"I have asked you here, gentlemen all," he said, "to present to you a new comrade, Desmond Kennedy, who, through the good offices of the Marshal de Noailles, has been appointed, by His Gracious Majesty4, to a cornetcy in our regiment.
"Now, gentlemen, I have known, and doubtless you can all of you recall, instances where the harmony of a regiment has been grievously disturbed, and bad blood caused, owing to the want of a clear understanding upon matters connected with a family; which might have been avoided, had proper explanations been given at the commencement. I have spoken frankly6 to Mr. Kennedy, and he has stated to me certain particulars, and has not only authorized7 me, but requested me to repeat them to you, feeling that you had a right to know who it was that had come among you, and so to avoid questioning on matters that are, of all others, prone8 to lead to trouble among gentlemen.
"Beyond the fact that he is a Kennedy, and that his father had to fly from Ireland, two years after the siege of Limerick, owing to a participation9 in some plot to bring about a fresh rising in favour of King James, he is unacquainted with his family history. He has never heard from his father, and only knows that he made for France after throwing the usurper11's spies off his track, and there can be little doubt that it was his intention to take service in this brigade. There have been several Kennedys in the service, and I have little doubt that this young gentleman's father was the Murroch Kennedy who joined the third regiment, about that time, and was killed a few months afterwards at the battle of Breda. His death would account for the fact that his son never received a letter from him. At the time when he left Ireland, the child was some two years old, and, as communication was difficult, and the boy so young, Murroch might very well have put off writing until the boy grew older, not thinking that death might intervene, as it did, to prevent his doing so.
"This is all simple and straightforward12 enough, and you will, I am sure, have no hesitation13 in extending the hand of friendship to the son of a gallant14 Irishman, who died fighting in the ranks of the Irish Brigade, exiled, like the rest of us, for loyalty15 to our king.
"Still, gentlemen, you might, perhaps, wonder how it is that he knows no more of his family, and it was that this question might be disposed of, once for all, that I am making this statement to you on his behalf. He was not brought up, as you might expect, with some of his father's connections. Whether the family were so scattered16 that there was no one to whom he could safely entrust17 the child, I know not, but, in point of fact, he sent him to one of the last houses where a loyal gentleman would wish his son to be brought up. We all know by name and reputation--I and your majors knew him personally--the gallant James O'Carroll, who died, fighting bravely, at the siege of Limerick. He was succeeded in his estate by his brother John, one of the few Irishmen of good family who turned traitor18 to his king, and who secured the succession to his brother's possessions by becoming an ardent19 supporter of the usurper, and by changing his religion.
"Why Murroch Kennedy should have chosen such a man as the guardian20 of his son is a mystery. Whether they had been great friends in earlier times, when John O'Carroll professed21 as warm an attachment22 to the Stuart cause as did his brother James, or whether Kennedy possessed23 such knowledge of O'Carroll's traitorous24 dealings with the Dutchman as would, if generally known, have rendered him so hateful to all loyal men that he could no longer have remained in the country, and so had a hold over him, Mr. Kennedy can tell us nothing. He was brought by his nurse to Castle Kilkargan, and was left with John O'Carroll. It is clear that the latter accepted the charge unwillingly25, for he sent the child to a farm, where he remained until he was eight years old, and then placed him with the parish priest, who educated him. The lad visited at the houses of the neighbouring gentry26, shot and rowed and fished with their sons. O'Carroll, however, beyond paying for his maintenance, all but ignored his existence, showing no interest whatever in him, up to the time when he furnished him with a letter of introduction to de Noailles, except that he made him a present of a gun, as soon as he became of an age to use one. He never attempted to tamper27 with his loyalty to King James, and in fact, until he sent for him to ask what profession he would choose, he never exchanged ten words with him, from the time that he was brought to the castle.
"We can each form our own theory as to the cause of such strange conduct. He may have given a pledge, to Murroch, that the boy should be brought up a loyalist, and a true son of the church. It may have been that the loyalty of the boy's father formed so unpleasant a contrast to his own disloyalty, and apostasy28, that he disliked the sight of him. However, these theories can make no difference in our reception of Desmond Kennedy, as a gentleman of a good family, and as the son of a loyal adherent29 of the king; and as such, I think that I can, from what I have already seen of him, assert that he is one who will be a good comrade, a pleasant companion, and a credit to the regiment."
The subject of these remarks was a tall and handsome young fellow, some sixteen years of age. He was already broad at the shoulders, and promised to become an exceedingly powerful man. He had stood somewhat behind the colonel, watching calmly the effect of his words on those whose comrade he was to be, for he knew how punctilious30 were his countrymen, on the subject of family, placing as much or even more value than did the Scots, on points of genealogy31, and of descent from the old families. His frank open face, his bearing and manner, did as much to smooth his way as did the speech of his colonel, who, when he had been introduced to him, two days before, had questioned him very closely on the subject of his family. It had almost been a matter of satisfaction to Desmond when he heard, from the colonel, that the officer who had fallen at Breda was probably the father of whom he had no remembrance; for, from the time he attained32 the age of boyhood, it had been a grief and pain that he should never have heard from his father, who, it now appeared, had been prevented by death from ever communicating with him.
The officers received him cordially. They had little doubt that he was the son of the Murroch Kennedy, of Dillon's regiment, although, after they separated, some wonder was expressed as to the reason why the latter had committed his son to the care of so notorious a traitor as John O'Carroll.
Desmond had been specially33 introduced to two of the young lieutenants34, Patrick O'Neil and Phelim O'Sullivan, and these took him off with them to their quarters.
"And what is the last news from Ireland? I suppose that the confiscations have ceased, for the excellent reason that they have seized the estates of every loyal gentleman in the country?"
"That was done long ago, in the neighbourhood of Kilkargan, and, so far as I know, everywhere the feeling is as bitter as ever, among those who have been dispossessed, and also among the tenants35 and peasantry, who have found themselves handed over to the mercies of Dutchmen, or other followers36 of William. At Kilkargan there was not that grievance37; but, although they had still one of the old family as their master, they could not forgive him for deserting to the side of the usurper, nor for changing his religion in order to do pleasure to William. Certainly, he can have derived38 but little satisfaction from the estates. He seldom showed himself out of doors, never without two or three armed servants, all of whom were strangers from the north, and he was often away, for months together, at Dublin."
"And what did you do with yourself?"
"I fished, shot, and rode. I had many friends among the gentry of the neighbourhood, who would, doubtless, have shown less kindness than they did, had it not been for the neglect with which O'Carroll treated me. His unpopularity was all in my favour.
"However, I have one good reason for being obliged to him, since it was through him that I obtained my commission. He told me that, in his young days, he had been at a French college with the duke. They had been great friends there, and he thought that, in memory of this, de Noailles would procure39 me a commission."
"I suppose the real fact was, Kennedy, that he was glad to get rid of you altogether?"
"I think that is likely enough. He certainly raised no objection, whatever, to my going abroad, and seemed to think it natural that I should choose the Irish Brigade, here, in preference to the British service. He said something unpleasant about its not being singular that I should be a rebel, when I always associated with rebels, to which I replied that it seemed to me that I could hardly be blamed for that, seeing that my father had been what he called a rebel, and that I had little choice in the matter of my associates; and that if I had been educated at a school in England, instead of by good Father O'Leary, I might have had other sentiments. He replied that my sentiments were nothing to him, one way or the other. He was glad to wash his hands of me altogether; and, at any rate, if I went to France, I could drink the health of King James every day without his being involved in my treason."
"It almost looked as if he wished you to grow up a rebel, Kennedy, or he would hardly have placed you in the charge of a priest. He may have reckoned that if there was another rising, you might join it, and so be taken off his hands, altogether."
"Whatever the reason was, I have certainly cause for satisfaction that he removed me from the care of the farmer's wife, with whom he at first placed me, and arranged with the priest to take charge of me altogether. O'Leary himself had been educated at Saint Omer, and was a splendid fellow. He was very popular on the countryside, and it was owing to my being with him that I was admitted to the houses of the gentry around, whereas, had I remained in the farmhouse40 in which O'Carroll first placed me, I should only have associated with the sons of other tenants."
"It looked, at any rate, as if he wished to make a gentleman of you, Kennedy."
"Yes, I suppose my father had asked him to do so. At any rate, I was infinitely41 better off than I should have been if he had taken me in at Kilkargan, for in that case I should have had no associates, whatever. As it was, I scarcely ever exchanged a word with him, until that last meeting. He sent down, by one of his servants, the letter to the Duc de Noailles, and a bag containing money for my outfit42 here, and for the purchase of a horse, together with a line saying that he had done his duty by me, and had no desire to hear from me in the future. I was inclined to send the money back to him, but Father O'Leary persuaded me not to do so, saying that I must be in a position to buy these things, if I obtained a commission; and that, no doubt, the money had been given me, not for my own sake, but because he felt that he owed it to me, for some service rendered to him by my father."
"It was an ungracious way of doing it," O'Sullivan said, "but, in your circumstances, I should have taken the money had it come from the old one himself. It is, perhaps, as well that it should have been done in such a manner that you may well feel you owe no great gratitude43 towards such a man."
"And how did you get over here?"
"There was no great difficulty about that. In spite of the activity of the English cruisers, constant communication is kept up between Ireland and France, and fortunately I had, a short time before, made the acquaintance of one of your officers, who was over there, in disguise, gathering44 recruits for the Brigade."
"Yes, there are a good many agents in Ireland engaged in that work. There is no difficulty in obtaining recruits, for there is scarcely a young Irishman who does not long to be with his countrymen, who have won such credit out here, and many abstain45 from joining only because they do not know how to set about it. The work of the agents, then, is principally to arrange means for their crossing the channel. It is well that the supply is steadily46 kept up, for, I can assure you, every battle fought makes very heavy gaps in our ranks; but in spite of that, three fresh regiments47 have been raised, in the last year, partly by fresh comers from Ireland, and partly by Irish deserters from Marlborough's regiments.
"But I am interrupting your story."
"Well, after leaving Mr. O'Carroll, and making my preparations, I paid a visit to the cottage where the officer was staying, in disguise, and told him that I wanted to cross. He gave instructions as to how to proceed. I was to go to a certain street in Cork48, and knock at a certain door. When it was opened, I was to say, 'The sea is calm and the sky is bright'.
"'Then', he said, 'you will be taken in hand, and put on board one of the craft engaged in the work of carrying our recruits across the water. You will be landed at Saint Malo, where there is an agent of the Brigade, who gives instructions to the recruits as to how they are to proceed, supplies them with money enough for the journey, and a man to accompany each party, and act as interpreter on the way.
"I carried out his instructions, crossed the channel in a lugger with thirty young peasants, bound also for Paris, and, on landing at Saint Malo, took my place in the diligence for Paris; having, fortunately, no need for an interpreter. On my presenting my letter to the Marquis de Noailles, he received me with great kindness, and treated me as a guest, until he had obtained me a commission in your regiment.
"Now, when are we likely to go on active service?"
"Soon, I expect," O'Neil said; "but whether we shall be sent to the Peninsula, or to Flanders, no one knows. In fact, it is likely enough that we shall, for the present, remain here; until it is seen how matters go, and where reinforcements will be most required. It is but ten months since we came into garrison49, in Paris, and we may therefore expect to be one of the last regiments ordered off.
"For my part, I am in no particular hurry to exchange comfortable quarters, and good living, and such adventures as may fall to the lot of a humble50 subaltern, for roughing it in the field; where, as has been the case ever since the Brigade was formed, we get a good deal more than our fair share of hard work and fighting."
"I should have thought that you would all have liked that," Desmond said, in some surprise.
"Enough is as good as a feast," the other said; "and when you have done a few weeks' work in trenches51, before a town you are besieging52; stood knee deep for hours in mud, soaked to the skin with rain, and with the enemy's shot coming through the parapet every half minute or so; you will see that it is not all fun and glory.
"Then, too, you see, we have no particular interest in the quarrels between France and Germany. When we fight, we fight rather for the honour of the Irish Brigade, than for the glory of France. We have a grudge53 against the Dutch, and fight them as interested parties, seeing that it was by his Dutch troops that William conquered Ireland. As to the English troops, we have no particular enmity against them. Cromwell's business is an old story, and I don't suppose that the English soldier feels any particular love for Queen Anne, or any animosity against us. And after all, we are nearer in blood to them than we are to the Germans, Austrians, or Spaniards, for there are few, even of our oldest families, who have not, many times since the days of Strongbow, intermarried with the English settlers. At any rate, there are still plenty of adherents54 of King James in England and Scotland. We speak the same language, and form part of the same nation, and I own that I would rather fight against any foreign foe55 than against them."
"So would I," Desmond said heartily56. "Our only point of difference is that we don't agree as to who should be king. We want a Catholic king, and the majority of the English want a Protestant king. We have fought on the subject, and been beaten. Next time, we hope that we may succeed. If the king were to land in England again, I would fight heart and soul in his cause; but whether the French beat the English, in the present war, or the English beat the French, will not, as far as I can see, make much difference to King James; who, Father O'Leary tells me, is, in his opinion, supported here by the French king from no great love for himself, but because, so long as James has adherents in Ireland, Scotland, and England, he is able to play him off against the English Government."
The other young men laughed.
"For heaven's sake, Kennedy, keep such sentiments as these to yourself. It is a matter of faith, in our brigade, that we are fighting in the cause of King James, as against the English usurper. Now that William is dead, and James's daughter on the throne, matters are complicated somewhat; and if the Parliament had settled the succession, after Anne, on her brother, there might have been an end of the quarrel altogether. But now that they have settled it on Sophia of Hanover, granddaughter of James the 1st, and her descendants, subject to the restriction57 that they shall be Protestants, the quarrel does not seem likely to be healed."
"This priest of yours must be a dangerous man," O'Sullivan said.
"Not at all. I can assure you, he is devoted58 to the king; but, as he told me, there is no use in Irishmen always closing their eyes to the true state of things. He says that we must rely upon ourselves, and our loyal friends in Scotland and England, but that he is sure the king will never be placed on his throne by French bayonets. A small auxiliary59 force may be sent over, but, in all these years, Louis has made no real effort to assist him; and even if, for his own purposes, he sent a great army to England, and placed him on the throne, he would not be able to maintain himself there for a month after the French had withdrawn60, for even a rightful king would be hated by the people upon whom he had been forced, by a foreign power, especially a power that had, for centuries, been regarded as their chief enemy. If he had been in earnest, Louis would have sent over a great army, instead of a few thousand men, to Ireland, when such a diversion would have turned the scale in our favour. As he did not do so then, he is not likely to do so in the future. The king is useful to him, here, by keeping up an agitation61 that must, to some extent, cripple the strength of England; but, were a Stuart on the throne, he would have to listen to the wishes of the majority of his people, and France would gain nothing by placing him there. Moreover, she would lose the services of twenty thousand of her best soldiers, for naturally the exiles would all return home, and what is now the most valuable force in the French service, might then become an equally important one in the service of Britain."
"I am glad that this priest of yours remains62 quietly in Kilkargan, for, if he were to come here, and expound63 his views among our regiments, he might cause quite a defection among them. At any rate, Kennedy, I should advise you not to take to propagating his views in the regiment. It would not add to your comfort, or ours, and there are a good many hot-headed men who would take up the idea that you had been infected by O'Carroll's principles."
"It would not be well for anyone to say as much to my face," Desmond said. "Father O'Leary is loyal to the backbone64, although he has his own ideas as to the hopelessness of our obtaining any efficient help from Louis. He thinks that it will be far better to trust to our friends at home, and that, even did Louis carry out his promises, it would in the long run harm rather than benefit King James."
"I am not saying that his view may not be correct, Kennedy. I am only saying that the view would be a very unpopular one, among the Brigade. We are fighting for France because we believe that France, in turn, will aid in placing our rightful king on the throne, and if we once entertained the notion that Louis was deceiving us, that he had no intention of helping65 us, and that, if he did place James on the throne, he would alienate66 all his sympathizers at home, we should ask ourselves of what use was it, spending our blood in fighting the battles of France."
"At any rate, I will take your advice, O'Sullivan, and will keep my lips sealed, as to Father O'Leary's views. As you see, by my presence here, he has not convinced me, and as long as there is a hope that, by the aid of a French army, we may yet see our king come to his own again, I shall do my best to prove myself a faithful soldier of France. I have chosen my career with my eyes open. A loyal Irishman cannot obtain employment, still less military employment, in his own country, and accordingly, we are to be found fighting as soldiers of fortune in every country in Europe. At least there is some chance that we may be benefiting the royal cause by fighting for the country that gave King James shelter, and rendered him armed assistance in his struggle with the usurper, and will probably give aid, more or less efficient, when the next attempt is made. In other countries we are but soldiers of fortune. In France we may regard ourselves as serving our own king by serving King Louis."
"Yes. Father O'Leary took care of that, for I always said that I should take service abroad, as there was clearly nothing else to do for a living, and, consequently, he generally talked to me in that language, and I speak it as well as I do English or Irish."
"You have not had much practice with the sword, I suppose?"
"Not so much as I could wish, though I never lost an opportunity of practising. There were several of the tenants who served in the regiment James O'Carroll raised. I used to practise with them, but I shall lose no time in getting the best instruction I can, here."
"You may want it, Kennedy. We are not particularly liked by the French officers, because we are generally chosen to lead an assault, or for other desperate service. Duelling is, of course, forbidden, but that in no way prevents duels68 from being frequent. As for fighting in action, as far as I have seen or heard, swordsmanship does not go for a great deal. If you press on hard enough, and there are men following you, the enemy give way, generally, before it comes to hand-to-hand fighting. If, on the other hand, they are the more numerous, and hold their position in the breach69, it is the musketry that settles it. It is only when two officers happen to meet, in a fierce fight, that swordsmanship becomes of importance.
"We have a good school in the regiment, and there are several famous masters of fence in the town, so I should advise you to give a couple of hours a day, for a time, to making yourself a first-rate swordsman. I have just left off. Our maitre d'armes tells me I am too hotheaded ever to make a fine blade; but I should fancy, from the way you have been arguing, that you are likely to be cooler than most of us in a fencing bout10. It is the fault with us all that we are apt to lose our tempers, and indeed Maitre Maupert, who is the best teacher here, declines absolutely to take any of us as pupils, saying that, while we may do excellently well in battle, he can never hope to make first-class fencers of men who cannot be relied upon to keep their heads cool, and to fight with pointed3 weapons as calmly as they might fence with a friend in a saloon."
"Well, I shall work hard to become a fair swordsman," Desmond said, with a laugh. "I suppose there is plenty of time to spare."
"Plenty. We have a couple of hours' drill in the morning, and after that, except when you are officer of the day, you can spend your time as you like. The colonel and two of his officers attend at the king's levees, when he is in Paris, but, as he spends the greater portion of his time at Versailles, we are seldom called upon for that duty."
A few days after Desmond's arrival, the colonel took him with him to Saint Germain, where James the 3rd, as his supporters called him, held a miniature court. The colonel presented Desmond as a loyal subject of His Majesty, and a newly-joined cornet in his regiment.
The young prince was a lad of eighteen. He was surrounded by a group of courtiers, who had accompanied or followed his father into exile, and whose insistence70 upon treating him with the respect due to a monarch71 was in no slight degree galling72 to him, for, as he often declared to the few friends he had about his own age, he had all the disadvantages of being a king, without any of the advantages.
He was at once taken with the appearance of Desmond Kennedy.
"Ah, Monsieur Kennedy," he said, after the ceremony of presentation had been completed; "I wish that I had all my faithful subjects, of the Irish Brigade, across the water with me; and that I could put on a uniform like yours, and fight at their head for my rights."
"I would that you had, Sire. It would be a good day for us all; and believe me, that either in Ireland or Scotland you would soon find yourself at the head of an army, many times more numerous than our brigade."
"They all tell me that I must wait," the young prince said, with a sigh, "but I have been waiting a long time now, and it seems no nearer than when I was a child. However, the King of France has promised me that it cannot be much longer; and that, when Marlborough is defeated, and his army driven back across the sea, he will send a fleet and an army to place me on my throne."
"We shall all rejoice, indeed, when that time comes, Sire; and I am sure there is not a man in the Irish Brigade who will not follow you to the death, and serve you as faithfully as many of them did your royal father."
"I hope you will come here often, Monsieur Kennedy. I am sure that I shall like you very much, and I think that you would always say what you thought, and tell me the real truth about things."
"Sire!" one of the older men exclaimed, reproachfully.
"I mean no reflection on anyone, Dillon. You all say what I am sure you feel, but you have grown accustomed to waiting, and all think of what is politic73, and complain that I speak too frankly. Monsieur Kennedy comes straight from Ireland, and he is not old enough, yet, to have learned to measure his words, and will not be always afraid that anything he may say will be carried to the king.
"How I wish that the king would send me with Marshal Tallard!"
"That would never do, Sire. The English are your subjects, and they would never forgive you, if you were to appear in the field with a French army, fighting against them."
"But the Irish Brigade fight, Dillon?"
"Yes, Your Majesty, but they are in the service of France, and, by the terms of the treaty of Limerick, were allowed to expatriate themselves, and to enter the French service. We have, in fact, renounced74 our nationality, with the consent of the English, and, if taken prisoners, could only be treated as captured foes75, and not as traitors76. Of course, when Your Majesty ascends77 the throne, we shall again become British subjects."
"I trust that that may come soon, Dillon, and for your sake, rather than my own. When the time comes, you will not find me backward, but this weary waiting tries me sorely, and, were it not for those who have remained faithful to our cause, I would gladly resign such chances as I have of succeeding to the throne of England, and take a commission in the Irish Brigade."
Dillon and some of the elder men shook their heads.
"Can you wonder?" the young prince said, passionately79. "Here is Master Kennedy, who is younger than myself, though a free life and exercise have made him a man, in comparison to me. He has his life before him. He will bear his part in many a pitched battle, and, doubtless, in many a private adventure. He is his own master, and, as long as he does his duty, there are none to say, 'you must not do that; you must not say that; you must preserve your dignity; you must speak softly and discreetly80; you must wait patiently.'
"I envy you, Master Kennedy. I envy you, from the bottom of my heart! Come often to see me. You will always be welcome;" and, turning abruptly away, he left the chamber81 hurriedly, to conceal82 the tears which filled his eyes.
His counsellors shook their heads solemnly, but Colonel O'Brien said, warmly:
"What the king says is natural, for a man of his age; and, for my part, it has increased my respect for him. I say it without offence, but what could be duller than the life this lad leads here? He has been brought up, literally83, without a pleasure. His late Majesty, heaven rest his soul! was absorbed in his religious exercises, and nothing could have been more trying, to a boy, than a court in which the priests and confessors were practically supreme84. Since his father's death, things have been but little better, and now I see that, at heart, the young king has plenty of spirit and energy, I can feel that his life has been that of a caged hawk85, and I am not surprised that he occasionally breaks out into revolt against it. It would, methinks, do him a world of good, had he a few companions about his own age, like Ensign Kennedy. I would even say that, although I can quite understand that, as King of England, he could not well take a commission in one of our regiments, he might at least be placed with one of our most experienced and honoured colonels, in order to learn military exercises, and to mix with the officers as any other nobleman might do, when attached to the regiment."
"Well, gentlemen," the colonel went on, "I have no desire to interfere88 with your functions, but, in my opinion, it is good that a king should also be a general. Did anyone think any the worse of Dutch William, that he was able to command his army, personally? None of us can believe that King James will ever succeed to the inheritance of his fathers, without fighting; and it would be well, indeed, that he should not appear as a puppet, but as one qualified89 to command. It was the fault, or rather the misfortune, of his father, that he was unfit to lead his troops in the field. Had he been able to do so, he would, in all probability, have died King of England, instead of as a fugitive90 and a pensioner91 of King Louis. In one way, it grieves me to see that the young king feels his position acutely; but, on the other hand, I am rejoiced to see that he is in no way lacking in spirit, and that he longs to be out of his cage, and to try his wings for himself.
"Well, gentlemen, having had my say, I will take my leave of you, as duty calls me back to my regiment. I trust that the frankness with which I have spoken will not be misunderstood."
So saying, with a bow to the courtiers he left the room, followed by Kennedy.
"They mean well," he said, after they had mounted, and ridden off at a gallop92; "but it is a pity that these gentlemen, all loyal and honourable93 men as they are, should surround the young king. They suited, well enough, to the mood of his father, who was always wanting in spirit, and was broken down, not only by the loss of his kingdom, but by the conduct of his daughters; and, what with that, and his devotion to religion, he was rather a monk94 than a monarch. He believed--but most mistakenly--that he had a genius for politics, and was constantly intriguing95 with his adherents at home, notably96 Marlborough and other lords, from whom he obtained fair words and promises of support, but nothing else. But though he could plan, he did not possess a spark of energy, and was one of the most undecided of men, though, like most undecided men, he could be extremely obstinate97; and, unfortunately, the more wrong he was, the more obstinately98 he held to his course.
"However, all this can make no difference in our devotion to the Stuart cause. But I hail, with satisfaction, the prospect99 that, in his son, we may have one to whom we may feel personally loyal; for there can be no doubt that men will fight with more vigour100, for a person to whom they are attached, than for an abstract idea."
"I have heard Father O'Leary say the same, sir. His opinion was that, had the late king possessed the qualities that commanded the personal admiration101 and fidelity102 of his followers, and excited something like enthusiasm among the people at large, he would never have lost his throne; nor, could he have led his armies, as did Gustavus or Charles the 12th of Sweden, would William of Orange ever have ventured to cross to England."
"It was a bad business, altogether, lad. His cause was practically lost, from the day that William set foot upon English soil. He had, in reality, no personal friends; and those who would have remained faithful to the cause, were paralysed by his indecision and feebleness. Charles the Martyr103 made many mistakes, but he had the passionate78 adherence104 of his followers. His personality, and his noble appearance, did as much for him as the goodness of his cause; while his son, James, repelled105 rather than attracted personal devotion. I trust that his grandson will inherit some of his qualities. His outburst, today, gave me hope that he will do so; but one must not build too much on that. It may have been only the pettishness106 of a young man, sick of the constant tutelage to which he is subjected, and the ennui107 of the life he leads, rather than the earnestness of a noble spirit.
"Of course, Kennedy, I need not tell you that it would be well to make no mention, to anyone, of the scene that you have witnessed."
"I shall certainly make no mention of it to anyone, sir. I am sorry, indeed, for the young king. His life must be a dreadful one, conscious of the impossibility of breaking the bonds in which he is held, and knowing that his every word and action will be reported, by spies, to the King of France."
For three months, Desmond Kennedy worked hard at drill and sword exercise. He became a general favourite in the regiment, owing to his good temper, high spirits, and readiness to join in everything that was going on.
He went over, several times, to Saint Germain. At first, the king's counsellors looked but coldly upon him, and he would have ceased to come there, had it not been for the unaffected pleasure shown by the king at his visits. In time, however, two of the principal men at the little court requested him to have a conversation with them, before going into the king's chamber.
"You will understand, Mr. Kennedy," one of them said, when they had seated themselves in a quiet spot in the garden; "that we, standing5 in the position of His Majesty's counsellors, are in a position of great responsibility. His Majesty, as we admit is but natural, chafes108 over the inaction to which he is condemned109 by circumstances; and is apt, at times, to express his desire for action in terms which, if they came to the ears of King Louis, as we have every reason to believe is sometimes the case, would do him and the cause serious injury. Naturally, we should be glad for him to have companions of his own age, but it behoves us to be most careful that such companionship should not add to our difficulties in this direction; and we should view with satisfaction a friendship between the young king and one who, like yourself, is nearly of his own age and, as we can see, full of spirit and energy. In these matters the king is deficient110; but it would be better that he should, for the present, remain as he is, rather than that he should, in acquiring more manly111 habits, grow still more impatient and discontented with his position.
"We have naturally taken some little trouble in finding out how you stand in your regiment, and we hear nothing but good of you. You are much liked by your comrades, pay the greatest attention to your military exercises, and are regarded as one who will, some day, do much credit to the regiment; and we feel that, in most respects, your influence could not but be advantageous112 to the young king; but the good that this might do him would be more than balanced, were you to render him still more impatient than he is for action. You may well suppose that we, exiles as we have been for so many years from our country, are not less impatient than he for the day of action; but we know that such action must depend upon the King of France, and not upon ourselves. We would gladly risk all, in an effort to place him on the throne of England, to repair past injustices113 and cruel wrongs; but, were we to move without the assistance of Louis, instead of achieving that object we might only bring fresh ruin, confiscations, and death upon the royalists of England, Scotland, and Ireland. Are you of our opinion?"
"Completely so, sir. Of course, I know but little of what is passing, save in the neighbourhood where I have been brought up; but I know that there, even among the king's most devoted adherents, there is a feeling that nothing can possibly be done until France lends her aid, in earnest. The English army is far stronger than it was when we were last in arms, and when William had to rely, almost entirely114, upon his Dutch troops and Dutch generals; while the friends of the Stuarts are almost without arms, without leaders, and without organization."
"That is good, Mr. Kennedy; and, if we were to sanction King James's forming an intimacy115 with you, can I understand that we could rely upon your not using your influence to add to his impatience116 for action, and discontent with his present position?"
"Certainly, sir. Being so recently from Ireland, I could assure him that even his most devoted adherents, there, are of opinion that no rising could be attended with success, unless backed by French arms, and especially by the aid of the Irish Brigade, which has already won such renown117 for itself, and whose appearance would excite the greatest enthusiasm among all Irishmen."
"In that case, Mr. Kennedy, so far from throwing any difficulties in the way of His Majesty seeking your companionship, we shall encourage him, and shall be glad to see you here, as often as your military duties will permit."
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1
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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rue
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| n.懊悔，芸香，后悔；v.后悔，悲伤，懊悔 | |
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pointed
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| adj.尖的，直截了当的 | |
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majesty
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| n.雄伟，壮丽，庄严，威严；最高权威，王权 | |
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standing
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| n.持续，地位；adj.永久的，不动的，直立的，不流动的 | |
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frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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7
authorized
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| a.委任的，许可的 | |
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prone
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| adj.(to)易于…的，很可能…的；俯卧的 | |
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participation
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| n.参与，参加，分享 | |
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10
bout
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| n.侵袭，发作；一次(阵，回)；拳击等比赛 | |
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usurper
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| n. 篡夺者, 僭取者 | |
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straightforward
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| adj.正直的，坦率的；易懂的，简单的 | |
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13
hesitation
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| n.犹豫，踌躇 | |
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14
gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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15
loyalty
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| n.忠诚，忠心 | |
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16
scattered
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| adj.分散的，稀疏的；散步的；疏疏落落的 | |
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17
entrust
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| v.信赖，信托，交托 | |
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18
traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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19
ardent
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，强烈的，烈性的 | |
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20
guardian
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| n.监护人；守卫者，保护者 | |
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21
professed
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| 公开声称的，伪称的，已立誓信教的 | |
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22
attachment
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| n.附属物，附件；依恋；依附 | |
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23
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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24
traitorous
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| adj. 叛国的, 不忠的, 背信弃义的 | |
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25
unwillingly
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| adv.不情愿地 | |
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26
gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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27
tamper
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| v.干预，玩弄，贿赂，窜改，削弱，损害 | |
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28
apostasy
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| n.背教，脱党 | |
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29
adherent
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| n.信徒，追随者，拥护者 | |
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30
punctilious
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| adj.谨慎的，谨小慎微的 | |
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31
genealogy
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| n.家系，宗谱 | |
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32
attained
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| （通常经过努力）实现( attain的过去式和过去分词 )； 达到； 获得； 达到（某年龄、水平、状况） | |
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33
specially
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| adv.特定地；特殊地；明确地 | |
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34
lieutenants
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| n.陆军中尉( lieutenant的名词复数 )；副职官员；空军；仅低于…官阶的官员 | |
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35
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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followers
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| 追随者( follower的名词复数 )； 用户； 契据的附面； 从动件 | |
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37
grievance
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| n.怨愤，气恼，委屈 | |
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38
derived
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| vi.起源；由来；衍生；导出v.得到( derive的过去式和过去分词 )；（从…中）得到获得；源于；（从…中）提取 | |
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39
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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40
farmhouse
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| n.农场住宅（尤指主要住房） | |
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41
infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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42
outfit
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| n.（为特殊用途的）全套装备，全套服装 | |
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43
gratitude
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| adj.感激，感谢 | |
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44
gathering
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| n.集会，聚会，聚集 | |
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45
abstain
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| v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免 | |
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46
steadily
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| adv.稳定地；不变地；持续地 | |
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47
regiments
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| （军队的）团( regiment的名词复数 )； 大量的人或物 | |
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48
cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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49
garrison
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| n.卫戍部队；驻地，卫戍区；vt.派(兵)驻防 | |
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50
humble
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| adj.谦卑的，恭顺的；地位低下的；v.降低，贬低 | |
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51
trenches
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| 深沟，地沟( trench的名词复数 )； 战壕 | |
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52
besieging
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| 包围，围困，围攻( besiege的现在分词 ) | |
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53
grudge
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| n.不满，怨恨，妒嫉；vt.勉强给，不情愿做 | |
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54
adherents
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| n.支持者，拥护者( adherent的名词复数 )；党羽；徒子徒孙 | |
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55
foe
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| n.敌人，仇敌 | |
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56
heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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57
restriction
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| n.限制，约束 | |
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58
devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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59
auxiliary
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| adj.辅助的，备用的 | |
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60
withdrawn
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| vt.收回；使退出；vi.撤退，退出 | |
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61
agitation
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| n.搅动；搅拌；鼓动，煽动 | |
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62
remains
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| n.剩余物，残留物；遗体，遗迹 | |
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63
expound
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| v.详述；解释；阐述 | |
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64
backbone
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| n.脊骨，脊柱，骨干；刚毅，骨气 | |
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65
helping
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| n.食物的一份&adj.帮助人的，辅助的 | |
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66
alienate
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| vt.使疏远，离间；转让(财产等) | |
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67
abruptly
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| adv.突然地，出其不意地 | |
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68
duels
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| n.两男子的决斗( duel的名词复数 )；竞争，斗争 | |
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69
breach
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| n.违反，不履行；破裂；vt.冲破，攻破 | |
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70
insistence
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| n.坚持；强调；坚决主张 | |
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71
monarch
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| n.帝王，君主，最高统治者 | |
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72
galling
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| adj.难堪的,使烦恼的,使焦躁的 | |
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73
politic
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| adj.有智虑的；精明的；v.从政 | |
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74
renounced
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| v.声明放弃( renounce的过去式和过去分词 )；宣布放弃；宣布与…决裂；宣布摒弃 | |
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75
foes
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| 敌人，仇敌( foe的名词复数 ) | |
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76
traitors
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| 卖国贼( traitor的名词复数 )； 叛徒； 背叛者； 背信弃义的人 | |
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77
ascends
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| v.上升，攀登( ascend的第三人称单数 ) | |
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78
passionate
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| adj.热情的，热烈的，激昂的，易动情的，易怒的，性情暴躁的 | |
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79
passionately
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| ad.热烈地，激烈地 | |
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80
discreetly
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| ad.(言行)审慎地，慎重地 | |
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81
chamber
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| n.房间，寝室；会议厅；议院；会所 | |
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82
conceal
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| v.隐藏，隐瞒，隐蔽 | |
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83
literally
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| adv.照字面意义，逐字地；确实 | |
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84
supreme
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| adj.极度的，最重要的；至高的，最高的 | |
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85
hawk
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| n.鹰，骗子；鹰派成员 | |
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86
murmurs
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| n.低沉、连续而不清的声音( murmur的名词复数 )；低语声；怨言；嘀咕 | |
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87
dissent
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| n./v.不同意，持异议 | |
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88
interfere
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| v.(in)干涉，干预；(with)妨碍，打扰 | |
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qualified
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| adj.合格的，有资格的，胜任的，有限制的 | |
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90
fugitive
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| adj.逃亡的，易逝的；n.逃犯，逃亡者 | |
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91
pensioner
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| n.领养老金的人 | |
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92
gallop
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| v./n.(马或骑马等)飞奔；飞速发展 | |
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93
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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94
monk
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| n.和尚，僧侣，修道士 | |
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95
intriguing
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| adj.有趣的；迷人的v.搞阴谋诡计(intrigue的现在分词)；激起…的好奇心 | |
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96
notably
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| adv.值得注意地，显著地，尤其地，特别地 | |
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97
obstinate
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| adj.顽固的，倔强的，不易屈服的，较难治愈的 | |
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obstinately
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| ad.固执地，顽固地 | |
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99
prospect
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| n.前景，前途；景色，视野 | |
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100
vigour
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| （=vigor）n.智力，体力，精力 | |
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101
admiration
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| n.钦佩，赞美，羡慕 | |
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102
fidelity
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| n.忠诚，忠实；精确 | |
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103
martyr
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| n.烈士，殉难者；vt.杀害，折磨，牺牲 | |
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104
adherence
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| n.信奉，依附，坚持，固着 | |
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105
repelled
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| v.击退( repel的过去式和过去分词 )；使厌恶；排斥；推开 | |
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106
pettishness
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107
ennui
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| n.怠倦，无聊 | |
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108
chafes
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| v.擦热（尤指皮肤）( chafe的第三人称单数 )；擦痛；发怒；惹怒 | |
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109
condemned
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| adj. 被责难的, 被宣告有罪的 动词condemn的过去式和过去分词 | |
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110
deficient
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| adj.不足的，不充份的，有缺陷的 | |
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111
manly
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| adj.有男子气概的；adv.男子般地，果断地 | |
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112
advantageous
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| adj.有利的；有帮助的 | |
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113
injustices
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| 不公平( injustice的名词复数 )； 非正义； 待…不公正； 冤枉 | |
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114
entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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115
intimacy
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| n.熟悉，亲密，密切关系，亲昵的言行 | |
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116
impatience
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| n.不耐烦，急躁 | |
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117
renown
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| n.声誉，名望 | |
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