"Why, haven"t you settled all that with Mr. Ca.s.sidy, the attorney?"
"Not a bit, achora machree, not a bit; I was wid him this day, an" had agreed, but whin I wint to give him an ordher on P----, he--oh saints above! he whistled at me an" it--an" tould me that P----was gone to that nest o" robbers, the Isle of Man."
"Connor," said he, feebly, "I am unwell--unwell--come and sit down by me."
"You are too much distressed every way, father," said his son, taking his place upon his iron bedstead beside him.
"I am," said Fardorougha, calmly; "I am too much distressed--sit nearer me, Connor. I wish your mother was here, but she wasn"t able to come, she"s unwell too; a good mother she was, Connor, and a good wife."
The son was struck, and somewhat alarmed, by this sudden and extraordinary calmness of the old man.
"Father dear," said he, "don"t be too much disheartened--all will be well yet, I hope--my trust in G.o.d is strong."
"I hope all will be well," replied the old man, "sit nearer me, an"
Connor, let me lay my head over upon your breast. I"m thinkin" a great dale. Don"t the world say, Connor, that I am a bad man?"
"I don"t care what the world says; no one in it ever durst say as much to me, father dear."
The old man looked up affectionately, but shook his head apparently in calm but rooted sorrow.
"Put your arms about me, Connor, and keep my head a little more up; I"m weak an" tired, an", someway, spakin"s a throuble to me; let me think for a while."
"Do so, father," said the son, with deep compa.s.sion; "G.o.d knows but you"re sufferin" enough to wear you out."
"It is," said Fardorougha, "it is." A silence of some minutes ensued, during which, Connor perceived that the old man, overcome with care and misery, had actually! fallen asleep with his head upon his bosom. This circ.u.mstance, though by no means extraordinary, affected him very much.
On surveying the pallid face of his father, and the worn, thread--like veins that ran along his temples, and calling to mind the love of the old man for himself, which even avarice, in its deadliest power, failed to utterly overcome, he felt all the springs of his affection loosened, and his soul vibrated with a tenderness towards him, such as no situation in their past lives had ever before created.
"If my fate chances to be an untimely one, father dear," he slowly murmured, "we"ll soon meet in another place; for I know that you will not long live after me."
He then thought with bitterness of his mother and Una, and wondered at the mystery of the trial to which he was exposed.
The old man"s slumber, however, was not dreamless, nor so refreshing as the exhaustion of a frame shattered by the havoc of contending principles required. On the contrary, it was disturbed by heavy groans, quick startings, and those twitchings of the limbs which betoken a restless mood of mind, and a nervous system highly excited. In the course of half an hour, the symptoms of his inward commotion became more apparent. From being, as at first, merely physical, they a.s.sumed a mental character, anil pa.s.sed from e.j.a.c.u.l.a.t.i.o.ns and single words, to short sentences, and ultimately to those of considerable length.
"Gone!" he exclaimed, "gone! Oh G.o.d my curse--starved--dog--wid my tongue out!"
This dread of starvation, which haunted him through life, appeared in his dream still to follow him like a demon.
"I"m dyin"," he said, "I"m dyin" wid hunger--will no one give me a morsel? I was robbed an" have no money--don"t you see me starvin"? I"m cuttin" wid hunger--five days without mate--bring me mate, for G.o.d"s sake--mate, mate, mate!--I"m gaspin--my tongue"s out; look at me, like a dog, behind this ditch, an" my tongue out!"
The son at this period would have awoke him, but he became more composed, for a time, and enjoyed apparently a refreshing sleep. Still, it soon was evident that he dreamt, and as clear that a change had come o"er the spirit of his dream.
"Who"ll prevent me!" he exclaimed. "Isn"t he my son--our only child? Let me alone--I must, I must--what"s my life?--take it, an" let him live."
The tears started in Connor"s eyes, and he pressed his father to his heart.
"Don"t hould me," he proceeded. "O G.o.d! here, I"ll give all I"m worth, an" save him! O, let me, thin--let me but kiss him once before he dies; it was I, it was myself that murdhered him--all might "a been well; ay, it was I that murdhered you, Connor, my brave hoy, an" have I you in my arms? O, aviek agus asth.o.r.e machree, it was I that murdhered you, by my--but they"re takin" him--they"re bearin" him away to--"
He started, and awoke; but so terrific had been his dream, that on opening his eyes he clasped Connor in his arms, and exclaimed,--
"No no, I"ll hould him till you cut my grip; Connor, avick machree, hould to me!"
"Father, father, for G.o.d"s sake, think a minute, you wor only dreaming."
"Eh--what--where am I? Oh, Connor, darling, if you knew the dhrames I had--I thought you wor on the scaffie; but thanks be to the Saver, it was only a dhrame!"
"Nothing more, father, nothing more; but for G.o.d"s sake, keep your mind aisy. Trust in G.o.d, father, everything"s in _His_ hands; if; it"s His will to make us suffer, we ought to submit; and if it"s not His will, He surely can bring us out of all our throubles. That"s the greatest comfort I have."
Fardorougha once more became calm, but still there was on his countenance, which was mournful and full of something else than simple sorrow, some deeply fixed determination, such as it was difficult to develop.
"Connor, achora," said he, "I must lave you, for there"s little time to be lost. What attorney would you wish me to employ? I"ll go home and sell oats and a cow or two. I"ve done you harm enough--more than you know--but now I"ll spare no cost to get you out of this business.
Connor, the tears that I saw awhile agone run down your cheeks cut me to the heart."
The son then informed him that a friend had taken proper measures for his defence, and that any further interference on his part would only create confusion and delay. He also entreated his father to make no allusion whatsoever to this circ.u.mstance, and added, "that he himself actually knew not the name of the friend in question, but that, as the matter stood, he considered even a surmise to be a breach of confidence that might be indelicate and offensive. After the trial, you can and ought to pay the expenses, and not be under an obligation to any one of so solemn a kind as that." He then sent his affectionate love and duty to his mother, at whose name his eyes were again filled with tears, and begged the old man to comfort and support her with the utmost care and tenderness. As she was unwell, he requested him to dissuade her against visiting him till after the trial, lest an interview might increase her illness, and render her less capable of bearing up under an unfavorable sentence, should such be the issue of the prosecution. Having then bade farewell to, and embraced the old man, the latter departed with more calmness and fort.i.tude than he had up to that period displayed.
When Time approaches the miserable with calamity in his train, his opinion is swifter than that of the eagle; but, alas! when carrying them towards happiness, his pace is slower than is that of the tortoise. The only three persons on earth, whose happiness was involved in that of O"Donovan, found themselves, on the eve of the a.s.sizes, overshadowed by a dreariness of heart, that was strong in proportion to the love they bore him. The dead calm which had fallen on Fardorougha was absolutely more painful to his wife than would have been the paroxysms that resulted from his l.u.s.t of wealth. Since his last interview with Connor, he never once alluded to the loss of his money, unless abruptly in his dreams, but there was stamped upon his whole manner a gloomy and mysterious composure, which, of itself, wofully sank her spirits, independently of the fate which impended over their son. The change, visible on both, and the breaking down of their strength were indeed pitiable.
As for Una, it would be difficult to describe her struggle between confidence in his innocence, and apprehension of the law, which she knew had often punished the guiltless instead of the criminal. "Tis true she attempted to a.s.sume, in the eyes of others, a fort.i.tude which belied her fears, and even affected to smile at the possibility of her lover"s honor and character suffering any tarnish from the ordeal to which they were about to be submitted. Her smile, however, on such occasions, was a melancholy one, and the secret tears she shed might prove, as they did to her brother, who was alone privy to her grief, the extent of those terrors which, notwithstanding her disavowal of them, wrung her soul so bitterly. Day after day her spirits became more and more depressed, till, as the crisis of Connor"s fate arrived, the roses had altogether flown from her cheeks.
Indeed, now that the trial was at hand, public sympathy turned rapidly and strongly in his favor; his father had lost that wealth, the acquisition of which earned him so heavy a portion of infamy; and, as he had been sufficiently punished in his own person, they did not think it just to transfer any portion of the resentment borne against him to a son who had never partic.i.p.ated in his system of oppression. They felt for Connor now on his own account, and remembered only his amiable and excellent character. In addition to this, the history of the mutual attachment between him and Una having become the topic of general conversation, the rash act for which he stood committed was good-humoredly resolved into a foolish freak of love; for which it would be a thousand murders to take away his life. In such mood were the public and the parties most interested in the event of our story, when the morning dawned of that awful day which was to restore Connor O"Donovan to the hearts that loved him so well, or to doom him, a convicted felon, to a shameful and ignominious death.
At length the trial came on, and our unhappy prisoner, at the hour of eleven o"clock, was placed at the bar of his country to stand the brunt of a government prosecution. Common report had already carried abroad the story of Una"s love and his, many interesting accounts of which had got into the papers of the day. When he stood forward, therefore, all eyes were eagerly riveted upon him; the judge glanced at him with calm, dispa.s.sionate scrutiny, and the members of the bax, especially the juniors, turned round, surveyed him through their gla.s.ses with a gaze in which might be read something more than that hard indifference which familiarity with human crime and affliction ultimately produces even in dispositions most human and amiable. No sooner had the curiosity of the mult.i.tude been gratified, than a murmur of pity, blended slightly with surprise and approbation, ran lowly through the court-house. One of the judges whispered a few words to his brother, and the latter again surveyed Connor with a countenance in which were depicted admiration and regret. The counsel also chatted to each other in a low tone, occasionally turning round and marking his deportment and appearance with increasing interest.
Seldom, probably never, had a more striking, perhaps a more n.o.ble figure, stood at the bar of that court. His locks were rich and brown; his forehead expansive, and his manly features remarkable for their symmetry; his teeth were regular and white, and his dark eye full of a youthful l.u.s.tre, which the dread of no calamity could repress. Neither was his figure, which was of the tallest, inferior in a single point to so fine a countenance. As he stood, at his full height of six feet, it was impossible not to feel deeply influenced in his favor, especially after having witnessed the mournful but dignified composure of his manner, equally remote from indifference or dejection. He appeared, indeed, to view in its proper light the danger of the position in which he stood, but he viewed it with the calm, unshrinking energy of a brave man who is always prepared for the worst. Indeed, there might be observed upon his broad, open brow a loftiness of bearing such as is not unfrequently produced by a consciousness of innocence, and the natural elevation of mind which results from a sense of danger; to which we may add that inward scorn which is ever felt for baseness, by those who are degraded to the necessity of defending themselves against the villany of the malignant and profligate.
When called upon to plead to the indictment, he uttered the words "not guilty" in a full, firm and mellow voice, that drew the eyes of the spectators once more upon him, and occasioned another slight hum of sympathy and admiration. No change of color was observable on his countenance, or any other expression, save the lofty composure to which we have just alluded.
The trial at length proceeded; and, after a long and able statement from the Attorney-General, Bartle Flanagan was called up on the table. The prisoner, whose motions were keenly observed, betrayed, on seeing him, neither embarra.s.sment nor agitation; all that could be perceived was a more earnest and intense light in his eyes, as they settled upon his accuser. Flanagan detailed, with singular minuteness and accuracy, the whole progress of the crime from its first conception to its perpetration. Indeed, had he himself been in the dock, and his evidence against Connor a confession of his own guilt, it would, with some exceptions, have been literally true. He was ably cross-examined, but no tact, or experience, or talent, on the part of the prisoner"s counsel, could, in any important degree, shake his testimony. The ingenuity with which he laid and conducted the plot was astonishing, as was his foresight, and the precaution he adopted against detection. Ca.s.sidy, Connor"s attorney, had ferreted out the very man from whom he purchased the tinder-box, with a hope of proving that it was not the prisoner"s property but his own; yet this person, who remembered the transaction very well, a.s.sured him that Flanagan said he procured it by the desire of Fardorougha Donovan"s son.
During his whole evidence, he never once raised his eye to look upon the prisoner"s face, until he was desired to identify him. He then turned round, and, standing with the rod in his hand, looked for some moments upon his victim. His dark brows got black as night, whilst his cheeks were blanched to the hue of ashes--the white smile as before sat upon his lips, and his eyes, in which there blazed the unsteady fire of a treacherous and cowardly heart, sparkled with the red turbid glare of triumph and vengeance. He laid the rod upon Connor"s head, and they gazed at each other face to face, exhibiting as striking a contrast as could be witnessed. The latter stood erect and unshaken--his eye calmly bent upon that of his foe, but with a spirit in it that seemed to him alone by whom it was best understood, to strike dismay into the very soul of falsehood within him. The villain"s eyes could not withstand the glance of Connor"s--they fell, and his whole countenance a.s.sumed such a blank and guilty stamp, that an old experienced barrister, who watched them both, could not avoid saying, that if he had his will they should exchange situations.
"I would not hang a dog," he whispered, "on that fellow"s evidence--he has guilt in his face."
When asked why he ran away on meeting Phil. Curtis, near O"Brien"s house, on their return that night, while Connor held his ground, he replied that it was very natural he should run away, and not wish to be seen after having a.s.sisted at such a crime. In reply to another question, he said it was as natural that Connor should have ran away also, and that he could not account for it, except by the fact that G.o.d always occasions the guilty to commit some oversight, by which they may be brought to punishment. These replies, apparently so rational and satisfactory, convinced Connor"s counsel that his case was hopeless, and that no skill or ingenuity on their part could succeed in breaking down Flanagan"s evidence.
The next witness called was Phil. Curtis, whose testimony corroborated Bartle"s in every particular, and gave to the whole trial a character of gloom and despair. The constables who applied his shoes to the footmarks were then produced, and swore in the clearest manner as to their corresponding. They then deposed to finding the tinder-box in his pocket, according to the information received from Flanagan, every t.i.ttle of which they found to be remarkably correct.
There was only one other witness now necessary to complete the chain against him, and he was only produced because Biddy Nulty, the servant--maid, positively stated, and actually swore, when previously examined, that she was ignorant whether Connor slept in his father"s house on the night in question or not. There was no alternative, therefore, but to produce the father; and Fardorougha Donovan was consequently forced to become an evidence against his own son.
The old man"s appearance upon the table excited deep commiseration for both, and the more so when the spectators contemplated the rooted sorrow which lay upon the wild and wasted features of the woe-worn father.
Still the old man was composed and calm; but his calmness was in an extraordinary degree mournful and touching. "When he, sat down, after having been sworn, and feebly wiped the dew from his thin temples, many eyes were already filled with tears. When the question was put to him if he remembered the night laid in the indictment, he replied that he did.
"Did the prisoner at the bar sleep at home on that night?"
The old man looked into the face of the counsel with such an eye of deprecating entreaty, as shook the voice in which the question was repeated. He then turned about, and, taking a long gaze at his son, rose up, and, extending his hands to the judges, exclaimed:
"My lords, my lords! he is my only son--my only child!"
These words were followed by a pause in the business of the court, and a dead silence of more than a minute.