"Because it"s connected with her family, and follows it."
He then proceeded to the kitchen, and having secured his pack, he made as rapid a disappearance as possible from about the premises.
CHAPTER VII. A Council of Two
--Visit to Beech Grove.--The Herbalist
Woodward now amused himself by walking and riding about the country and viewing its scenery, most of which he had forgotten during his long absence from home. It was not at all singular in that dark state of popular superst.i.tion and ignorance, that the shower of blood should, somehow or another, be a.s.sociated with him and his detested mother. Of course, the a.s.sociation was vague, and the people knew not how to apply it to their circ.u.mstances. As they believed, however, that Mrs. Lindsay possessed the power of overlooking cattle, which was considered an evil gift, and in some mysterious manner connected with the evil spirit, and as they remembered--for superst.i.tion, like guilt, always possesses a good memory--that even in his young days, when little more than a child, her son Harry was remarkable for having eyes of a different color, from which circ.u.mstance he was even then called _Harry na Suil Gloir_, they naturally inferred that his appearance in the country boded nothing good; that, of course, he had the Evil Eye, as every one whose eyes differed, as his did, had; and that the thunder and lightning, the rain which drowned the bonfires, but, above all, the blood-shower, were indications that the mother and son were to be feared and avoided as much as possible, especially the latter. Others denied that the devil had anything to do with the shower of blood, or the storm which extinguished the fires, and stoutly maintained that it was G.o.d himself who had sent them to warn the country against having any intercourse that could possibly be avoided, with them. Then there was the Black Spectre that was said to follow her family; and did not every one know that when it appeared three times to any person, it was a certain proof that that person"s coffin might be purchased? We all know how rapidly such opinions and colloquies spread, and we need scarcely say that in the course of a fortnight after the night of the bonfires all these matters had been discussed over half the barony. Some, in fact, were for loading him with the heavy burden of his mother"s unpopularity; but others, more generous, were for waiting until the people had an opportunity of seeing how he might turn out--whether he would follow in his mother"s footsteps, or be guided by the benevolent principles of his step-father and the rest of the family. Owing to these circ.u.mstances, need we say, that there was an unusual interest, almost an excitement, felt about him, which nothing could repress. His brother Charles was as well-beloved and as popular as his father, but, then, he excited no particular interest, because he was not suspected to possess the Evil Eye, nor to have any particular connection with the devil.
In this case matters stood, when one day Woodward, having dressed himself with particular care, ordered his horse, saying that he would ride over to Beech Grove and pay a visit to the Goodwins. There were none in the room at the time but Charles and his mother. The former started, and seemed uneasy at this intelligence; and his mother, having considered for a time, said: "Charles, I wish to speak to Harry."
Charles took the hint, and left the mother and son to the following dialogue:--
"Harry," said she, "you spoke very warmly of that cunning serpent who defrauded you of your inheritance, and all of us out of our right. May I ask for what purpose you wish to cultivate an intimacy with such a scheming and dishonest crew as that?"
"Faith, mother, to tell you the truth, you don"t detest them, nor feel the loss of the property more than I do; but the truth is, that the game I wish to play with them will be a winning one, if I can induce them to hold the cards. I wish to get the property, and as I feel that that can"t be done without marrying their milk-and-curd of a daughter, why, it is my intention to marry her accordingly."
"Then you don"t marry a wife to be happy with her?"
"In one sense not I--in another I do; I shall make myself happy with her property."
"Indeed, Harry, to tell you the truth, there is very little happiness in married life, and they are only fools that expect it. You see how I am treated by Lindsay and my own children."
"Well, but you provoke them--why disturb yourself with them? Why not pa.s.s through life as quietly as you can? Imitate Lindsay."
"What! make a sot of myself--become a fool, as he is?"
"Then, why did you marry him?"
"Because I was the fool then, but I have suffered for it. Why, he manages this property as if it wasn"t mine--as if I didn"t bring it to him. Think of a man who is silly enough to forgive a tenant his gale of rent, provided he makes a poor mouth, and says he is not able to pay it."
"But I see no harm in that either; if the man is not able to pay, how can he? What does Lindsay do but make a virtue of necessity. He cannot skin a flint, can he?"
"That"s an ugly comparison," she replied, "and I can"t conceive why you make it to me. I am afraid, Harry, you have suffered yourself to be prejudiced against the only friend--the only true friend, you have in the house. I can tell you, that although they keep fair faces to you, you are not liked here."
"Very well; if I find that to be true, they will lose more than they"ll gain by it."
"They have been striving to secure your influence against me. I know it by your language."
"In the devil"s name, how can you know it by my language, mother?"
"You talked about skinning a flint; now, you had that from them with reference to me. It was only the other day that an ill-tongued house-maid of mine, after I had paid her her wages, and "stopped" for the articles she injured on me, turned round, and called me a skinflint; they have made it a common nickname on me. I"d have torn her eyes out only for Lindsay, who had the a.s.surance to tell me that if he had not interfered I"d have had the worst of it--that I"d come off second best, and such slang; yes, and then added afterwards, that he was sorry he interfered. That"s the kind of a husband he is, and that"s the life I lead. Now, this property is mine, and I can leave it to any one I please; he hasn"t even a life interest in it."
"O," exclaimed the son, in surprise, "is that the case?"
"It is," she replied, "and yet you see how I am treated."
"I was not aware of that, my dear mother," responded worthy Harry. "That alters the case entirely. Why, Lindsay, in these circ.u.mstances, ought to put his hands under your feet; so ought they all I think. Well, my dear mother, of one thing I can a.s.sure you, no matter how they may treat you, calculate firmly upon my support and protection; make yourself sure of that. But, now, about Miss Milk-and-curds--what do you think of my project?"
"I have been frequently turning it over in my mind, Harry, since the morning you praised her so violently, and I think, as you cannot get the property without the girl, you must only take her with it. The notion of its going into the hands of strangers would drive me mad."
"Well, then, we understand each other; I have your sanction for the courtship."
"You have; but I tell you again, I loathe her as I do poison. I never can forgive her the art with which she wheedled that jotter-headed old sinner, your uncle, out of twelve hundred a year. Unless it returns to the family, may my bitter malediction fall upon her and it."
"Well, never mind, my dear mother, leave her to me--I shall have the girl and the property--but by hook or crook, the property. I shall ride over there, now, and it will not be my fault, if I don"t tip both her and them the saccharine."
"By the way, though, Harry, now that I think of it, I"m afraid you"ll have opposition."
"Opposition! How is that?"
"It is said there is a distant relation of theirs, a gentleman named O"Connor, a Ferdora O"Connor, I think, who, it is supposed, is likely to be successful there; but, by the way, are you aware that they are Catholics?"
"As to that, my dear mother, I don"t care a fig for her religion; my religion is her property, or rather will be so when I get it. The other matter, however, is a thing I must look to--I mean the rivalry; but on that, too, we shall put our heads together, and try what can be done. I am not very timid; and the proverb says, you know, a faint heart never won a fair lady."
Our readers may perceive, from the spirit of the above conversation, that the son was worthy of the mother, and the mother of the son. The latter, however, had, at least, some command over his temper, and a great deal of dexterity and penetration besides; whilst the mother, though violent, was clumsy in her resentments, and transparent in her motives. Short as Woodward"s residence in the family was, he saw at a glance that the abuse she heaped upon her husband and children was nothing more nor less than deliberate falsehood. This, however, to him was a matter of perfect indifference. He was no great advocate of truth himself, whenever he found that his interests or his pa.s.sions could be more effectually promoted by falsehood; although he did not disdain even truth whenever it equally served his purpose. In such a case it gave him a reputation for candor under which he could, with more safety, avail himself of his disingenuity and prevarication. He knew, as we said, that his mother"s description of the family contained not one atom of truth; and yet he was too dastardly and cunning to defend them against her calumny. The great basis of his character, in fact, was a selfishness, which kept him perpetually indifferent to anything that was good or generous in itself, or outside the circle of his own interests, beyond which he never pa.s.sed. Now, nothing, on the other hand, could be more adversative to this, than the conduct, temper, and principles of his brother and sister. Charles was an amiable, manly, and generous young fellow, who, with both spirit and independence, was, as a natural consequence, loved and respected by all who knew him; and as for his sweet and affectionate sister, Maria, there was not living a girl more capable of winning attachment, nor more worthy of it when attained; and severely, indeed, was the patience of this admirable brother and sister tried, by the diabolical temper of their violent and savage mother. As for Harry, he had come to the resolution, now that he understood the position of the property, to cultivate his mother"s disposition upon such a principle of conduct as would not compromise him with either party. As to their feuds he was perfectly indifferent to them; but now his great object was, to study how to promote his own interests in his own way.
Having reached Beech Grove, he found that una.s.suming family at home, as they usually were; for, indeed, all their princ.i.p.al enjoyments lay within the quiet range of domestic life. Old Goodwin himself saw him through the parlor window as he approached, and, with ready and sincere kindness, met him in the hall.
"I am very glad to see you, Mr. Woodward," said he. "Allow me to conduct you to the drawing-room, where you will meet Mrs. Goodwin, Alice, and a particular friend of ours. I cannot myself stop long with you, because I am engaged on particular business; but you will not miss an old fellow like me when you have better company. I hope my old friends are all well. Step in, sir. Here is Mr. Woodward, ladies; Mr. Woodward, this gentleman is a friend of ours, Mr. Ferdora O"Connor; Ferdora, this is Mr. Woodward; and now I must leave you to entertain each other; but I shall return, Mr. Woodward, before you go, unless you are in a great harry. Bridget, see that luncheon is ready; but you must lay it in the front parlor, because I have these tenants about me in the dining-room, as it is so much larger."
"I have already given orders for that," replied his wife. He then hurried out and left them, evidently much gratified by Woodward"s visit.
O"Connor and the latter having scanned each other by a glance or two, bowed with that extreme air of politeness which is only another name for a want of cordiality. O"Connor was rather a plain-looking young fellow, as to his person and general appearance; but his Milesian face was handsome, and his eye clear and candid, with a dash of determination and fire in it. Very different, indeed, was it from the eye that was scrutinizing him at that moment, with such keenness and penetration.
There are such things as antipathies; otherwise why should those two individuals entertain, almost in a moment"s time, such a secret and unaccountable disrelish towards each other? Woodward did not love Alice, so that the feeling could not proceed from jealousy; and we will so far throw aside mystery as to say here, that neither did O"Connor; and, we may add still further, that poor, innocent, una.s.suming Alice was attached to neither of them.
"I hope your brother is well, sir," said O"Connor, anxious to break the ice, and try the stuff Woodward was made of. "I have not seen him for some time."
"O! then, you are acquaintances?" said Woodward.
"We are more, sir," replied O"Connor, "we are friends."
"I hope you are all well," interrupted kind-hearted Mrs. Goodwin.
"Quite well, my dear madam," he replied. Then turning to O"Connor: "To be a friend to my brother, sir," he said, "next to finding you a friend and favorite in this family, is the warmest recommendation to me. My long absence from home prevented me from knowing his value until now; but now that! I do know him, I say it, perhaps, with too much of the partiality of a brother, I think that any man may feel proud of his friendship; and I say so with the less hesitation, because I am sure he would select no man for his friend who was not worthy of it;" and he bowed courteously as he spoke.
"Faith, sir," replied O"Connor, "you have hit it; I for one am proud of it; but, upon my conscience, he wouldn"t be his father"s son if he wasn"t what he is."
Alice was sewing some embroidery, and seemed to take no notice, if one could judge by her downcast locks, of what they said. At length she said, with a smile:
"As you, Ferdora, have inquired for your favorite, I don"t see why I should not inquire after mine; how is your sister, Mr. Woodward?"
"Indeed, she"s the picture of health, Miss Goodwin; but I will not"--he added, with a smile to balance her own--"I will not be answerable for the health of her heart."
Alice gave a low laugh, that had the slightest tincture of malice in it, and glanced at O"Connor, who began to tap his boot with his riding whip.