第51章 Volume 2(15)

'Why,Ned,you try to persuade me against my reason,that the event which is most to be deprecated has actually occurred.She is,no doubt,a pretty girl--a beautiful girl--but I have not lost my heart to her;and why should Iwish her to be in love with me?Tush,man,the days of romance are gone,and a young gentleman may talk,and walk,and laugh with a pretty country maiden,and never breathe aspirations,or vows,or sighs about the matter;unequal matches are much oftener read of than made,and the man who could,even in thought,conceive a wish against the honour of an unsuspecting,artless girl,is a villain,for whom hanging is too good.'

This concluding sentence was uttered with an animation and excitement,which the mere announcement of an abstract moral sentiment could hardly account for.

'You are,then,indifferent,honestly and in sober earnest,indifferent to the girl?'inquired Dwyer.

'Altogether so,'was the reply.

'Then I have a request to make,'

continued Dwyer,'and I may as well urge it now as at any other time.I have been for nearly twenty years the faithful,and by no means useless,servant of your family;you know that I have rendered your father critical and important services--'he paused,and added hastily:

'you are not in the mood--I tire you,sir.'

'Nay,'cried O'Mara,'I listen patiently --proceed.'

'For all these services,and they were not,as I have said,few or valueless,Ihave received little more reward than liberal promises;you have told me often that this should be mended--I'll make it easily done--I'm not unreasonable--Ishould be contented to hold Heathcote's ground,along with this small farm on which we stand,as full quittance of all obligations and promises between us.'

'But how the devil can I effect that for you;this farm,it is true,I,or my father,rather,may lease to you,but Heathcote's title we cannot impugn;and even if we could,you would not expect us to ruin an honest man,in order to make way for YOU,Ned.'

'What I am,'replied Dwyer,with the calmness of one who is so accustomed to contemptuous insinuations as to receive them with perfect indifference,'is to be attributed to my devotedness to your honourable family--but that is neither here nor there.I do not ask you to displace Heathcote,in order to made room for me.I know it is out of your power to do so.Now hearken to me for a moment;Heathcote's property,that which he has set out to tenants,is worth,say in rents,at most,one hundred pounds:half of this yearly amount is assigned to your father,until payment be made of a bond for a thousand pounds,with interest and soforth.Hear me patiently for a moment and I have done.

Now go you to Heathcote,and tell him your father will burn the bond,and cancel the debt,upon one condition--that when I am in possession of this farm,which you can lease to me on what terms you think suitable,he will convey over his property to me,reserving what life-interest may appear fair,I engaging at the same time to marry his daughter,and make such settlements upon her as shall be thought fitting--he is not a fool--the man will close with the offer.'

O'Mara turned shortly upon Dwyer,and gazed upon him for a moment with an expression of almost unmixed resentment.

'How,'said he at length,'YOU contract to marry Ellen Heathcote?the poor,innocent,confiding,light-hearted girl.

No,no,Edward Dwyer,I know you too well for that--your services,be they what they will,must not,shall not go unrewarded--your avarice shall be appeased--

but not with a human sacrifice!Dwyer,I speak to you without disguise;you know me to be acquainted with your history,and what's more,with your character.Now tell me frankly,were Ito do as you desire me,in cool blood,should I not prove myself a more uncompromising and unfeeling villain than humanity even in its most monstrous shapes has ever yet given birth to?'

Dwyer met this impetuous language with the unmoved and impenetrable calmness which always marked him when excitement would have appeared in others;he even smiled as he replied:

(and Dwyer's smile,for I have seen it,was characteristically of that unfortunate kind which implies,as regards the emotions of others,not sympathy but derision).

'This eloquence goes to prove Ellen Heathcote something nearer to your heart than your great indifference would have led me to suppose.'

There was something in the tone,perhaps in the truth of the insinuation,which at once kindled the quick pride and the anger of O'Mara,and he instantly replied:

'Be silent,sir,this is insolent folly.'

Whether it was that Dwyer was more keenly interested in the success of his suit,or more deeply disappointed at its failure than he cared to express,or that he was in a less complacent mood than was his wont,it is certain that his countenance expressed more emotion at this direct insult than it had ever exhibited before under similar circumstances;for his eyes gleamed for an instant with savage and undisguised ferocity upon the young man,and a dark glow crossed his brow,and for the moment he looked about to spring at the throat of his insolent patron;but the impulse whatever it might be,was quickly suppressed,and before O'Mara had time to detect the scowl,it had vanished.

'Nay,sir,'said Dwyer,'I meant no offence,and I will take none,at your hands at least.I will confess I care not,in love and soforth,a single bean for the girl;she was the mere channel through which her father's wealth,if such a pittance deserves the name,was to have flowed into my possession--'twas in respect of your family finances the most economical provision for myself which I could devise--a matter in which you,not I,are interested.