"Well, Mike, you have rendered me many services, but this is the greatest of all. Little did I think, when you said you had found your sister, and that she was coming to me this morning, that she would be able to clear up the mystery of my birth, and to place me in a position to prove myself a son of James O'Carroll. I do not say that I shall regain1 the estates. My having been in the Brigade will certainly render it difficult for me to do so, though possibly, with the patronage2 of Lord Godolphin, I may succeed. For that, however, I care comparatively little. My object, in coming here, was to obtain proof that I belong to a good Irish family, and that I have no doubt I shall be able to establish."
"And what am I to call you, your honour, now that I know you are Captain Gerald O'Carroll, and not Desmond Kennedy, at all?"
"At any rate, I must remain Desmond Kennedy at present, Mike. It is under that name that my safe conduct was made out, and if I were arrested as Gerald O'Carroll, it would be no protection to me. However, I shall not want to use it long, for it seems to me that my first step must be to return to France, and to see some of the officers who knew my father, and were aware of my birth. Their testimony3 would be of great value, and without it there would be little chance of your sister's evidence being believed."
"But there is the paper, your honour."
"Yes; that will show that a child was born, but the proof that I am that child rests entirely4 with your sister. It might have died when its mother did, and they would say that your sister was trying to palm off her own child, or someone else's, as his. Of course, Mrs. Callaghan would be able to prove that your sister arrived immediately after the surrender of Limerick, bringing a child with her, and that she said it was the son of James O'Carroll; and that she went a year later to Kilkargan, and left it there with John O'Carroll. Moreover, I could get plenty of evidence, from those on the estate, that I was the child so left."
"I did not think of that, Mike. Yes, if some of these officers will also testify to the likeness, it will greatly strengthen my case. The chain of evidence seems pretty strong. First, there is the certificate of my baptism, your sister's declaration that I was entrusted6 to her by my mother on her deathbed, supported by Mrs. Callaghan's declaration that three weeks later she arrived in Cork7 with the child, which she told her was that of James O'Carroll; your sister's declaration that she took me to Kilkargan and handed me over to my uncle, which would be supported by the evidence of the woman he first placed me with; while the servants of the castle could prove that I was brought by a woman who, an hour later, left the castle without speaking to anyone but my uncle.
"John O'Carroll will find it difficult to explain why he took me in, and who is the Kennedy of whom I was the son, and what service he had rendered for him, a Protestant and a Williamite, to have undertaken the charge of the child of a rebel. There is no doubt that the weight of evidence is all on my side, but whether the judges would decide in favour of the son of a rebel, as against a friend of the English party, is doubtful. Possibly Lord Godolphin's influence might be exerted in my favour. He promised in his letter to me to do me any service in his power. Still, even if I lose the estate, which I may well do on the ground of my father having fought and died for the cause of James the Second, I should still have the satisfaction of establishing my name, which I consider of more importance than the estates."
"Sure, your honour, it's a grand thing to belong to a good old Irish stock; but for myself, I would rather be Mike Callaghan and have a fine estate, than Mike O'Neil without an acre of land."
Desmond smiled.
"There is common sense in what you say, Mike, but there is nothing more unpleasant than, when you are with a number of Irish gentlemen or Spanish grandees8, who are equally proud of their ancestors, to be unable to give any account of your family, or even to be sure that you have a right to the name that you bear."
"Well, your honour, it is a matter of taste. As for myself, if the whisky is good, it makes no differ to me whether they call it Cork or Dublin, or whether it is made up in the mountains and has sorra a name at all."
The next morning, Mrs. Rooney returned with the certificate of baptism, and a list containing some twenty names of officers who had been frequent visitors at James O'Carroll's. Among these Desmond, to his satisfaction, found Arthur Dillon, Walter Burke, Nicholas Fitzgerald, and Dominic Sheldon, all of whom now held the rank of general in the French service, and to all of whom he was personally known, having met them either when with Berwick or in Spain.
"Those names are good enough," he said. "And if they can testify to my likeness to my father, it will go a long way towards furnishing proof, when required. All of them entered the service under the provisions of the treaty of Limerick, and therefore their testimony cannot be treated as that of traitors10; and their names must be as well known in England as in France.
"Now, Mike, our business here is, for the present, concluded. I shall at once return to France, see all these officers who are still alive, and obtain, if possible, their recognition. As I have a year's leave, I can travel about as I choose. Then I shall decide whether I shall commence an action in the courts, or whether I shall first go over to England, see Lord Godolphin, explain the circumstances to him, and ask for his protection and patronage.
"I suppose the case would be tried at Dublin, where the judges are all creatures of England, and there can be no doubt that a notification, from Godolphin, that he considered my claim to be a good one, and was favourable11 to it, would have no slight influence with them; and would counteract12, to some extent, the fact of my uncle's being a Protestant, and what they would consider a loyal man. Before beginning an action, I should certainly communicate with my uncle, and call upon him to resign in my favour; for I would avoid the scandal of proving an O'Carroll to be a scoundrel, as well as a traitor9. As it has turned out, the step which he thought would disembarrass him of me has had the other effect, for, if I had not gone out to France, I should never have been troubled by questions about my family; and should not have met you, Mike, or known of the existence of your sister, the only person who could clear up the matter.
"I shall begin to think what O'Neil and O'Sullivan used to say, that my luck would carry me through anything; and certainly, at present, it has been marvellous."
"Which way will we go back, your honour?"
"Not the way we came, if we can help it. We were nearly a month coming from Genoa, and might have been twice as long, if the wind had not been fairly favourable. I think our best plan will be to take passage by sea to London. There we shall have no difficulty in finding a vessel13 bound for Rotterdam, or the Hague. Then we will buy horses, and ride along by the Rhine. If we can get through Luxembourg into France we will do so, but I think it will perhaps be best to go on through Switzerland, and pass the frontier somewhere near Lyons, where we shall be but a short distance from Berwick's headquarters in Dauphiny."
A month later, they rode into the duke's camp. They had, on leaving Toulon, packed up their uniforms and sent them to the care of a friend on the general's staff. To his quarters they first went, and having changed his civilian14 costume for a military one, Desmond waited on the duke.
"Why, Captain Kennedy," the duke said, in surprise; "I did not look to see you again, so soon. Have you been over to Ireland?"
"I have, sir, and though there only a few days, gained information that necessitated15 my return here. I have found out that the name I go by is not mine, and that my proper name is Gerald O'Carroll."
"The son of Major James O'Carroll, who fought by my side at the Boyne, and was through the first siege of Limerick with me! That explains it. Your face has often puzzled me. It seemed to me that I recognized it, and yet I could not recall whose face it was that it resembled so strongly. Now you tell me, I know at once. Your father, when I first knew him, was a few years older than you are; but he had the same figure, face, and expression.
"And so, you are his son! By what miracle have you discovered your relationship to him?"
Desmond, or as he should now be called, Gerald, related as briefly16 as possible the manner in which he had discovered his parentage.
"Your uncle must be a thorough villain17," the duke said, hotly. "That he was a traitor we all knew, but that he should thus rob his brother's son of his inheritance is monstrous18 and unnatural19."
"I am glad, indeed, sir, that you have thus recognized me. Your testimony will go for much, even in an English court, and I hope to receive a similar recognition from the officers who were intimate with my father in the second siege, and whose names I have here."
The duke glanced down the list.
"Well-nigh half of them are still alive," he said, "and all of them are men of rank and repute, whose word would be taken even by an enemy. How do you mean to proceed? Because I am afraid that, even if we could spare them, there would be some difficulty about their making their appearance in a court, in either England or Ireland."
"I quite see that that is out of the question. All I can hope for is, that such of them as recognize my likeness to my father will draw up a paper saying so, and will attest20 it before a notary21, having as witnesses men of weight and honour equal to their own. The production of such certificates could not but have a strong influence in my favour."
"I will most willingly sign such a document," the duke said, "and four of my best-known generals can sign as witnesses to my signature."
"I thank you most heartily22, sir. Such a document should, in itself, be considered as ample proof of my strong resemblance to my father."
"That may or may not be," the duke said, "but do not be content with that. Get as many of the others as possible to make similar declarations. One man may see a likeness where another does not, but if a dozen men agree in recognizing it, their declarations must have a great weight. Certainly no Irish judge would doubt the testimony of so many men, whose families and whose deeds are so well known to them."
From Dauphiny, Gerald travelled first into Spain, and the three Irish officers there whose names were on his list all recognized the likeness, even before he told them his name. He put the question to them in a general way.
"I have learned, sir, that the name I bear is not my own, that I am the son of an officer who was killed in the siege of Limerick. May I ask you if you can recognize any likeness between myself and any officer with whom you were well acquainted there?"
In each case, after a little consideration, they declared that he must be the son of James O'Carroll. All remembered that their comrade's wife had borne a son, shortly before the end of the siege. They remembered her death, but none had heard what became of the child, for in the excitement of the closing scenes, and of the preparation for the march immediately afterwards, they had had little time on their hands, and it was hitherto supposed that it had, like so many other infants, perished miserably23. They willingly signed documents, similar to that which he had received from Berwick.
He met with almost equal success on the northern frontier, only two out of eight officers failing to identify him by his likeness; until he mentioned his name, when they, too, acknowledged that, now they recalled James O'Carroll's face, they saw that the likeness was a striking one.
Having obtained these documents, he resumed civilian attire24, and, riding by crossroads, passed through Flanders to Sluys, without coming in contact with any body of the allied25 troops. There he had no difficulty in obtaining a passage to London, and on his arrival called upon Lord Godolphin, who received him cordially.
"So you have utilized26 your safe conduct, Captain Kennedy. I am glad to see my former captor, and I am as grateful as ever to you for the silence you maintained as to that affair. If it had been known to my enemies, I should never have heard the last of it. They would have made me such a laughingstock that I could scarcely have retained office.
"Now, what can I do for you?"
"It is a long story, my lord."
"Then I cannot listen to it now; but if you will sup with me here, at nine o'clock this evening, I shall be glad to hear it. I am so harassed27 by the backstair intrigues28 of my enemies, that it would be a relief to me to have something else to think of."
Gerald returned at the appointed time. Nothing was said as to his affairs while supper was served, but after the table had been cleared, decanters of port placed on the table, and the servants had retired29, Godolphin said:
"Now, Captain Kennedy, let us hear all about it."
Gerald related the history of his younger days, and of the manner in which he had discovered his real parentage, producing the certificate of his baptism, a statement which had been drawn30 up at Cork and signed by Norah Rooney, and the testimony of the Duke of Berwick and the other Irish officers.
"There can be no doubt whatever, in the mind of any fair man," Lord Godolphin said, after listening attentively31 to the whole story, and examining the documents, "that your uncle, John O'Carroll, is a villain, and that you have been most unjustly deprived of your rights. I know him by name, and from the reports of our agents in Ireland, as one of the men who turned his coat and changed his religion to save his estates. Those men I heartily despise; while those who gave up all, and went into exile in order, as they believed, there to serve the cause of their rightful sovereign, are men to be admired and respected. Be assured that justice shall be done you. Of course, you will take action in the courts?"
"I shall first summon him to give up the estate, shall let him know that I have indisputable evidence to prove that I am the son of his elder brother, and shall say that, if he will give up possession peaceably, I will take no further steps in the matter, for the sake of the family name. If he refuses, as I fear is probable, I must then employ a lawyer."
"Yes, and a good one. I will furnish you with letters to the lord lieutenant32, and to Lord Chief Justice Cox, strongly recommending you to them, and requesting the latter to appoint one of the law officers of the crown to take up your case. I should say that, when this John O'Carroll sees that you have such powerful friends, he will perceive that it is hopeless for him to struggle in so bad a cause, and will very speedily accept your terms, though methinks it is hard that so great a villain should go unpunished.
"Now, it will be as well that you should have something stronger than the safe conduct that I sent you. I will therefore draw out a document for Her Majesty33 to sign, granting you a full and free pardon for any offences that you may have committed against her and the realm, and also settling upon you the estates to which you are the rightful heir, in and about the barony of Kilkargan; being influenced in so doing by the great services rendered by you, both to Her Majesty's well-beloved and faithful minister and counsellor, myself, and to her trusty general, the Earl of Galway.
"The queen is not very likely to ask the nature of the service. Unless it be something that concerns herself, she asks but few questions, and signs readily enough the documents laid before her. If she asks what are the offences for which she grants her pardon, I shall say, when but a boy you were maliciously35 sent abroad to join the Irish Brigade by your uncle, who wished thus to rid himself of you altogether, and who had foully36 wronged you by withholding37 your name, from you and all others. I shall also add that you have distinguished38 yourself much, and have gained the friendship of her half brother, the Duke of Berwick; and you know that the queen, in her heart of hearts, would rather that her brother, whom you Jacobites call James the Third, should succeed her than the Elector of Hanover, for whom she has no love."
"I thank you greatly, indeed, my lord. Never was a man so amply rewarded for merely holding his tongue."
"It was not only that, sir. It was your conduct in general to me. You might have left me tied up in that house, to be found in the morning, and to be made the jest of the town; instead of which, you yourself conducted and guarded me hither, and so contrived39 it that no whisper spread abroad that I had been carried off between Saint James's and my own house. You trusted to my honour, in not causing a pursuit of you to be set on foot, and behaved in all ways as a gallant40 young gentleman, and certainly gained my high esteem41, both for the daring and ingenuity42 with which you carried out your plans for obtaining a passage to France, and for your personal conduct towards myself.
"At the Eagle, hard by the Abbey."
"Remain there, until you hear from me. Do not be impatient. I must choose my time, when either the queen is in a good temper, or is in such a hurry to get rid of me, in order to plot and gossip with Mistress Harley, who is now her prime favourite, that she is ready to sign any document I may lay before her."
Feeling that his cause was as good as won, Gerald returned in high spirits to his inn, where he delighted Mike by relating how the great minister had promised to forward his suit.
"Ah, your honour, it will be a grand day when you take possession of Kilkargan--bonfires and rejoicing of all sorts, and lashings of drink. Won't all the boys in the barony be glad to be free from the traitor, and to have the true heir come to be their master. None the less glad will be my sister."
"You must fetch her from Cork, Mike. It is owing to her that I am alive, and it will be owing to her if I recover the estate. She shall have the place of honour on the occasion, though all the gentry44 in the neighbourhood are there. When I tell them what she has done for me, they will say that she well deserves the honour!"
"And you will go no more to the wars, Captain O'Carroll?"
"No, Mike. I have been but three years in the French army, but I have seen enough of fighting, and, worse still, of fighting against men of our own nation. Besides, if the queen grants me the estates of my father, I shall consider myself bound in honour not to draw my sword against her, or to mix myself up in any plot or conspiracy45, but to remain strictly46 neutral whatever may be going on. Indeed, the more I think of it, the more I doubt whether it would be for the good of Ireland did the Stuarts return to the throne. It could only be done at a further cost of blood and misery47. The old religious quarrels would break out more fiercely than ever, there would be risings and civil wars, confiscations and massacres48, whichever side happened to get the upper hand. That James the Third is the lawful49 sovereign of the three kingdoms, I shall always uphold, but there are cases when it is to the benefit of the country, at large, that there should be a change in the succession."
"Sure that may be so, your honour; and yet, it is hard that a man should be kept out of his own."
"No doubt it is hard; but it is far harder that thousands of people should be killed, and tens of thousands ruined, for the sake of one man."
"So it is, sir. So it is, sure enough, when one comes to think of it. Ireland has suffered mightily50 in the cause of the Stuarts, and I don't suppose that, if King James succeeded to the throne, his English ministers would let him turn out all the men who have taken the places and lands of the old families."
"That they certainly would not, Mike. When Charles the Second returned from exile, all those who had fought and suffered for him thought that they would recover their estates, and turn out Cromwell's men, to whom they had been granted. But they were disappointed. The king found that he could not make so great a change, without upsetting the whole country, and that an attempt to do so would cost him his crown; and you may be sure that James would find an equal difficulty, were he to come to the throne."
"Well, well, your honour, you know more of such matters than I do; but I have no doubt that you are right. I am sure we don't want the bad times to come over again, in Ireland."
Three days later, Gerald received a message from Lord Godolphin, saying that he wished to see him; and, on going to his house, the minister handed to him the paper with the full pardon, and the confirmation51 of his ownership in his father's estates; together with a letter to the lord lieutenant, and the Lord Chief Justice Cox.
The next day, he took ship for Dublin, and on arriving there presented his letters, and was well received by those to whom they were directed.
The lord lieutenant said:
"It is enough for me, Mr. O'Carroll, that Lord Godolphin speaks of you in such high terms, and I question not that he has thoroughly52 satisfied himself as to your right to these estates. At the same time, I should be glad if you will give me a brief outline of how it is that you never claimed them before, though perhaps it is as well that you did not do so, for, until the passions excited by the war had somewhat subsided53, a friend of the Government would hardly have interposed for the benefit of the son of one who had died fighting for James."
Gerald had drawn up three copies of a statement containing a precis of the case, and he handed one of these to the lord lieutenant, saying:
"As the story is a somewhat long one, my lord, I have written it down, in order that you might read it at your leisure."
"I will certainly do so, Mr. O'Carroll. I should like to be personally acquainted with the details of the matter. It will doubtless excite a considerable stir. It is, I believe, the first time that a supporter of the Government has had to defend his title against one of the family that fought on the other side."
"It is hardly a case of royalist and rebel, sir, but the deliberate action of a man suppressing all knowledge of the existence of his own nephew, in order that he might himself obtain the property of his dead brother.
"I have no doubt that, had it been known that I was in existence, I should still have been thrust aside in order to reward his adhesion to the cause of William, but that would have made his position intolerable. As one who has changed his religion and his politics, he is regarded as a traitor by the people of the barony, and avoided by all the gentry round; but the feeling would have been infinitely55 stronger, if it had been known that he was keeping his own nephew out of his inheritance. My father was, as I understand, immensely popular, and I doubt whether his brother would have dared to show his face within fifty miles of Kilkargan, had it been known that not only was he a traitor, but a usurper56."
The lord lieutenant smiled.
"I am not surprised at your warmth, Mr. O'Carroll; but, unfortunately, your case is not a solitary57 one. There are thousands of men in Ireland who have suffered for the deeds of their fathers. However, I shall understand the case better when I have read your statement."
It was evident to Gerald that the lord chief justice, who had taken a leading part in the prosecution58 and punishment of persons known to be favourable to the Jacobite cause, was not altogether pleased with Lord Godolphin's letter.
"A strange affair," he said. "A strange and, as it appears to me, an unfortunate business.
"However, sir," he went on, with a changed tone; "I shall certainly do my best to see justice done, in accordance with his lordship's request. I will read carefully through this statement of your claim, and, after considering it, place it in the hands of the crown lawyers.
"But it seems to me that your own position here is a strange one, and that you yourself are liable to arrest, as a member of a family whose head was one of the late king's strongest adherents60."
"My own position, sir, is regulated by this document, bearing the signature of the queen and her chief minister;" and he laid the official paper before Cox.
"That certainly settles that question," the latter said, after perusing61 it. "Of course I shall, for my own satisfaction, read your statement; but I do not wish to see any documents or proofs you may possess in the matter. These you must, of course, lay before your counsel. I think I can't do better than give you a letter to Mr. Counsellor Fergusson, with whom you can go into all particulars, and who will advise you as to the course that you had best take."
Mr. Fergusson, although one of the crown lawyers, enjoyed a wide reputation, even among the Jacobite party, for the moderation and the fairness with which he conducted the crown cases placed in his hands. He had less employment than his colleagues, for only cases in which the evidence of acts of hostility62 to the crown were indisputable were committed to him, it having been found that he was unwilling63 to be a party to calling doubtful witnesses, or to using the means that were, in the majority of cases, employed to obtain convictions.
The lord chief justice's letter to him was as follows:
Dear Mr. Counsellor Fergusson:
I have been requested, by Lord Godolphin, to place the case of the bearer of this letter in good hands, and cannot better carry out his request than by asking you to act in the matter. Lord Godolphin has expressed himself most strongly as to the justness of his claim. The bearer's father was, he states, James O'Carroll, a noted64 rebel who was killed at the siege of Limerick. This alone would, it might have been thought, have proved a bar to any action on his part against the present possessor of the property; but he is the bearer of a document, signed by the queen herself, reinstating him in all rights he may possess, notwithstanding the actions of his father or of himself. It is not for me to make any comment upon the royal document, though I may say that I fear it may give rise to other suits, and alarm many loyal subjects who have become possessed66 of confiscated67 estates. However, we must hope that this will not be so, as it is expressly stated that, in this instance, the pardon and restoration of rights are given in consideration of services rendered by this young gentleman to Lord Godolphin himself, and to the Earl of Galway. What the nature of these services may have been does not concern me.
Gerald carried this letter to the address indicated, and on saying that he was the bearer of a letter from the lord chief justice, he was at once shown into the counsellor's room. The latter, a man of some fifty-five years old, with features that told of his Scottish extraction, with keen eyes and a kindly68 face, took the letter which Gerald presented to him, and begged him to be seated while he read it. As he glanced through it, a look of surprise came across his face, and he read the letter carefully, and then looked at Gerald keenly.
"You are fortunate in having such good friends, Mr. O'Carroll," he said. "Before I go into the case, will you let me know something about yourself? You are, I take it, some twenty years of age?"
"I am but a few months past nineteen."
"By your figure, I should have put you as three years older; by your face, two years. You must have been fortunate, indeed, to have gained the protection both of Lord Godolphin and the Earl of Galway. No less than this would have sufficed to gain for you this rescript of Her Majesty.
"And now, sir, please to give me an outline of your case, as to the nature of which I am, at present, entirely ignorant."
"I have put it down in writing, sir," Gerald said, handing him the third copy of his statement.
"It will take me some time to read this, Mr. O'Carroll, and I would rather do so alone, and ask you any question that may occur to me afterwards. Will you therefore call upon me again, in an hour's time?"
Upon Gerald's return, the counsellor said:
"It is a strange story, Mr. O'Carroll, and a very disgraceful one. You allude69, I see, to testimonies70 of Irish officers in the French service as to your likeness to the late Mr. James O'Carroll. Will you please let me see them?"
"Here they are, sir, together with a sworn statement by my nurse."
The lawyer read the documents through carefully.
"The testimony of the Duke of Berwick, and of the other honourable71 and well-known Irish gentlemen, as to the striking likeness between yourself and Mr. James O'Carroll, cannot but carry immense weight in the minds of all unprejudiced persons. They prove too, conclusively72, that James O'Carroll left an infant boy behind him, and the statement of the nurse goes a long way to prove you are that son; and I think that this is substantiated73 by the conduct of John O'Carroll; first in receiving you and undertaking74 your care; secondly75, in the neglect, and I should almost say the dislike, he manifested towards the child he had sheltered; and thirdly, in the extraordinary step that he, a professedly loyal subject of Her Majesty, took in sending you off to enlist76 in the brigade composed of the devoted77 adherents of the son of James the Second.
"No doubt, at any rate, can arise that you are the child brought by this Mrs. Rooney to Kilkargan. That can be proved beyond all question; and the fact that your nurse was sent off without having any conversation save with John O'Carroll himself, would show how anxious he was that no one but himself should know her errand.
"I must say that you have shown great acumen78 in mustering79 evidence, of all kinds, that would bear upon the question. I say frankly80 that, without this royal rescript, and the influence of these two noblemen, your chance, as James O'Carroll's son, of wresting81 your patrimony82 from the hands of your uncle would be small indeed. Politics have, much more than facts, to do with decisions here; but with such powerful credentials83, and with the chief minister of England interfering84 on your behalf, I think that there is no great doubt that you will secure a judgment85 in your favour. When the facts are known, the feeling of the greater portion of the population will run strongly with you, and against this unnatural uncle of yours."
"I should be desirous, if possible, sir, of avoiding a public trial that would bring discredit86 upon the name of my family, and would, in the eyes of the supporters of the present Government, act prejudicially to myself."
"You are quite right. How do you propose to proceed?"
"I was thinking, sir, of sending a statement to my uncle, similar to that which I laid before you, going somewhat further into details, and promising87 that, if he would surrender the property to me and publicly acknowledge me as his nephew, giving what reason he chose for having so long concealed88 his knowledge of the fact, I would take no proceedings89 against him, and would do my best to prevent any discredit falling upon him."
"That would do very well," the lawyer said, "but I should abstain90 from making any allusion91 to the protectors you have gained. He will learn that soon enough, and it will be well to see what his first impulse is. Do not mention the names of the Duke of Berwick and the others, who have testified to your likeness to your late father. Simply say that many of his comrades have recognized your likeness to him. It is of no use showing him all the cards we have to play. I should not send the letter by post, but by hand. If you like, I will despatch92 one of my own messengers down with it, with instructions to bring back an answer, but not to say anything, if questioned, as to his being in my employment."
The next morning, the messenger started by coach for Kilkargan. He returned four days later, bearing John O'Carroll's answer. It read as follows:
Sir:
I have received your audacious letter, and proclaim you to be an impostor, worthy93 of the severest punishment for attempting to personate a son of my late brother. However, for the sake of my friendship for Mr. Kennedy, your father, I give you twenty-four hours to leave the country, before laying any information against you, both as an impostor and as a rebel who has served against the armies of Her Majesty. I shall, however, at once apply for a writ54 ordering your arrest, which will be served upon you within twenty-four hours of your receipt of this communication. I shall also have this woman, your pretended nurse, arrested for perjury94 and conspiracy.
Gerald took this letter to the counsellor.
"That is exactly what I expected," he said, after reading it. "It shows the man in his true colours. We shall see what he says when he learns who are employed against him, and what protection you have obtained. My opinion is that, before many hours have passed, you will receive a letter in a different strain. I consider it by no means improbable that the lord chief justice will have written to him privately95, warning him that you have received a full pardon, and are restored to all your rights, and that you are strongly supported by Lord Godolphin, who has written to him and the lord lieutenant in your favour; that you have also the protection of the Earl of Galway, an officer who possesses the confidence of Her Majesty; and that the Duke of Berwick, and many of the best-known Irish officers in the service of France, have all given their testimony, in the most positive manner, of your likeness to James O'Carroll, whom they knew intimately; and will say that, at the request of Lord Godolphin that the matter should be placed in the hands of one of the crown lawyers, it has been submitted to me; and that in my opinion, which I wrote him after our interview, a decision in your favour is inevitable96; and strongly advising him to make the best compromise with you in his power."
The same evening, indeed, a mounted messenger, who had ridden posthaste from Kilkargan, arrived with another letter from John O'Carroll. It began:
My Dear Nephew:
I wrote yesterday in haste, on the receipt of your communication. It seemed to me that you were rushing on destruction, by avowing97 yourself to be the son of my brother James; and that you would be liable to be arrested as a Jacobite agent in the service of France. Therefore, I wrote the letter that I did in hopes that you would leave the country, for the time had not yet arrived when you could safely be recognized by me as the rightful owner of Kilkargan. I have heard, however, that you have received a full pardon for past offences, and a restitution98 of your rights, and I am only too glad to be able to retire from the false position in which I was placed, and by which I incurred99 the hostility and dislike of my neighbours and tenants100. As you know, I have lived an almost solitary life here, and have spent far less than the income of the estate. I am well aware that, acting101 as I have done as your trustee, you have a right to demand from me an account of the rents I have received; but I trust that you will not press this matter, as you'll at once come in for the receipt of the rents; and I shall be enabled to live in comfort, in Dublin, upon the savings102 I have effected, and a small property I received as a younger brother's portion.
You will, of course, understand why, during your stay here, I refrained from any outward demonstrations103 of affection for you. I felt that suspicions might have arisen, had I not done so, that you were my brother's son, in which case the estate would surely have been confiscated. Seeing that the bent104 of your inclinations105 was for an active and stirring life, and as the English army was barred to you, I thought it best that you should go abroad, and so be out of the way until the time should come when matters would so quieten down, in Ireland, that my influence might avail to secure an indemnity106 for you for serving in France, and enable me to hand over your estate to you.
Your affectionate uncle, John O'Carroll.
Gerald laughed aloud as he read the letter.
"Is it good news, your honour?" Mike, who happened to be busy in the room, asked.
"Nothing could be better. My dear uncle has heard that Lord Godolphin and the Earl of Galway have become my patrons, that the queen has restored to me my rights, and Mr. Counsellor Fergusson has taken up my case. He therefore declares that, as it was always his intention to restore the estate to me, as soon as I could safely return, he is now ready to do so, and only hopes that I will not insist upon his handing over the back rents; which, indeed, I question whether I could do, as the estate was granted to him, personally, by the Government.
"However, of course I shall not press that. I shall be only too glad to obtain possession without the scandal of having to show, in the public courts, that my father's brother was a villain."
"The ould fox!" Mike exclaimed indignantly. "I felt sure, when you told me what the counsellor had said, that he would wriggle107 out of it somehow. I would give all the gold pieces I have in my belt for half an hour's talk with him, with a good shillelah!"
"Well, we can afford to let bygones be bygones, Mike. And after all, he did me a service, unwittingly, in sending me over to France. In the first place, I had three years of stirring life; in the next, I have made many good friends, and have gained the patronage of two powerful noblemen, without which I should have assuredly never come in for Kilkargan at all."
"That is true for you, your honour. And without it, I might be still a private in O'Brien's regiment108, instead of being your honour's body servant."
"And friend, Mike."
"Yes, sir, as you are good enough to say so."
Mr. Fergusson put John O'Carroll's letter down, with a gesture of disgust, after he had read it.
"It is what might have been expected from such a man," he said. "A traitor to the cause he once adhered to, false to his religion, and a usurper of his nephew's rights.
"At any rate, Mr. O'Carroll, I congratulate you. It has prevented a grievous scandal from being made public, and the large expenditure109 entailed110 by such a case. You have now only to go down and take possession."
"I shall write to my uncle, and give him a week to clear out, and to make what explanation he chooses of the change."
Gerald wrote at once to his uncle. It was coldly worded, and showed unmistakably that he was, in no way, deceived by the professions in his letter. He told him that he considered it fair that he should retain the savings he had made, as he had personally been confirmed in the ownership of Kilkargan, the Government being ignorant that his brother had left a son. He said that he thought it would be more pleasant, for both of them, that they should not meet, and wished, therefore, that he would leave, before his arrival to take possession.
John O'Carroll at once summoned the tenants, and astonished them by informing them that, he was glad to say, he was free at last to lay down the position he had held as owner of Kilkargan. That his brother James had left a son, whom they all knew as Desmond Kennedy, but whom he had been obliged to treat with coldness, lest suspicions should be excited as to his identity. Had this been known, he would assuredly have been proscribed111 as the son of a rebel, and debarred by law from any inheritance. He was delighted to say that the time had come when he could publicly acknowledge him, and place him in possession of the estate, as Her Majesty had granted him a special indemnity against the pains and penalties incurred by his father's act of rebellion and treason, and had restored to him his full rights.
A burst of cheering, such as had not been heard in Kilkargan since James O'Carroll rode out, at the head of a troop raised among his tenantry, to fight for King James, greeted the announcement; and, for the first time since that event, John O'Carroll was, for the moment, popular. Subsequent reflection, and their knowledge of his character, soon dissipated that feeling; but in their joy at the announced approaching arrival of their new master, John O'Carroll rode away, with his followers112, without the manifestation113 of hostility that would otherwise have attended his departure.
Bonfires blazed all over the barony when Gerald rode in, accompanied by Mike. The tenants, and a number of the gentry who had known him when a boy, assembled at the castle to meet him; and even his father could not have met with a more enthusiastic welcome than that which was given him.
The next day, Gerald wrote to the Duke of Berwick, telling him what had taken place, and resigning his commission in the Irish Brigade.
"I intend," he said, "to abstain from all part in politics. Although no condition was made, in my pardon for serving abroad and in the restoration of my estate, I feel that, having accepted these favours, I must hold myself aloof114 from all plots against Queen Anne, though my heart will still be with him whom I hold to be my lawful sovereign. Unless a large army from France was landed here, I believe that any attempt at his restoration would only bring down fresh misery upon Ireland. But, should a force land that would render success almost a certainty, I should then, with the great bulk of my countrymen, join it."
In due time he received an answer, approving the course he had taken.
"I myself," the Duke said, "am under no delusions115. With the ten regiments116 of the Irish Brigade, twenty thousand French troops, and arms sufficient to distribute to the whole country, I believe that Ireland and Scotland might again come under the rule of the Stuarts; but nothing short of such a force would be of any avail. So convinced was I of this that, in 1691, after the successful defence of Limerick, I saw that the cause was for the time lost, and that further resistance would only prove disastrous117 to Ireland. I therefore resigned my command, and went over to France to serve as a volunteer, and took no part in the war at home. Therefore, I think that you are fully59 justified118 in the course you have taken. When the present war, which I think is approaching its end, terminates, and you can again visit France, I trust that I shall see you; and I am sure that you will receive the heartiest119 of welcomes from your comrades in the Brigade."
Gerald followed out strictly the line he had laid down for himself, and kept aloof from the plots and conspiracies120 that, for years, agitated121 the country, entailing122 disaster upon all concerned in them. Mike was installed as his body servant, and majordomo of his household; and Norah Rooney as housekeeper123 at the castle.
Three years later, in 1713, the treaty of Utrecht brought the war to an end. Communications being restored between the two countries, Gerald wrote to the Baron34 de Pointdexter, and told him of the changes which had taken place in his position. He received a warm letter in reply, urging him to go over and pay him and his son-in-law a visit.
But Gerald had had enough of travelling, and wrote to say that he could not leave his estate, as there was much to look after. Letters were, however, frequently exchanged between them, and when, three years later, Gerald married the daughter of the Mr. Kennedy he had visited near Cork, a present of a superb set of jewels, the joint124 gift of the baron and Monsieur de la Vallee, arrived for the bride.
After the conclusion of the peace, some of the Irish regiments were disbanded, and as the British Government, wiser than before, offered a free pardon to all men and officers who would return, many availed themselves of it; and among these was O'Neil, who delighted Gerald by riding up, one day, to the castle.
"You did not expect to see me again, Kennedy; or, as I hear we ought to call you, O'Carroll. Not knowing where I should find you, I took the liberty of writing to Baron de Pointdexter, and he informed me of your good luck, and your change of name."
"And you have left the French service altogether, O'Neill?"
"Yes, and glad enough I am that I shall be able to end my days at home."
"And what are you thinking of doing?"
"Anything I can get."
"Well, O'Neil, I have some interest with the lord lieutenant. As I am no longer regarded as one likely to join in plots, I think that, were I to ride with you to Dublin after you have been here for a time; and speak to him for you, as one who had seen the errors of his ways, and was anxious to live peacefully, he would procure125 you some appointment."
O'Neil stayed there for three weeks, and they then rode to Dublin. The lord lieutenant granted Gerald's request, and gave O'Neil an appointment which would enable him to live in comfort; knowing that there is nothing, for keeping a man peaceable, like giving him something to do; and that an idle man is a dangerous man, while one who has a comfortable position can be trusted to hold himself aloof from any business that might imperil his place.
O'Neil thoroughly justified Gerald's recommendation of him, and, a couple of years after his return, married a young and well-endowed widow; and, to the end of his life, abstained126 carefully from mixing himself up, in any way, in politics.
Gerald saw the failure of Prince Charlie's expedition to Scotland; and the terrible disasters, that befell all who had taken part in the movement, showed him the wisdom of the course he had adopted--of standing65 aloof from all intrigues in favour of the descendants of James the Second.
THE END.
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1
regain
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| vt.重新获得，收复，恢复 | |
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patronage
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| n.赞助，支援，援助；光顾，捧场 | |
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testimony
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| n.证词；见证，证明 | |
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entirely
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| ad.全部地，完整地；完全地，彻底地 | |
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likeness
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| n.相像，相似（之处） | |
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entrusted
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| v.委托，托付( entrust的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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cork
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| n.软木，软木塞 | |
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grandees
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| n.贵族，大公，显贵者( grandee的名词复数 ) | |
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traitor
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| n.叛徒，卖国贼 | |
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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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favourable
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| adj.赞成的，称赞的，有利的，良好的，顺利的 | |
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counteract
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| vt.对…起反作用，对抗，抵消 | |
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13
vessel
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| n.船舶；容器，器皿；管，导管，血管 | |
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civilian
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| adj.平民的，民用的，民众的 | |
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necessitated
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| 使…成为必要，需要( necessitate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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briefly
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| adv.简单地，简短地 | |
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villain
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| n.反派演员，反面人物；恶棍；问题的起因 | |
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monstrous
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| adj.巨大的；恐怖的；可耻的，丢脸的 | |
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unnatural
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| adj.不自然的；反常的 | |
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attest
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| vt.证明，证实；表明 | |
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notary
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| n.公证人，公证员 | |
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heartily
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| adv.衷心地，诚恳地，十分，很 | |
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miserably
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| adv.痛苦地；悲惨地；糟糕地；极度地 | |
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attire
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| v.穿衣，装扮[同]array；n.衣着；盛装 | |
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allied
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| adj.协约国的；同盟国的 | |
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utilized
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| v.利用，使用( utilize的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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harassed
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| adj. 疲倦的，厌烦的 动词harass的过去式和过去分词 | |
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intrigues
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| n.密谋策划( intrigue的名词复数 )；神秘气氛；引人入胜的复杂情节v.搞阴谋诡计( intrigue的第三人称单数 )；激起…的好奇心 | |
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retired
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| adj.隐退的，退休的，退役的 | |
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drawn
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| v.拖，拉，拔出；adj.憔悴的，紧张的 | |
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attentively
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| adv.聚精会神地；周到地；谛；凝神 | |
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lieutenant
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| n.陆军中尉，海军上尉；代理官员，副职官员 | |
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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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baron
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| n.男爵；(商业界等)巨头，大王 | |
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maliciously
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| adv.有敌意地 | |
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foully
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| ad.卑鄙地 | |
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withholding
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| 扣缴税款 | |
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distinguished
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| adj.卓越的，杰出的，著名的 | |
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contrived
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| adj.不自然的，做作的；虚构的 | |
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gallant
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| adj.英勇的，豪侠的；(向女人)献殷勤的 | |
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esteem
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| n.尊敬，尊重；vt.尊重，敬重；把…看作 | |
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42
ingenuity
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| n.别出心裁；善于发明创造 | |
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43
lodging
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| n.寄宿，住所；(大学生的)校外宿舍 | |
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gentry
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| n.绅士阶级，上层阶级 | |
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conspiracy
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| n.阴谋，密谋，共谋 | |
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strictly
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| adv.严厉地，严格地；严密地 | |
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misery
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| n.痛苦，苦恼，苦难；悲惨的境遇，贫苦 | |
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massacres
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| 大屠杀( massacre的名词复数 )； 惨败 | |
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lawful
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| adj.法律许可的，守法的，合法的 | |
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mightily
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| ad.强烈地；非常地 | |
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confirmation
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| n.证实，确认，批准 | |
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52
thoroughly
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| adv.完全地，彻底地，十足地 | |
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53
subsided
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| v.（土地）下陷（因在地下采矿）( subside的过去式和过去分词 )；减弱；下降至较低或正常水平；一下子坐在椅子等上 | |
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writ
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| n.命令状，书面命令 | |
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infinitely
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| adv.无限地，无穷地 | |
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usurper
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| n. 篡夺者, 僭取者 | |
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solitary
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| adj.孤独的，独立的，荒凉的；n.隐士 | |
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58
prosecution
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| n.起诉，告发，检举，执行，经营 | |
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59
fully
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| adv.完全地，全部地，彻底地；充分地 | |
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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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61
perusing
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| v.读（某篇文字）( peruse的现在分词 )；（尤指）细阅；审阅；匆匆读或心不在焉地浏览（某篇文字） | |
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hostility
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| n.敌对，敌意；抵制［pl.］交战，战争 | |
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unwilling
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| adj.不情愿的 | |
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noted
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| adj.著名的，知名的 | |
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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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66
possessed
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| adj.疯狂的；拥有的，占有的 | |
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67
confiscated
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| 没收，充公( confiscate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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68
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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69
allude
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| v.提及，暗指 | |
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testimonies
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| （法庭上证人的）证词( testimony的名词复数 )； 证明，证据 | |
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71
honourable
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| adj.可敬的；荣誉的，光荣的 | |
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conclusively
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| adv.令人信服地，确凿地 | |
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73
substantiated
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| v.用事实支持（某主张、说法等），证明，证实( substantiate的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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74
undertaking
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| n.保证，许诺，事业 | |
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secondly
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| adv.第二，其次 | |
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76
enlist
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| vt.谋取(支持等)，赢得；征募；vi.入伍 | |
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devoted
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| adj.忠诚的，忠实的，热心的，献身于...的 | |
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acumen
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| n.敏锐，聪明 | |
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79
mustering
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| v.集合，召集，集结（尤指部队）( muster的现在分词 )；（自他人处）搜集某事物；聚集；激发 | |
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80
frankly
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| adv.坦白地，直率地；坦率地说 | |
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81
wresting
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| 动词wrest的现在进行式 | |
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patrimony
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| n.世袭财产，继承物 | |
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83
credentials
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| n.证明，资格，证明书，证件 | |
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84
interfering
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| adj. 妨碍的 动词interfere的现在分词 | |
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85
judgment
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| n.审判；判断力，识别力，看法，意见 | |
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86
discredit
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| vt.使不可置信；n.丧失信义；不信，怀疑 | |
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87
promising
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| adj.有希望的，有前途的 | |
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88
concealed
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| a.隐藏的，隐蔽的 | |
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proceedings
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| n.进程，过程，议程；诉讼(程序)；公报 | |
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abstain
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| v.自制，戒绝，弃权，避免 | |
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allusion
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| n.暗示，间接提示 | |
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despatch
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| n./v.(dispatch)派遣；发送；n.急件；新闻报道 | |
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worthy
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| adj.(of)值得的，配得上的；有价值的 | |
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perjury
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| n.伪证；伪证罪 | |
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privately
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| adv.以私人的身份，悄悄地，私下地 | |
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inevitable
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| adj.不可避免的，必然发生的 | |
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avowing
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| v.公开声明，承认( avow的现在分词 ) | |
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restitution
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| n.赔偿；恢复原状 | |
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incurred
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| [医]招致的，遭受的； incur的过去式 | |
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100
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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acting
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| n.演戏，行为，假装；adj.代理的，临时的，演出用的 | |
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102
savings
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| n.存款，储蓄 | |
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103
demonstrations
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| 证明( demonstration的名词复数 )； 表明； 表达； 游行示威 | |
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bent
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| n.爱好，癖好；adj.弯的；决心的，一心的 | |
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inclinations
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| 倾向( inclination的名词复数 )； 倾斜； 爱好； 斜坡 | |
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indemnity
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| n.赔偿，赔款，补偿金 | |
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wriggle
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| v./n.蠕动，扭动；蜿蜒 | |
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108
regiment
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| n.团，多数，管理；v.组织，编成团，统制 | |
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109
expenditure
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| n.(时间、劳力、金钱等)支出；使用，消耗 | |
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entailed
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| 使…成为必要( entail的过去式和过去分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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111
proscribed
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| v.正式宣布（某事物）有危险或被禁止( proscribe的过去式和过去分词 ) | |
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112
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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113
manifestation
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| n.表现形式；表明；现象 | |
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114
aloof
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| adj.远离的；冷淡的，漠不关心的 | |
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115
delusions
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| n.欺骗( delusion的名词复数 )；谬见；错觉；妄想 | |
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116
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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117
disastrous
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| adj.灾难性的，造成灾害的；极坏的，很糟的 | |
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118
justified
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| a.正当的，有理的 | |
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heartiest
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| 亲切的( hearty的最高级 )； 热诚的； 健壮的； 精神饱满的 | |
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conspiracies
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| n.阴谋，密谋( conspiracy的名词复数 ) | |
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agitated
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| adj.被鼓动的，不安的 | |
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122
entailing
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| 使…成为必要( entail的现在分词 )； 需要； 限定继承； 使必需 | |
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123
housekeeper
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| n.管理家务的主妇，女管家 | |
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124
joint
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| adj.联合的，共同的；n.关节，接合处；v.连接，贴合 | |
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125
procure
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| vt.获得，取得，促成；vi.拉皮条 | |
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126
abstained
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| v.戒（尤指酒），戒除( abstain的过去式和过去分词 )；弃权（不投票） | |
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