The Emigrants Of Ahadarra: The Works of William Carleton, Volume TwoCarleton, William
General
The Emigrants Of Ahadarra: The Works of William Carleton, Volume Two
Carleton, William
Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
“Tell Kathleen, from me,” said the latter, “that if she had a little
more feeling, and a little less pride or religion, I don't know which,
she'd be more of a woman and less of a saint. My brother, tell her, has
disgraced neither his religion nor his name, and that he has too much of
the pride of an injured man to give back any answer to sich a message.
That's my answer, and not his, and you may ask her if it's either
religion or common justice that makes her condemn him she loved without
a hearing? Goodbye, now, Gerald; give my love to Hanna, and tell her
she's worth a ship-load of her stately sister.”
Bryan remained silent. In fact, he felt so completely overwhelmed that
he was incapable of uttering a syllable. On seeing Cavanagh return, he
was about to speak, when he looked upon the glowing cheeks, flashing
eyes, and panting bosom of his heroic little sister.
“You are right, my darling Dora. I must be proud on receiving such a
message. Kathleen has done me injustice, and I must be proud in my own
defence.”
The full burthen of this day's care, however, had not been yet laid upon
him. On returning home, he heard from one of his laborers that a notice
to quit his farm of Ahadarra had been left at his house. This, after
the heavy sums of money which he had expended in its improvement and
reclamation, was a bitter addition to what he was forced to suffer. On
hearing of this last circumstance, and after perusing the notice which
the man, who had come on some other message, had brought with him, he
looked around him on every side for a considerable time. At length he
said, “Dora, is not this a fine country?”
“It is,” she replied, looking at him with surprise.
“Would you like,” he added, “to lave it?”
“To lave it, Bryan!” she replied. “Oh, no, not to lave it;” and as she
spoke, a deadly paleness settled upon her face.
“Poor Dora,” he said, after surveying her for a time with an expression
of love and compassion, “I know your saicret, and have done so this long
time; but don't be cast down. You have been a warm and faithful little
friend to me, and it will go hard or I'll befriend you yet.”
Dora looked up into his face, and as she did, her eyes filled with
tears. “I won't deny what you know, Bryan,” she replied; “and unless
he----”
“Well, dear, don't fret; he and I will have a talk about it; but, come
what may, Dora, in this neglected and unfortunate country I will not
stay. Here, now, is a notice to quit my farm, that I have improved at an
expense of seven or eight hundred pounds, an' its now goin' to be taken
out of my hands, and every penny I expended on it goes into the pocket
of the landlord or agent, or both, and I'm to be driven out of house
and home without a single farthing of compensation for the buildings and
other improvements that I made on that farm.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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