Ireland -- Fiction; Land League (Ireland) -- Fiction; Land tenure -- Fiction; Political fiction
It was now November, and Rachel had already achieved a singularly
rapid success at Covent Garden. She still lived in Cecil Street, but
there was no lack of money. Indeed, her name had risen into such
repute that some Irish people began to think that her father was
the proper man for Cavan, simply because she was a great singer. It
cannot be said, however, that this was the case among the men who
were regarded as the leaders of the party, as they still doubted
O'Mahony's obedience. But money at any rate poured into Rachel's lap,
and with the money that which was quite as objectionable to poor
Frank. He had begun by asserting that he did not wish to live idle
on the earnings of a singer; and, therefore, as the singer had said,
"he and she were obliged to be two." As she explained to her father,
she was badly treated. She was very anxious to be true to her lover;
but she did not like living without some lover to whom she might be
true. "You see, as I am placed I am exposed to the Mosses. I do want
to have a husband to protect me." Then a lover had come forward.
Lord Castlewell had absolutely professed to make her the future
Marchioness of Beaulieu. Of this there must be more hereafter; but
Frank heard of it, and tore his hair in despair.
And there was another misery at Castle Morony. It reached Mr. Jones's
ears that Peter was anxious to give warning. It certainly was the
case that Peter was of great use to them, and that Mr. Jones had
rebuked him more than once as having made a great favour of his
services. The fact was that Peter, if discharged, would hardly know
where to look for another place where he could be equally at home and
equally comfortable. And he was treated by the family generally with
all that confidence which his faithfulness seemed to deserve. But
he was nervous and ill at ease under his master's rebukes; and at
last there came an event which seemed to harrow up his own soul, and
instigated him to run away from County Galway altogether.
"Miss Edith, Miss Edith," he said, "come in here, thin, and see what
I have got to show you." Then, with an air of great mystery, he drew
his young mistress into the pantry. "Look at that now! Was ever the
like of that seen since the mortial world began?" Then he took out
from a dirty envelope a dirty sheet of paper, and exposed it to her
eyes. On the top of it was a rude coffin. "Don't it make yer hair
stand on end, and yer very flesh creep, Miss Edith, to look at the
likes o' that!" And below the coffin there was a ruder skull and two
cross-bones. "Them's intended for what I'm to be. I understand their
language well enough. Look here," and he turned the envelope round
and showed that it was addressed to Peter McGrew, butler, Morony
Castle. "They know me well enough all the country round." The letter
was as follows:
MR. PETER MCGREW,
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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