The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer — CompleteLever, Charles
General
The Confessions of Harry Lorrequer — Complete
Lever, Charles
Fiction
“My Dear Harry,—I received yours on the 11th, and immediately
despatched your note and the raiment to Mr. Beamish. He was from home
at the time, but at eight o’clock I was sent for from the mess to see
two gentlemen on most pressing business. I hurried to my quarters, and
there found the aforesaid Mr. B. accompanied by a friend, whom he
introduced as Dr. De Courcy Finucane, of the North Cork Militia—as
warlike looking a gentleman, of his inches, some five feet three, as
you would wish to see. The moment I appeared, both rose, and commenced
a narrative, for such I judge it to be, but so energetically and so
completely together, that I could only bow politely, and at last
request that one, or the other, would inform me of the object of their
visit. Here began the tug of war, the Doctor saying, ‘Arrah, now
Giles’—Mr. Beamish interrupting by ‘Whisht, I tell ye—now, can’t you
let me! Ye see, Mr. Curzoin’—for so they both agreed to designate me.
At last, completely worn out, I said, ‘Perhaps you have not received my
friend’s note?’ At this Mr. Beamish reddened to the eyes, and with the
greatest volubility poured forth a flood of indignant eloquence, that I
thought it necessary to check; but in this I failed, for after
informing me pretty clearly, that he knew nothing of your story of the
alderman, or his cloak, added, that he firmly believed your pretended
reparation was only a renewed insult, and that—but in a word, he used
such language, that I was compelled to take him short; and the finale
is, that I agreed you should meet him, though still ignorant of what he
calls the ‘original offence.’—But heaven knows, his conduct here last
night demands a reprimand, and I hope you may give it; and if you shoot
him, we may worm out the secret from his executors. Nothing could
exceed the politeness of the parties on my consenting to this
arrangement. Dr. Finucane proposed Carrigaholt, as the rendezvous,
about 12 miles, I believe, from Kilrush, and Tuesday evening at six as
the time, which will be the very earliest moment we can arrive there.
So, pray be up to time, and believe me yours, C. Curzon, Saturday
Evening.”
It was late on Monday evening when this letter reached me, and there
was no time to be lost, as I was then about 40 Irish miles from the
place mentioned by Curzon; so after briefly acquainting Lord Callonby
that I was called off by duty, I hurried to my room to pack my clothes,
and again read over this extraordinary epistle.
I confess it did appear something droll, how completely Curzon seemed
to imbibe the passion for fighting from these “blood-thirsty Irishmen.”
For by his own showing he was utterly ignorant of my ever having
offended this Mr. Beamish, of whom I recollected nothing whatever. Yet
when the gentleman waxes wrothy, rather than inconvenience him, or
perhaps anxious to get back to the mess, he coolly says, “Oh, my friend
shall meet you,” and then his pleasant jest, “find out the cause of
quarrel from his executors!”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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