondering who this early visitor should prove,the servant announced Mr. Con Heffernan.
"The very man I wished to see," cried Darcy, eagerly; "tell me all aboutthis unfortunate business. But, first of all, is he out of danger?"
"Quite safe. I understand, for a time, it was a very doubtful thing;Daly's surgery, it would seem, rather increased the hazard. He begansearching for the ball regardless of the bleeding, and the young fellowwas very near sinking under loss of blood."
"The whole affair was his doing!" said the Knight, impatiently. "How Mr.MacDonough could have found himself at _my_ table is more than I canwell imagine; that when he got there, something like this would follow,does not surprise me. Daly is really too bad. Well, well, I hoped tohave set off for the abbey to-day, but I must stay here, I find;Drogheda is kind enough to let me redeem Ballydermot, and I must seeGleeson about it. It's rather a heavy blow just now."
"I am afraid I am not altogether blameless," said Heffernan, timidly."I ought not to have mentioned that unlucky business till the game wasover; but I thought your nerve was proof against anything."
"So it was, Heffernan," said the Knight, laughing, "some five-and-twentyyears ago; but this shattered wreck has little remains of the oldthree-decker. I should have won that game."
"It's all past and over now, so never think more about it."
"Yes, I should have won the game. Drogheda saw my advantage: he wenton with the very suit in my hand, and when he reached over for hissnuff-box, his hand trembled like in an ague-fit."
"Come, don't let the thing dwell in your mind. There is another and aheavier game to play, and you 're certain to win there, if you do butlike it."
"I don't clearly understand you," said Darcy, doubtingly.
"I'll be explicit enough, then," said Heffernan, taking a chair andseating himself directly in front of the Knight. "You know the positionof the Government at this moment. They have secured a safe and certainmajority,--the 'Union' is carried. When I say 'carried,' I mean thatthere is not a doubt on any reasonable mind but that the bill will pass.The lists show a majority of seven, perhaps eight, for the Ministry;and if they had but one in their favor, Pitt is determined to go throughwith it. Now, we all very well know how this has been done. Our peoplehave behaved infamously, disgracefully,--there's no mincing the matter.You heard of Fox--?"
"No. What of him?"
"He has just accepted the escheatorship of--I forget what or where, buthe vacates his seat to make room for Courtenay."
"Sam Courtenay?--Scrub, as we used to call him?"
"Scrub,--exactly so. Well, he comes in for Roscommon, and is to have aplace under the new commission of twelve hundred a year. But to go backto what I was saying: Castlereagh has bought these fellows at hisprice or their own; some were dear enough, some were cheap. Barton, forinstance, takes it out in Castle dinners, and has sold his birthrightfor the Viceroy's venison."
"May good digestion wait on appetite!" repeated Darcy, laughing.
"Well, let's not waste more time on them, but come to what I mean.Castlereagh wants to know how you mean to vote: some have told him youwould be on his side; others, myself among the number, say the reverse.In fact, little as you may think about the matter, heavy bets are laidat this moment on the question, and--But I won't mention names; enoughif I say a friend of ours--an old friend, too--has a thousand on it."
The Knight tapped his snuff-box calmly, and with his blandest smilebegged Heffernan to proceed.
"Faith! I 've nearly told all I had to say. Every one well knows that,whatever decision you come to, it will be unbiassed by everything saveyour own conscientious sense of right; and as arguments are prettynearly equal on the question,--for, in truth, after having heardand read most of what has been written or spoken on the point,--I'm regularly nonplussed on which side to see the advantage. The realquestion seems to be, Can we go on as we are?"
"I think not," observed the Knight, gravely. "A Parliament which hasexhibited its venality so openly can have little pretension to publicconfidence."
"The very remark I made myself," cried Heffernan, triumphantly.
"The men who sell themselves to-day to the Crown will, if need be, sellthemselves to-morrow to the mob."
"My own words, by Jove!--my very words."
"A dependent Parliament, attempting separate and independentlegislation, means an absurdity."
"There is no other name for it," cried Heffernan, in ecstasy.
"I have known Ireland for something more than half a century now," saidthe Knight, with a touch of melancholy in his voice, "and yet neverbefore saw so much of social disorder as at present, and perhaps we areonly at the beginning of it. The scenes we have witnessed in Francehave been more bloody and more cruel, but they will leave less permanentresults behind them than our own revolution; for such, after all, it is.The property of the country is changing hands, the old aristocracy aredying out, if not dead; their new successors have neither any hold onthe affec
tion of the people, nor a bond of union with each other. Seewhat will come of it; the old game of feudalism will be tried by thesemen of yesterday, and the peasantry, whose reverence for birth is areligion, will turn on them, and the time is not very distant, perhaps,when the men who would not harm the landlord's dog will have littlereverence for the landlord's self."
"You have drawn a sad picture," said Heffernan, either feeling oraffecting to feel the truthfulness of the Knight's delineation.
"Our share in the ruin," said the Knight, rising, and pacing the roomwith rapid strides,--"our share is not undeserved. We had a distinctand defined duty to perform, and we neglected it; instead of extendingcivilization, we were the messengers of barbarism among the people."
"Your own estates, I have heard, are a refutation of your theory,"interposed Heffernan, insinuatingly.
"My estates--" repeated the Knight; and then, stopping suddenly, witha changed voice, he said, "Heffernan, we have got into a long andvery unprofitable theme; let us try back, if we can, and see whence westarted: we were talking of the Union."
"Just so," said Heffernan, not sorry to resume the subject which inducedhis visit.
"I have determined not to vote on the measure," said the Knight,solemnly; "my reasons for the course I adopt I hope to be able tojustify when the proper time arrives; meanwhile, it will preventunnecessary speculation, and equally unnecessary solicitation, if I tellyou frankly what I mean to do. Such is my present resolve."
The word "solicitation" fell from the Knight's lips with such a peculiarexpression that Heffernan at once saw his own game was detected,and, like a clever tactician, resolved to make the best of his forcedposition.
"You have been frank with me, Knight; I'll not be less candidwith _you_, I came here to convey to you a distinct offer from theGovernment,--not of any personal favor or advantage, _that_, they wellknew, you would reject,--but, in the event of your support, to takeany suggestion you might make on the new Bill into their serious andfavorable consideration; to advise with you how, in short, the measuremight be made to meet your views, and, so to say, admit you intoconclave with the Cabinet."
"All this is very flattering," said the Knight, with a smile of evidentsatisfaction, "but I scarcely see how the opinions of a very humblecountry gentleman can weigh in the grave councils of a Government."
"The best proof is the fact itself," replied Heffernan, artfully. "WereI to tell you of other reasons, you might suspect me of an intention tocanvass your support on very different grounds."
"I confess I'm in the dark; explain yourself more fully."
"This is a day for sincerity," said Heffernan, smiling, "and so, hereit is: the Prince has taken a special liking to your son Lionel, and hasgiven him his company."
"His company! I never heard of it."
"Strange enough that he should not have written to you on the subject,but the fact is unquestionable; and, as I was saying, he is a frequentguest at Carlton House, and admitted into the choice circle of his RoyalHighness's parties: if, in the freedom of that intimacy with which he ishonored by the Prince, the question should have arisen, how his fathermeant to vote, the fact was not surprising, no more than that CaptainDarcy should have replied--"
"Lionel never pledged himself to control _my_ vote, depend upon that,Mr. Heffernan," said the Knight, reddening.
"Nor did I say so," interposed Heffernan. "Hear me out: your son isreported to have answered, 'My father's family have been too trained inloyalty, sire, not to give their voice for what they believe the bestinterests of the empire: your Royal Highness may doubt his judgment,his honor will, I am certain, never be called in question.' The Princelaughed good-naturedly, and said, 'Enough, Darcy,--quite enough; it willgive me great satisfaction to think as highly of the father as I do ofthe son; there is a vacancy on the staff, and I can offer you the postof an extra aide-de-camp.'"
"This is very good news,--the best I 've heard for many a day,Heffernan; and for its accuracy--"
"Lord Castlereagh is the guarantee," added Heffernan, hastily; "I had itfrom his own lips."
"I 'll wait on him this morning. I can at least express my gratitude forhis Royal Highness's kindness to my boy."
"You 'll not have far to go," said Heffernan, smiling.
"How so?--what do you mean?"
"Lord Castlereagh is at the door this moment in that carriage;" andHefifernan pointed to the chariot which, with its blinds closely drawn,stood before the street door.
The Knight moved hastily towards the door, and then, turning suddenly,burst into a hearty laugh,--a laugh so racy and full of enjoyment thatHeffernan himself joined in it, without knowing wherefore.
"You are a clever fellow, Hefifernan!" said the Knight, as he lay backin a deep-cushioned chair, and wiped his eyes, now streaming with tearsof laughter,--"a devilish clever fellow! The whole affair reminds me ofpoor Jack Morris."
"Faith! I don't see your meaning," said Hefifernan, half fearful thatall was not right.
"You knew Jack,--we all knew him. Well, poor Morris was going home onenight,--from the theatre, I believe it was,--but, just as he reached ElyPlace, he saw, by the light of a lamp, a gentlemanlike fellow trying tomake out an address on a letter, and endeavoring, as well as he could,to spell out the words by the uncertain light. 'Devilish provoking!'said the stranger, half aloud; 'I wrote it myself, and yet cannot reada word of it.' 'Can I be of any service?' said Jack. Poor fellow! he wasalways ready for anything kind or good-natured. 'Thank you,' said theother; 'but I 'm a stranger in Dublin,--only arrived this evening fromLiverpool,--and cannot remember the name or the street of my hotel,although I noted both down on this letter.' 'Show it to me,' said Jack,taking the document. But although he held it every way, and tried allmanner of guesses, he never could hit on the name the stranger wanted.'Never mind,' said Jack; 'don't bother yourself about it. Come homewith, me and have an oyster,--I 'll give you a bed; 't will be timeenough after breakfast to-morrow to hunt out the hotel.' To make shortof it, the stranger complied; after all the natural expressions ofgratitude and shame, home they went, supped, finished two bottles ofclaret, and chatted away till past two o'clock. 'You 'd like to get tobed, I see,' said Jack, as the stranger seemed growing somewhat drowsy,and so he rang the bell and ordered the servant to show the gentlemanto his room. 'And, Martin,' said he, 'take care that everything iscomfortable, and be sure you have a nightcap.' 'Oh! I 've a nightcapmyself,' said the stranger, pulling one, neatly folded, out of his coatpocket. 'Have you, by G--d!' said Jack. 'If you have, then, you 'll notsleep here. A man that's so ready for a contingency has generally somehand in contriving it.' And so he put him out of doors, and never sawmore of him. Eh, Heffernan, was Jack right?" And again the old manbroke into a hearty laugh, in which Heffernan, notwithstanding hisdiscomfiture, could not refrain from participating.
"Well," said he, as he arose to leave the room, "I feel twenty yearsyounger for that hearty laugh. It reminds me of the jolly days we usedto have long ago, with Price Godfrey and Bagenal Daly. By the way, whereis Bagenal now, and what is he doing?"
"Pretty much what he always was doing,--mischief and devilment," saidthe Knight, half angrily.
"Is he still the member for Old-Castle? I forget what fate the petitionhad."
"The fate of the counsel that undertook it is easily remembered," saidthe Knight. "Bagenal called him out for daring to take such a libertywith a man who had represented the borough for thirty years, and shothim in the hip. 'You shall have a plumper, by Jove,' said Bagenal;and he gave him one. Men grew shy of the case afterwards, and it wasdropped, and so Bagenal still represents the place. Good-by, Heffernan;don't forget Jack Morris." And so saying, the Knight took leave of hisvisitor, and returned to his chair at the breakfast-table.
The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. 1 (of 2) Page 12