The Emigrants Of Ahadarra. William Carleton

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СКАЧАТЬ answer,” replied the girl, seeing that everything must be and was above board—“an answer to the letther he sent her.”

      “Did he send you a letther?” asked her father, seriously; “an' you never let us know a word about it?—did he send you a letther?”

      Kathleen paused a moment and seemed to consult Hanna's looks, who had now joined them. At length she replied, slowly, and as if in doubt whether she ought to speak in the affirmative or not—“no, he sent me no letter.”

      “Well now, take care, Kathleen,” said her mother; “I seen a letther in your hands this very mornin'.”

      Kathleen blushed deeply; but as if anxious to give the conversation another turn, and so to relieve herself, she replied, “I can't prevent you, mother, or my father either, from sending back whatever answer you wish; but this I say that, except the one I gave already, Hycy Burke will never receive any message or any answer to a message from me; an' now for the present let us drop it.”

      “Very well,” said her mother; “in the mane time, my good girsha, sit down. Is it thrue that Jemmy Burke's house was robbed a couple o' nights ago?”

      “True enough,” said the girl.

      “And how much did he lose?” asked M'Mahon; “for there's disputes about it—some say more and some say less.”

      “Between seventy and eighty pounds,” replied Nanny; “the masther isn't sure to a pound or so; but he knows it was near eighty, any way.”

      “That's just like him,” said Cavanagh; “his careless way of managin'. Many a time I wondher at him;—he slobbers everything about that you'd think he'd beggar himself, an' yet the luck and prosperity flows to him. I declare to my goodness I think the very dirt under his feet turns to money. Well, girsha, an' have they any suspicion of the robbers?”

      “Why,” said the girl, “they talk about”—she paused, and it was quite evident from her manner that she felt not only embarrassed, but distressed by the question. Indeed this was no matter of surprise; for ever since the subject was alluded to, Kate Hogan's black piercing eyes had not once been removed from hers, nor did the girl utter a single word in reply to the questions asked of her without first, as it were, consulting Kate's looks.

      A moment's reflection made Cavanagh feel that the question must be a painful one to the girl, not only on her own account, but on that of Kate herself; for even then it was pretty well known that Burke's family entertained the strongest suspicion that the burglary had been committed by these notorious vagabonds.

      “Well, ahagur,” said Cavanagh, “no matter now—it's all over unless they catch the robbers. Come now,” he added, addressing M'Mahon and his son, “if you're for the road I'm ready.”

      “Is it true, Mrs. Burke,” asked Bryan, “that you're goin' to have a Kemp in your barn some o' these days?”

      “True enough, indeed,” replied the good woman, “an' that's true, too, tell the girls, Bryan, and that they must come.”

      “Not I,” said the other, laughing; “if the girls here—wishes them to come, let them go up and ask them.”

      “So we will, then,” replied Hanna, “an' little thanks to you for your civility.”

      “I wish I knew the evenin',” said Bryan, “that I might be at Carriglass.”

      “When will we go, Kathleen,” asked her sister, turning slyly to her.

      “Why, you're sich a light-brained cracked creature,” replied Kathleen, “that I can't tell whether you're joking or not.”

      “The sorra joke I'm jokin',” she replied, striving suddenly to form her features into a serious expression. “Well, then, I have it,” she proceeded. “Some Thursday, Bryan, in the middle o' next week—now you know I'm not jokin', Kathleen.”

      “Will you come, Kathleen?” inquired Bryan.

      “Why, if Hanna goes, I suppose I must,” she replied, but without looking up.

      “Well then I'll have a sharp look-out on Thursday.”

      “Come now,” said Gerald, “let us move. Give the girsha something to ate among you, for the credit of the house, before she goes back,” he added. “Paddy Toole, girth that horse tighter, I tell you; I never can get you to girth him as he ought to be girthed.”

      On bidding the women good-bye, Bryan looked towards Kathleen for a moment, and her eye in return glanced on him as he was about to go. But that simple glance, how significant was its import, and how clearly did it convey the whole history of as pure a heart as ever beat within a female bosom!

CHAPTEE VI.—Nanny Peety looks mysterious

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—Hycy proves himself a good Judge of Horse-Flesh.

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      The day was all light, and life, and animation. The crops were going down fast in every direction, and the fields were alive and cheerful with the voice of mirth and labor. As they got into the vicinity of Wallace's house they overtook or were over-taken by several of their neighbors, among whom was seen our old friend, Jemmy, or as I his acquaintances generally called him, honest Jemmy Burke, mounted upon a brood mare with a foal at her heels, all his other horses having been engaged in the labor of the season.

      After having sympathized with him upon the loss he had sustained, they soon allowed the subject to drop; for it was quite clear from the expression of care, if not of sorrow, that was legible in his face, that the very mention of it only caused him to feel additional anxiety.

      At length they reached Wallace's house, where they found a tolerably large crowd of people waiting for the auction, which was not to commence until the hour of one o'clock.

      Sam Wallace was a respectable Protestant farmer, who finding, as he said, that there was no proper encouragement given to men who were anxious and disposed to improve their property, had deemed it a wiser step to dispose of his stock and furniture than to remain as he was—not merely with no certain prospect of being able to maintain even his present position, but with the chances against him of becoming every day a poorer and more embarrassed man. His brother, who like himself, after having been on the decline for a considerable period, had emigrated to America, where he was prospering, now urged him to follow his example and leave a country in which he said, in language that has become a proverb, “everything was going to the bad.” Feeling that his brother's words were unfortunately too true, Wallace, at all events, came to the determination of following his example.

      The scene at which our friends arrived was indeed a striking and impressive one. The majority of the crowd consisted of those who belonged either to the Protestant or Presbyterian forms of worship; and it might be with truth asserted, that nothing could surpass the clear unquestionable character of independent intelligence which prevailed among them. Along with this, however, there was an obvious spirit of dissatisfaction, partial, it is СКАЧАТЬ