Part 17 (1/2)

”Well, John,” said O'Driscol, after once more placing himself with his usual pomp in his magisterial chair, ”have you been able to find any account or trace of the a.s.sa.s.sin?”

”None whatever, sir,” replied Purcel; ”neither tale nor tidings of him could I find.”

”When did you see him, Hourigan?” asked Fergus; ”was it on your way here?”

”Yes, sir.”

”In the avenue?”

”In the avenue, sir, about fifty yards inside the hedge, jist opposite the hollies.”

”Why did you not speak to him?”

”Troth, sir, he had too suspicious a look; for how did I know but it's a bullet I'd get into, me, if I was only seen obsarvin' or watchin' him?”

”Then you did not speak to him?” asked Fergus.

”Faith, you may swear that, sir; that is not the time to pick up strange acquaintances.”

The two young friends were now satisfied of Hourigan's falsehood, and perhaps of his treachery; and a very slight but significant glance to that effect pa.s.sed between them.

”Well, well,” said the magistrate, ”we--I mane myself, at any rate--are well able to protect ourselves. I shall not in future travel unarmed, and he that--hem--ahem--he that will mistake me for a timid man will find out his error maybe when it's too late. Come, Hourigan, what charge is this you have against Mr. Purcel?”

”Plaise your honor, he abused, and a.s.saulted, and bate me until I didn't know for a time whether I was alive or dead.”

”How was that, Hourigan, sir?”

”Bekaise, your honor, I had not my tides for him.”

”Now that I look at you, you certainly have the marks of violence about you. Well, but did you give no provocation, sir? It's not likely Mr. Purcel would raise his hand to you if he had not resaved strong provocation at yours.”

”Sorra word, then, your honor, ever I said to him,--barrin' to tell him that I hoped he'd have compa.s.sion on me and my little family, and not drive us to ruin for what I wasn't able to pay. He then asked me, was that the answer I had for him, and not his money, and he does no more but ups wid his whip and laves me as you see me.”

”Why, now, you d--d scoundrel!” exclaimed John, ”how can you--”

”Pardon me, Mr. Purcel,” said the magistrate, interrupting him with what he intended to be dignity, ”you forget what is due to the court, sir.

There must be no swearing nor abuse here. The court must be respected, Mr. Purcel.”

These words brought a sneer of secret triumph upon Hourigan's features, that was unquestionably very provoking.

”I beg to apologize to the court,” replied Purcel, ”if for a moment I have forgotten what is due to it; but, in fact, your wors.h.i.+p, there is not one word of truth in what he says. His language was insolent and provoking beyond the limits of human patience. He told me that both my father and myself were dishonest--that we were oppressors of the poor, and blood-suckers; called us hardhearted and beggarly upstarts, and that we would sell our Church and our country for filthy lucre and upstart pride. Instead, your wors.h.i.+p, of promising to pay his t.i.thes, he said we might go to h.e.l.l for them, and make the devil our paymaster, what he'll be yet. And further, he said he'd never pay a farthing of them, and set law, lawyers, police, military, and magistrates all at open defiance.

Now I beg to know, your wors.h.i.+p, what loyal and peaceably-disposed man, that wishes to see the laws of his country, and those respectable magistrates that administer them, respected--what man, I say, fond of peace and quietness, could bear such language as that? It is not what he said of either myself or my family that I contain of, but of the abuse he heaped upon the law at large, and the independent magistrates of the country. I certainly, in the heat of the moment, so far resented the affront offered to the most respectable magistracy of this fine country as to give him a few slight touches of the whip, more like one in jest, I a.s.sure your wors.h.i.+p, than like an angry man.”

”Hourigan,” said O'Driscol, swelling up to a state of the most pompous indignation, ”this is infamous conduct which he relates of you, sir. How dare you, sir, or any impudent fellow like you, take the undaicent and unjustifiable liberty of abusing the independent and loyal magistracy of Ireland? It is by fellows like you, sir, that traison and sedition are hatched. Your conduct was gross and monstrous, and if Mr. Purcel had come to me and made affidavit of the language stated, I would have consithered it my duty to commit you. Such language, sirra, was seditious!”

”Yes,” replied Hourigan, ”and you would be right; but there is not one word of truth in what Mr. Purcel says, your wors.h.i.+p; for instead of that, plaise your reverence, when I threatened to come to you to get the law against him--'I'll go to Squire Driscol,' says I, 'and that's the gintleman that will give me justice at any rate.' 'You and Squire Driscol may go be hanged,' says he; 'I don't regard him a traneen; he thinks, since he has been made into a justice of pace, that the ground's not worthy to carry him,' says he. Can you deny that, Mr. John?”

Purcel's limbs began to move, and his very flesh to creep with indignation at the impudent but artful falsehoods of Hourigan, who was likely to succeed in touching the magistrate's weak points with such effect as to gain him over to his side.

The worthy official shook his head with a kind of very high-minded pride, as much as to say, I am far above the level of such observations.