The Knight Of Gwynne, Vol. 2 (of 2)

by Charles James Lever

  CHAPTER VII. A PARTING INTERVIEW

  When Heffernan, with his charge, Forester, reached Dublin, he drovestraight to Castlereagh's house, affectedly to place the young man underthe protection of his distinguished relative, but in reality burningwith eager impatience to recount his last stroke of address, and todisplay the cunning artifice by which he had embroiled O'Reilly with thegreat popular leader. Mr. Heffernan had a more than ordinary desireto exhibit his skill on this occasion; he was still smarting under theconscious sense of having been duped by O'Reilly, and could not resttranquilly until revenged. Under the mask of a most benevolent purpose,O'Reilly had induced Heffernan to procure Lionel Darcy an appointment toa regiment in India. Heffernan undertook the task, not, indeed, moved byany kindliness of feeling towards the youth, but as a means of reopeningonce more negotiations with O'Reilly; and now to discover that hehad interested himself simply to withdraw a troublesome witness in asuit--that he had been, in his own phrase, "jockeyed"--was an insult tohis cleverness he could not endure.

  As Heffernan and Forester drove up to the door, they perceived that atravelling-carriage, ready packed and loaded, stood in waiting, whilethe bustle and movement of servants indicated a hurried departure.

  "What's the matter, Hutton?" asked Heffernan of the valet who appearedat the moment; "is his Lordship at home?"

  "Yes, sir, in the drawing-room; but my Lord is just leaving for England.He is now a Cabinet Minister."

  Heffernan smiled, and affected to hear the tidings with delight, whilehe hastily desired the servant to announce him.

  The drawing-room was crowded by a strange and anomalous-lookingassemblage, whose loud talking and laughing entirely prevented theannouncement of Con Heffernan's name from reaching Lord Castlereagh'sears. Groups of personal friends come to say good-bye, deputations eagerto have the last word in the ear of the departing Secretary, tradesmenbegging recommendations to his successor, with here and there adisappointed suitor, earnestly imploring future consideration, weremixed up with hurrying servants, collecting the various minor articleswhich lay scattered through the apartment.

  The time which it cost Heffernan to wedge his way through the densecrowd was not wholly profitless, since it enabled him to assume thatlook of cordial satisfaction at the noble Secretary's promotion whichhe was so very far from really feeling. Like most men who cultivate merecunning, he underrated all who do not place the greatest reliance uponit, and in this way conceived a very depreciating estimate of LordCastlereagh's ability. Knowing how deeply he had himself been trusted,and how much employed in state transactions, he speculated on a longcareer of political influence, and that, while his Lordship remained asSecretary, his own skill and dexterity would never be dispensed with.This pleasant illusion was now suddenly dispelled, and he saw all hisspeculations scattered to the wind at once; in fact, to borrow his ownsagacious illustration, "he had to submit to a new deal with his handfull of trumps."

  He was still endeavoring to disentangle himself from the throng, whenLord Castlereagh's quick eye discovered him.

  "And here comes Heffernan," cried he, laughingly; "the only man wantingto fill up the measure of congratulations. Pray, my Lord, move one stepand rescue our poor friend from suffocation."

  "By Jove! my Lord, one would imagine you were the rising and not thesetting sun, from all this adulating assemblage," said Heffernan, ashe shook the proffered hand of the Secretary, and held it mostostentatiously in his cordial pressure. "This was a complete surprisefor me," added he. "I only arrived this evening with Forester."

  "With Dick? Indeed! I'm very glad the truant has turned up again. Whereis he?"

  "He passed me on the stairs, I fancy to his room, for he mutteredsomething about going over in the packet along with you."

  "And where have you been, Heffernan, and what doing?" asked LordCastlereagh, with that easy smile that so well became his features.

  "That I can scarcely tell you here," said Heffernan, dropping his voiceto a whisper, "though I fancy the news would interest you." He made amotion towards the recess of a window, and Lord Castlereagh accepted thesuggestion, but with an indolence and half-apathy which did not escapeHeffernan's shrewd perception. Partly piqued by this, and partlystimulated by his own personal interest in the matter, Heffernanrelated, with unwonted eagerness, the details of his visit to the West,narrating with all his own skill the most striking characteristics ofthe O'Reilly household, and endeavoring to interest his hearer by thoselittle touches of native archness in description of which he was no meanmaster.

  But often as they had before sufficed to amuse his Lordship, they seemeda failure now; for he listened, if not with impatience, yet withactual indifference, and seemed more than once as if about to stop thenarrative by the abrupt question, "How can this possibly interest _me?_"

  Heffernan read the expression, and felt it as plainly as though it werespoken.

  "I am tedious, my Lord," said he, whilst a slight flush colored themiddle of his cheek; "perhaps I only weary you."

  "He must be a fastidious hearer who could weary of Mr. Heffernan'scompany," said his Lordship, with a smile so ambiguous that Heffernanresumed with even greater embarrassment,--

  "I was about to observe, my Lord, that this same member for Mayohas become much more tractable. He evidently sees the necessity ofconfirming his new position, and, I am confident, with very littlenotice, might be con-verted into a stanch Government supporter."

  "Your old favorite theory, Heffernan," said the Secretary, laughing; "towarm these Popish grubs into Protestant butterflies by the sunshine ofkingly favor, forgetting the while that 'the winter of their discontent'is never far distant. But please to remember, besides, that gold mineswill not last forever,--the fountain of honor will at last run dry; andif--"

  "I ask pardon, my Lord," interrupted Heffernan. "I only alluded to thosefavors which cost the Minister little, and the Crown still less,--thatsocial acceptance from the Court here upon which some of your Irishfriends set great store. If you could find an opportunity of suggestingsomething of this kind, or if your Lordship's successor--"

  "Heaven pity him!" exclaimed Lord Castlereagh. "He will have enough onhis hands, without petty embarrassments of this sort. Without you havepromised, Heffernan," added he, hastily. "If you have already made anypledge, of course we must sustain your credit."

  "I, my Lord! I trust you know my discretion better than to suspect me.I merely threw out the suggestion from supposing that your Lordship'sinterest in our poor concerns here might outlive your translation to amore distinguished position."

  There was a tone of covert impertinence in the accent, as well as thewords, which, while Lord Castlereagh was quick enough to perceive, hewas too shrewd to mark by any notice.

  "And so," said he, abruptly changing the topic, "this affair ofForester's shortened your visit?"

  "Of course. Having cut the knot, I left O'Reilly and Conolly to thetender mercies of O'Halloran, who, I perceive by to-day's paper, hasdenounced his late client in round terms. Another reason, my Lord, forlooking after O'Reilly at this moment. It is so easy to secure a prizedeserted by her crew."

  "I wish Dick had waited a day or two," said Lord Castlereagh, notheeding Heffernan's concluding remark, "and then I should have been off.As it is, he would have done better to adjourn the horse-whipping sinedie, His lady-mother will scarcely distinguish between the two partiesin such a conflict, and probably deem the indignity pretty equallyshared by both parties."

  "A very English judgment on an Irish quarrel," observed Heffernan.

  "And you yourself, Heffernan,--when are we to see you in London?"

  "Heaven knows, my Lord. Sometimes I fancy that I ought not to quitmy post here, even for a day; then again I begin to fear lest the newofficials may see things in a different light, and that I may be thrownaside as the propagator of antiquated notions."

  "Mere modesty, Heffernan," said Lord Castlereagh, with a look of themost comic gravity. "You ought to know by this time that no governmentca
n go on without you. You are the fly-wheel that regulates motionand perpetuates impulse to the entire machine. I 'd venture almost todeclare that you stand in the inventory of articles transmitted from oneviceroy to another; and as we read of 'one throne covered with crimsonvelvet, and one state couch with gilt supporters,' so we might chance tofall upon the item of 'one Con Heffernan, Kildare Place.'"

  "In what capacity, my Lord?" said Heffernan, endeavoring to conceal hisanger by a smile.

  "Your gifts are too numerous for mention. They might better be summed upunder the title of 'State Judas.'"

  "You forget, my Lord, that he carried the bag. Now I was neverpurse-bearer even to the Lord Chancellor. But I can pardon the simile,coming, as I see it does, from certain home convictions. Your Lordshipwas doubtless assimilating yourself to another historical character ofthe same period, and, would, like him, accept the iniquity, but 'washyour hands' of its consequences."

  "Do you hear that, my Lord?" said Lord Castlereagh, turning round,and addressing the Bishop of Kilmore. "Mr. Heffernan has discovereda parallel between my character and that of Pontius Pilate." A look ofrebuking severity from the prelate was directed towards Heffernan, whomeekly said,--

  "I was only reproving his Lordship for permitting me to discharge_all_ the duties of Secretary for Ireland, and yet receive none of theemoluments."

  "But you refused office in every shape and form," said Lord Castlereagh,hastily. "Yes, gentlemen, as the last act of my official life amongstyou,"--here he raised his voice, and moved into the centre of theroom,--"I desire to make this public declaration, that as often asI have solicited Mr. Heffernan to accept some situation of trustand profit under the Crown, he has as uniformly declined; not, it isneedless to say, from any discrepancy in our political views, for Ibelieve we are agreed on every point, but upon the ground of maintaininghis own freedom of acting and judging."

  The declamatory tone in which he spoke these words, and the glances ofquiet intelligence that were exchanged through the assembly, were instrong contrast with the forced calmness of Heffernan, who, pale and redby turns, could barely suppress the rage that worked within him; norwas it without an immense effort he could mutter a feigned expression ofgratitude for his Lordship's panegyric, while he muttered to himself,--

  "You shall rue this yet!"