"That's a lie for you, Thady! and a black lie--about your own sister
too, to say he ever spoke a bad word against me! Pat Brady was
telling you that perhaps. It's what he never did, or would do; for
he's as true as you are false; and it's from jealousy, and just from
your hate, because everybody else likes him, makes you say it. And
now we are on it, Thady, I'll just tell you one thing: I'm not to do
what you tell me, nor will I, for I'm much more able to manage myself
than you are for me. And for all you say about him, I'd attend more
to one word from Myles, than to all you say, if you stood talking
till night; and talk you may, but I'll not stand and hear you!" And
she bounced out of the room, slamming the door in a manner which made
Mr. Flannelly's building shake to the foundation.
Poor Thady was signally defeated. There he stood with his back to the
fire, his old and dirty hat pulled low over his brow, his hands stuck
into the pockets of his much worn shooting coat, his strong brogues
and the bottoms of his corduroy trowsers covered with dirt and dry
mould, with the same heavy discontented look about his face which he
always now wore. He certainly appeared but a sorry Mentor for a young
lady in a love affair! He felt that his sister despised him, the
more from her being accustomed to the comparatively gentleman-like
appearance and refined manners of her lover.
There he stood a long time without stirring, and so he stood in
absolute silence. He had put his pipe down when first Captain Ussher
left the room, and he had not resumed it, now even that he was alone.
With Thady this was a sign that his heart was very full indeed; and
so it was, full almost to breaking.
He had come there eager with two high feelings, love for his
sister, real fond brotherly affection, and love and respect for his
family name; he had wished to protect the former from insult and
unhappiness, and to sustain the fallen respectability of the latter;
and he had only been scoffed at and upbraided by the sister he loved.
For he did love her, though little real communication had ever passed
between them; he had always supposed that she loved him; he had taken
it for granted, and had asked for no demonstrative affection; but her
manner and her words now cut him very deep. He was not aware how very
uncouth his own manner had been; that instead of reasoning with her
gently he had begun by sneering at her lover, that he had taken the
very course to offend her self-love, and that therefore Feemy was
quite as convinced at the end of the meeting that she had a right to
be angry, as he was that he was the injured party.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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