The Luck of Barry Lyndon, William Makepeace Thackeray [best ereader under 100 .txt] 📗

“Old or not,” I replied: “you listen to this, Mick Brady” (and I swore a tremendous oath, that need not be put down here): “the man that marries Nora Brady must first kill me⁠—do you mind that?”

“Pooh, sir,” said Mick, turning away, “kill you⁠—flog you, you mean! I’ll send for Nick the huntsman to do it;” and so he went off.

Captain Fagan now came up, and taking me kindly by the hand, said I was a gallant lad, and he liked my spirit. “But what Brady says is true,” continued he; “it’s a hard thing to give a lad counsel who is in such a far-gone state as you; but, believe me, I know the world, and if you will but follow my advice, you won’t regret having taken it. Nora Brady has not a penny; you are not a whit richer. You are but fifteen, and she’s four-and-twenty. In ten years, when you’re old enough to marry, she will be an old woman; and, my poor boy, don’t you see⁠—though it’s a hard matter to see⁠—that she’s a flirt, and does not care a pin for you or Quin either?”

But who in love (or in any other point, for the matter of that) listens to advice? I never did, and I told Captain Fagan fairly, that Nora might love me or not as she liked, but that Quin should fight me before he married her⁠—that I swore.

“ ’Faith,” says Fagan, “I think you are a lad that’s likely to keep your word;” and, looking hard at me for a second or two, he walked away likewise, humming a tune: and I saw he looked back at me as he went through the old gate out of the garden. When he was gone, and I was quite alone, I flung myself down on the bench where Nora had made believe to faint, and had left her handkerchief; and, taking it up, hid my face in it, and burst into such a passion of tears as I would then have had nobody see for the world. The crumpled riband which I had flung at Quin lay in the walk, and I sat there for hours, as wretched as any man in Ireland, I believe, for the time being. But it’s a changeable world! When we consider how great our sorrows seem, and how small they are; how we think we shall die of grief, and how quickly we forget, I think we ought to be ashamed of ourselves and our fickle-heartedness. For, after all, what business has time to bring us consolation? I have not, perhaps, in the course of my multifarious adventures and experience, hit upon the right woman; and have forgotten, after a little, every single creature I adored; but I think, if I could but have lighted on the right one, I would have loved her for ever.

I must have sat for some hours bemoaning myself on the garden bench, for it was morning when I came to Castle Brady, and the dinner-bell clanged as usual at three o’clock, which wakened me up from my reverie. Presently I gathered up the handkerchief, and once more took the riband. As I passed through the offices, I saw the Captain’s saddle was still hanging up at the stable-door, and saw his odious red-coated brute of a servant swaggering with the scullion-girls and kitchen-people. “The Englishman’s still there, Master Redmond,” said one of the maids to me (a sentimental black-eyed girl, who waited on the young ladies). “He’s there in the parlour, with the sweetest fillet of vale; go in, and don’t let him browbeat you, Master Redmond.”

And in I went, and took my place at the bottom of the big table, as usual, and my friend the butler speedily brought me a cover.

“Hallo, Reddy my boy!” said my uncle, “up and well?⁠—that’s right.”

“He’d better be home with his mother,” growled my aunt.

“Don’t mind her,” says Uncle Brady; “it’s the cold goose she ate at breakfast didn’t agree with her. Take a glass of spirits, Mrs. Brady, to Redmond’s health.” It was evident he did not know of what had happened; but Mick, who was at dinner too, and Ulick, and almost all the girls, looked exceedingly black, and the Captain foolish; and Miss Nora, who was again by his side, ready to cry. Captain Fagan sat smiling; and I looked on as cold as a stone. I thought the dinner would choke me: but I was determined to put a good face on it, and when the cloth was drawn, filled my glass with the rest; and we drank the King and the Church, as gentlemen should. My uncle was in high good-humour, and especially always joking with Nora and the Captain. It was, “Nora, divide that merry-thought with the Captain! see who’ll be married first.” “Jack Quin, my dear boy, never mind a clean glass for the claret, we’re short of crystal at Castle Brady; take Nora’s and the wine will taste none the worse;” and so on. He was in the highest glee⁠—I did not know why. Had there been a reconciliation between the faithless girl and her lover since they had come into the house?

I learned the truth very soon. At the third toast, it was always the custom for the ladies to withdraw; but my uncle stopped them this time, in spite of the remonstrances of Nora, who said, “Oh, pa! do let us go!” and said, “No, Mrs. Brady and ladies, if you plaise; this is a sort of toast that is drunk a great dale too seldom in my family, and you’ll plaise to receive it with all the honours. Here’s Captain and Mrs. John Quin, and long life to them. Kiss her, Jack, you rogue: for ’faith you’ve got a treasure!”

“He has already⁠—” I screeched out, springing up.

“Hold your tongue, you fool⁠—hold your tongue!” said big Ulick, who sat by me; but I wouldn’t hear.

“He has already,” I screamed, “been slapped in the