“No! Don’t shoot!” he called out. The words shook as he uttered them, and seemed to his nervously4 acute hearing to be crowded parts of a single sound. “That’s rank foolishness!” he added, hurriedly. “There’s no trick! Nobody dreams of touching5 you. I give you my word I’m more astonished than you are!”
The major seemed to be somewhat impressed by the candor6 of the young man’s tone. He did not lower the weapon, but he shifted his finger away from the trigger.
“That may or may not be the case,” he said with a studious affectation of calm in his voice. “At all events, you will at once do as I said.”
“But see here,” urged Bernard, “there’s an explanation to everything. I’ll swear that old O’Daly was put in here by our friend here—Jerry Higgins. That’s straight, isn’t it, Jerry?”
“It is, sir!” said Jerry, fervently7, with eye askance on the revolver.
“And it’s evident enough that he couldn’t have got out by himself.”
“That he never did, sir.”
“Well, then—let’s figure. How many people know of this place?”
“There’s yoursilf,” responded Jerry, meditatively8, “an’ mesilf an’ Linsky—me cousin, Joseph Higgins, I mane. That’s all, if ye l’ave O’Daly out. An’ that’s what bothers me wits, who the divil did l’ave him out?”
“This cousin of yours, as you call him,” put in the resident magistrate9—“what did he mean by speaking of him as Linsky? No lying, now.”
“Lying, is it, your honor? ’T is aisy to see you’re a stranger in these parts, to spake that word to me. Egor, ’t is me truth-tellin ’s kept me the poor man I am. I remember, now, sir, wance on a time whin I was only a shlip of a lad—”
“What did you call him Linsky for?” Major Snaffle demanded, peremptorily10.
“Well, sir,” answered Jerry, unabashed, “’t is because he’s freckles11 on him. ‘Linsky’ is the Irish for a ‘freckled man!’ Sure, O’Daly would tell you the same—if yer honor could find him.”
The major did not look entirely12 convinced.
“I don’t doubt it,” he said, with grim sarcasm13; “every man, woman and child of you all would tell the same. Come now—we’ll get up out of this. Link your arms together, and give me the lantern.”
“By your lave, sir,” interposed Jerry, “that trick ye told us of your father—w’u’d that have been in a marteller tower, on the coast beyant Kinsale? Egor, sir, I was there! ’T was me tuk the gun-rags from your father’s mouth. Sure, ’t is in me ricolliction as if ’t was yesterday. There stud The O’Mahony—”
At the sound of the name on his tongue, Jerry stopped short. The secret of that expedition had been preserved so long. Was there danger in revealing it now.
To Bernard the name suggested another thought. He turned swiftly to Jerry.
“Look here!” he said. “You forgot something. The O’Mahony knew of this place.”
“Well, thin, he did, sir,” assented14 Jerry. “’T was him discovered it altogether.”
“Major,” the young man exclaimed, wheeling now to again confront the magistrate with his revolver, “there’s something queer about this whole thing. I don’t understand it any more than you do. Perhaps if we put our heads together we could figure it out between us. It’s foolishness to stand like this. Let me light the candles here, and all of us sit down like white men. That’s it,” he added as he busied himself in carrying out his suggestion, to which the magistrate tacitly assented. “Now we can talk. We’ll sit here in front of you, and you can keep out your pistol, if you like.”
“Well?” said Major Snaffle, inquiringly, when he had seated himself between the others and the door, yet sidewise, so that he might not be taken unawares by any new-comer.
“Tell him, Jerry, who this O’Mahony of yours was,” directed Bernard.
“Ah, thin—a grand divil of a man!” said Jerry, with enthusiasm. “’T was he was the master of all Muirisc. Sure ’t was mesilf was the first man he gave a word to in Ireland whin he landed at the Cove15 of Cork16. ‘Will ye come along wid me?’ says he. ‘To the inds of the earth!’ says I. And wid that—”
“He came from America, too, did he?” queried17 the major. “Was that the same man who—who played the trick on my father? You seem to know about that.”
“Egor, ’t was the same!” cried Jerry, slapping his fat knee and chuckling18 with delight at the memory. “’T was all in the winkin’ of an eye—an’ there he had him bound like a calf19 goin’ to the fair, an’ he cartin’ him on his own back to the boat. Up wint the sails, an’ off we pushed, an’ the breeze caught us, an’ whin the soldiers came, faith, ’t was safe out o’ raych we were. An’ thin The O’Mahony—God save him!—came to your honor’s father—”
“Yes, I know the story,” interrupted the major. “It doesn’t amuse me as it does you. But what has this man—this O’Mahony—got to do with this present case?”
“It’s like this,” explained Bernard, “as I understand it: He left Ireland after this thing Jerry’s been telling you about and went fighting in other countries. He turned his property over to two trustees to manage for the benefit of a little girl here—now Miss Kate O’Mahony. O’Daly was one of the trustees. What does he do but marry the girl’s mother—a widow—and lay pipes to put the girl in a convent and steal all the money. I told you at the beginning that it was a family squabble. I happened to come along this way, got interested in the thing, and took a notion to put a spoke20 in O’Daly’s wheel. To manage the convent end of the business I had to go away for two or three days. While I was gone, I thought it would be safer to have O’Daly down here out of mischief21. Now you’ve got the whole story. Or, no, that isn’t all, for when I got back I find that the young lady herself has disappeared; and, lo and behold22, here’s O’Daly turned up missing, too!”
“What’s that you say?” asked Major Snaffle. “The young lady gone, also?”
“Is it Miss Kate?” broke in Jerry. “Oh, thin, ’t is the divil’s worst work! Miss Kate not to be found—is that your m’aning? ’T is not consayvable.”
“Oh, I don’t think there’s anything serious in that,” said Bernard. “She’ll turn out to be safe and snug23 somewhere when everything’s cleared up. But, in the meantime, where’s O’Daly? How did he get out of here?”
The major rose and walked over to the door. He examined its fastenings and lock with attention.
“It can only be opened from the outside,” he remarked as he returned to his seat.
“I know that,” said Bernard. “And I’ve got a notion that there’s only one man alive who could have come and opened it.”
“Is it Lin—me cousin, you mane?” asked Jerry.
“Egor! He was never out of me sight, daylight or dark, till they arrested us together.”
“No,” replied Bernard. “I didn’t mean him. The man I’m thinking of is The O’Mahony himself.”
Jerry leaped to his feet so swiftly that the major instinctively24 clutched his revolver anew. But there was no menace in Jerry’s manner. He stood for a moment, his fat face reddened in the candle’s pale glow, his gray eyes ashine, his mouth expanding in a grin of amazed delight. Then he burst forth25 in a torrent26 of eager questioning.
“Don’t you mane it?” he cried. “The O’Mahony come back to his own ag’in? W’u’d he—is it—oh, thin, ‘t is too good to be thrue, sir! An’ we sittin’ here! An’ him near by! An’ me not—ah, come along out ’o this! An’ ye’re not desayvin’ us, sir? He’s thruly come back to us?”
“Don’t go too fast,” remonstrated27 Bernard “It’s only guess-work There’s nothing sure about it at all. Only there’s no one else who could have come here.”
“Thrue for ye, sir!” exclaimed Jerry, all afire now with joyous28 confidence. “’T is a fine, grand intelligince ye have, sir. An’ will we be goin’, now, major, to find him?”
Under the influence of Jerry’s great excitement, the other two had risen to their feet as well.
The resident magistrate toyed dubiously29 with his revolver, casting sharp glances of scrutiny30 from one to the other of the faces before him, the while he pondered the probabilities of truth in the curious tale to which he had listened.
The official side of him clamored for its entire rejection31 as a lie. Like most of his class, with their superficial and hostile observation of an alien race, his instincts were all against crediting anything which any Irish peasant told him, to begin with. Furthermore, the half of this strange story had been related by an Irish-American—a type regarded by the official mind in Ireland with a peculiar32 intensity33 of suspicion. Yes, he decided34, it was all a falsehood.
Then he looked into the young man’s face once more, and wavered. It seemed an honest face. If its owner had borne even the homeliest and most plebeian35 of Saxon labels, the major was conscious that he should have liked him. The Milesian name carried prejudice, it was true, but—
“Yes, we will go up,” he said, “in the manner I described. I don’t see what your object would be in inventing this long rigmarole. Of course, you can see that if it isn’t true, it will be so much the worse for you.”
“We ought to see it by this time,” said Bernard, with a suggestion of weariness. “You’ve mentioned it often enough. Here, take the lantern. We’ll go up ahead. The door locks itself. I have the key.”
The three men made their way up the dark, tortuous36 flight of stairs, replaced the lantern and key on their peg37 in Jerry’s room, and emerged once more into the open. They filled their lungs with long breaths of the fresh air, and then looked rather vacuously38 at one another. The major had pocketed his weapon.
“Well, what’s the programme?” asked Bernard.
Before any answer came, their attention was attracted by the figure of a stranger, sauntering about among the ancient stones and black wooden crosses scattered39 over the weed-grown expanse of the churchyard. He was engaged in deciphering the names on the least weather-beaten of these crosses, but only in a cursory40 way and with long intermittent41 glances over the prospect42 of ivy-grown ruins and gray walls, turrets43 and gables beyond. As they watched him, he seemed suddenly to become aware of their presence. Forthwith he turned and strolled toward them.
As he advanced, they saw that he was a tall and slender man, whose close-cut hair and short mustache and chin tuft produced an effect of extreme whiteness against a notably44 tanned and sun-burnt skin. Though evidently well along in years, he walked erect45 and with an elastic46 and springing step. He wore black clothes of foreign, albeit47 genteel aspect. The major noted48 on the lapel of his coat a tell-tale gleam of red ribbon—and even before that had guessed him to be a Frenchman and a soldier. He leaped swiftly to the further assumption that this was The O’Mahony, and then hesitated, as Jerry showed no sign of recognition.
The stranger halted before them with a little nod and a courteous49 upward wave of his forefinger50.
“A fine day, gentlemen,” he remarked, with politeness.
Major Snaffle had stepped in front of his companions.
“Permit me to introduce myself,” he said, with a sudden resolution, “I am the stipendiary magistrate of the district. Would you kindly51 tell me if you are informed as to the present whereabouts of Mr. Cormac O’Daly, of this place?”
The other showed no trace of surprise on his browned face.
“Mr. O’Daly and his step-daughter,” he replied, affably enough, “are just now doing me the honor of being my guests, aboard my vessel52 in the harbor.”
Then a twinkle brightened his gray eyes as he turned their glance upon Jerry’s red, moon-like face. He permitted himself the briefest of dry chuckles53.
“Well, young man,” he said, “they seem to have fed you pretty well, anyway, since I saw you last.” For another moment Jerry stared in round-eyed bewilderment at the speaker. Then with a wild “Huroo!” he dashed forward, seized his hand and wrung54 it in both of his.
“God bless ye! God bless ye!” he gasped55, between little formless ejaculations of dazed delight. “God forgive me for not knowin’ ye—you’re that althered! But for you’re back amongst us—aloive and well—glory be to the world!”
He kept close to The O’Mahony’s side as the group began now to move toward the gate of the churchyard, pointing to him with his fat thumb, as if to call all nature to witness this glorious event, and murmuring fondly to himself: “You’re come home to us!” over and over again.
“I am much relieved to learn what you tell me, Mr.—— Or rather, I believe you are O’Mahony without the mister,” said Major Snaffle, as they walked out upon the green. “I dare say you know—this has been a very bad winter all over the west and south’, and crime seems to be increasing, instead of the reverse, as spring advances. We have had the gravest reports about the disaffection in this district—especially among your tenants56. That’s why we gave such ready credence57 to the theory of murder.”
“Murder?” queried The O’Mahony. “Oh, I see—you thought O’Daly had been murdered?”
“Yes, we arrested your man Higgins, here, yesterday. I was just on the point of starting with him to Bantry jail, an hour ago, when this young gentleman—” the major made a backward gesture to indicate Bernard—“came and said he knew where O’Daly was. He took me down to that curious underground chamber—”
“Who took you down, did you say?” asked The O’Mahony, sharply. He turned on his heel as he spoke, as did the major.
To their considerable surprise, Bernard was no longer one of the party. Their dumfounded gaze ranged the expanse of common round about. He was nowhere to be seen.
The O’Mahoney looked almost sternly at Jerry.
“Who is this young man you had with you—who seems to have taken to running things in my absence?” he demanded.
Poor Jerry, who had been staring upward at the new-comer with the dumb admiration58 of an affectionate spaniel, cowered59 humbly60 under this glance and tone.
“Well, yer honor,” he stammered61, plucking at the buttons of his coat in embarrassment62, “egor, for the matter of that—I—I don’t rightly know.”
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1
ominously
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| adv.恶兆地，不吉利地；预示地 | |
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muzzle
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| n.鼻口部；口套；枪(炮)口；vt.使缄默 | |
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3
twitching
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| n.颤搐 | |
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nervously
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| adv.神情激动地，不安地 | |
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touching
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| adj.动人的，使人感伤的 | |
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candor
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| n.坦白，率真 | |
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fervently
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| adv.热烈地，热情地，强烈地 | |
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meditatively
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| adv.冥想地 | |
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9
magistrate
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| n.地方行政官，地方法官，治安官 | |
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peremptorily
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| adv.紧急地，不容分说地，专横地 | |
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11
freckles
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| n.雀斑，斑点( freckle的名词复数 ) | |
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12
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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sarcasm
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| n.讥讽，讽刺，嘲弄，反话 （adj.sarcastic） | |
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14
assented
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| 同意，赞成( assent的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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15
cove
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| n.小海湾，小峡谷 | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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17
queried
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| v.质疑，对…表示疑问( query的过去式和过去分词 )；询问 | |
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18
chuckling
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的现在分词 ) | |
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19
calf
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| n.小牛，犊，幼仔，小牛皮 | |
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spoke
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| n.（车轮的）辐条；轮辐；破坏某人的计划；阻挠某人的行动 v.讲，谈（speak的过去式）；说；演说；从某种观点来说 | |
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21
mischief
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| n.损害，伤害，危害；恶作剧，捣蛋，胡闹 | |
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22
behold
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| v.看，注视，看到 | |
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snug
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| adj.温暖舒适的，合身的，安全的；v.使整洁干净，舒适地依靠，紧贴；n.（英）酒吧里的私房 | |
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24
instinctively
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| adv.本能地 | |
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forth
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| adv.向前；向外，往外 | |
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torrent
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| n.激流，洪流；爆发，(话语等的)连发 | |
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remonstrated
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| v.抗议( remonstrate的过去式和过去分词 )；告诫 | |
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28
joyous
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| adj.充满快乐的；令人高兴的 | |
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29
dubiously
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| adv.可疑地，怀疑地 | |
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30
scrutiny
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| n.详细检查，仔细观察 | |
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31
rejection
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| n.拒绝，被拒，抛弃，被弃 | |
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32
peculiar
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| adj.古怪的，异常的；特殊的，特有的 | |
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intensity
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| n.强烈，剧烈；强度；烈度 | |
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34
decided
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| adj.决定了的，坚决的；明显的，明确的 | |
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35
plebeian
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| adj.粗俗的；平民的；n.平民；庶民 | |
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36
tortuous
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| adj.弯弯曲曲的，蜿蜒的 | |
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37
peg
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| n.木栓，木钉；vt.用木钉钉，用短桩固定 | |
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vacuously
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| adv.无意义地，茫然若失地，无所事事地 | |
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scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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cursory
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| adj.粗略的；草率的；匆促的 | |
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intermittent
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| adj.间歇的，断断续续的 | |
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42
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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43
turrets
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| （六角）转台( turret的名词复数 )； （战舰和坦克等上的）转动炮塔； （摄影机等上的）镜头转台； （旧时攻城用的）塔车 | |
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44
notably
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| adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地 | |
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erect
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| n./v.树立，建立，使竖立；adj.直立的，垂直的 | |
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elastic
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| n.橡皮圈，松紧带；adj.有弹性的；灵活的 | |
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47
albeit
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| conj.即使；纵使；虽然 | |
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48
noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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49
courteous
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| adj.彬彬有礼的，客气的 | |
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50
forefinger
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| n.食指 | |
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51
kindly
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| adj.和蔼的，温和的，爽快的；adv.温和地，亲切地 | |
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52
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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53
chuckles
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| 轻声地笑( chuckle的名词复数 ) | |
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54
wrung
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| 绞( wring的过去式和过去分词 )； 握紧（尤指别人的手）； 把（湿衣服）拧干； 绞掉（水） | |
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55
gasped
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| v.喘气( gasp的过去式和过去分词 )；喘息；倒抽气；很想要 | |
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56
tenants
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| n.房客( tenant的名词复数 )；佃户；占用者；占有者 | |
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57
credence
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| n.信用，祭器台，供桌，凭证 | |
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58
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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59
cowered
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| v.畏缩，抖缩( cower的过去式 ) | |
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60
humbly
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| adv. 恭顺地，谦卑地 | |
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61
stammered
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| v.结巴地说出( stammer的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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62
embarrassment
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| n.尴尬；使人为难的人(事物)；障碍；窘迫 | |
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