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
Our readers cannot have forgotten the angry dialogue which Kate Hogan
and her male relations indulged in upon the misunderstanding that had
occurred between the Cavanaghs and M'Mahons, and its imputed cause.
We stated at the time that Hycy Burke and the Hogans, together with a
strange man and woman, were embarked in some mysterious proceedings from
which both Kate Hogan and Teddy Phats had been excluded. For some time,
both before and after that night, there had been, on the other hand,
a good, deal of mysterious communication between several of our other
characters. For instance Kate Hogan and Nanny Peety had had frequent
interviews, to which, in the course of time, old Peety, Teddy Phats,
and, after him, our friend the schoolmaster had been admitted. Nanny
Peety had also called on Father Magowan, and, after him, upon young
Clinton; and it was evident, from the result of her disclosures to the
two latter, that they also took a warm interest, and were admitted to a
participation in, the councils we mention. To these proceedings Clinton
had not been long privy when he began to communicate with Vanston, who,
on his part, extended the mystery to Chevydale, between whom and himself
several confidential interviews had already taken place. Having thrown
out these hints to our readers, we beg them to accompany us once more to
the parlor of Clinton the gauger and his nephew.
“So, uncle, now that you have been promoted to the Supervisorship, you
abandon the farm; you abandon Ahadarra?”
“Why, won't I be out of the district, you blockhead? and you persist in
refusing it besides.”
“Most positively; but I always suspected that Fethertonge was a
scoundrel, as his conduct in that very business with you was a
proo--hem, ahem.”
“Go on,” said the uncle, coolly, “don't be ashamed, Harry; I was nearly
as great a scoundrel in that business as he was. I told you before that
I look upon the world as one great pigeon, which every man who can,
without exposing, himself, is obliged to pluck. Now, in the matter of
the farm, I only was about to pluck out a feather or two to put in my
own nest--or yours, if you had stood it.”
“At any rate, uncle, I must admit that you are exceedingly candid.”
“No such thing, you fool; there is scarcely an atom of candor in my
whole composition--I mean to the world, whatever I may be to you.
Candor, Harry, my boy, is a virtue which very few in this life, as it
goes, can afford to practice--at least I never could.”
“Well but, uncle, is it not a pity to see that honest family ruined and
driven out of the country by the villany of Burke on the one hand,
and the deliberate fraud and corruption of Fethertonge, on the
other. However, now that you are resolved to unmask Fethertonge, I am
satisfied. It's a proof that you don't wish to see an honest family
oppressed and turned, without reasonable compensation, out of their
property.”
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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