第30章
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  TheIrishman,forsuchIunderstoodhimtobe,

  wasstarkmadatthisbait;inshort,hecourtedme,mademe

  presents,andranindebtlikeamadmanfortheexpensesof

  hisequipageandof

  hiscourtship。

  Hehad,togivehimhisdue,

  theappearanceofanextraordinaryfinegentleman;hewastall,

  well-shaped,andhadanextraordinaryaddress;talkedas

  naturallyofhisparkandhisstables,ofhishorses,hisgamekeepers,

  hiswoods,histenants,andhisservants,asifwehadbeenin

  themansion-house,andIhadseenthemallaboutme。

  Heneversomuchasaskedmeaboutmyfortuneorestate,but

  assuredmethatwhenwecametoDublinhewouldjointure

  mein#600ayeargoodland;andthatwecouldenterintoa

  deedofsettlementorcontractherefortheperformanceofit。

  ThiswassuchlanguageindeedasIhadnotbeenusedto,and

  Iwasherebeatenoutofallmymeasures;Ihadashe-devilin

  mybosom,everyhourtellingmehowgreatherbrotherlived。

  Onetimeshewouldcomeformyorders,howIwouldhave

  mycoachespainted,andhowlined;andanothertimewhat

  clothesmypageshouldwear;inshort,myeyesweredazzled。

  IhadnowlostmypowerofsayingNo,and,tocutthestory

  short,Iconsentedtobemarried;buttobethemoreprivate,

  wewerecarriedfartherintothecountry,andmarriedbya

  Romishclergyman,whoIwasassuredwouldmarryusas

  effectuallyasaChurchofEnglandparson。

  IcannotsaybutIhadsomereflectionsinthisaffairuponthe

  dishonourableforsakingmyfaithfulcitizen,wholovedme

  sincerely,andwhowasendeavouringtoquithimselfofa

  scandalouswhorebywhomhehadbeenindeedbarbarously

  used,andpromisedhimselfinfinitehappinessinhisnewchoice;

  whichchoicewasnowgivingupherselftoanotherinamanner

  almostasscandalousasherscouldbe。

  Buttheglitteringshoeofagreatestate,andoffinethings,

  whichthedeceivedcreaturethatwasnowmydeceiver

  representedeveryhourtomyimagination,hurriedmeaway,

  andgavemenotimetothinkofLondon,orofanythingthere,

  muchlessoftheobligationIhadtoapersonofinfinitelymore

  realmeritthanwhatwasnowbeforeme。

  Butthethingwasdone;Iwasnowinthearmsofmynew

  spouse,whoappearedstillthesameasbefore;greatevento

  magnificence,andnothinglessthan#1000ayearcouldsupport

  theordinaryequipageheappearedin。

  Afterwehadbeenmarriedaboutamonth,hebegantotalk

  ofmygoingtoWestChesterinordertoembarkforIreland。

  However,hedidnothurryme,forwestayednearthreeweeks

  longer,andthenhesenttoChesterforacoachtomeetusat

  theBlackRock,astheycallit,overagainstLiverpool。

  Thither

  wewentinafineboattheycallapinnace,withsixoars;his

  servants,andhorses,andbaggagegoingintheferry-boat。

  Hemadehisexcusetomethathehadnoacquaintancein

  Chester,buthewouldgobeforeandgetsomehandsome

  apartmentformeataprivatehouse。

  Iaskedhimhowlong

  weshouldstayatChester。

  Hesaid,notatall,anylongerthan

  onenightortwo,buthewouldimmediatelyhireacoachto

  gotoHolyhead。

  ThenItoldhimheshouldbynomeansgive

  himselfthetroubletogetprivatelodgingsforonenightor

  two,forthatChesterbeingagreatplace,Imadenodoubtbut

  therewouldbeverygoodinnsandaccommodationenough;

  sowelodgedataninnintheWestStreet,notfarfromthe

  Cathedral;Iforgetwhatsignitwasat。

  Heremyspouse,talkingofmygoingtoIreland,askedmeif

  IhadnoaffairstosettleatLondonbeforewewentoff。

  I

  toldhimNo,notofanygreatconsequence,butwhatmightbe

  doneaswellbyletterfromDublin。

  ’Madam,’sayshe,very

  respectfully,’Isupposethegreatestpartofyourestate,which

  mysistertellsmeismostofitinmoneyintheBankofEngland,

  liessecureenough,butincaseitrequiredtransferring,orany

  wayalteringitsproperty,itmightbenecessarytogoupto

  Londonandsettlethosethingsbeforewewentover。’

  Iseemedtolookstrangeatit,andtoldhimIknewnotwhat

  hemeant;thatIhadnoeffectsintheBankofEnglandthatI

  knewof;andIhopedhecouldnotsaythatIhadevertoldhim

  Ihad。

  No,hesaid,Ihadnottoldhimso,buthissisterhad

  saidthegreatestpartofmyestatelaythere。

  ’AndIonly

  mentionedit,medear,’saidhe,’thatiftherewasanyoccasion

  tosettleit,ororderanythingaboutit,wemightnotbeobliged

  tothehazardandtroubleofanothervoyagebackagain’;for

  headded,thathedidnotcaretoventuremetoomuchupon

  thesea。

  Iwassurprisedatthistalk,andbegantoconsiderveryseriously

  whatthemeaningofitmustbe;anditpresentlyoccurredtome

  thatmyfriend,whocalledhimbrother,hadrepresentedmein

  colourswhichwerenotmydue;andIthought,sinceitwascome

  tothatpitch,thatIwouldknowthebottomofitbeforeIwent

  outofEngland,andbeforeIshouldputmyselfintoIknewnot

  whosehandsinastrangecountry。

  UponthisIcalledhissisterintomychamberthenextmorning,

  andlettingherknowthediscourseherbrotherandIhad

  beenupontheeveningbefore,Iconjuredhertotellmewhat

  shehadsaidtohim,anduponwhatfootitwasthatshehad

  madethismarriage。

  SheownedthatshehadtoldhimthatI

  wasagreatfortune,andsaidthatshewastoldsoatLondon。

  ’Toldso!’saysIwarmly;’didIevertellyouso?’

  No,she

  said,itwastrueIdidnottellherso,butIhadsaidseveral

  timesthatwhatIhadwasinmyowndisposal。

  ’Ididso,’

  returnedIveryquicklyandhastily,’butInevertoldyouIhad

  anythingcalledafortune;no,notthatIhad#100,orthevalue

  of#100,intheworld。

  Anyhowdiditconsistwithmybeing

  afortune,;saidI,’thatIshouldcomehereintothenorthof

  Englandwithyou,onlyupontheaccountoflivingcheap?’

  Atthesewords,whichIspokewarmandhigh,myhusband,

  herbrotherasshecalledhim,cameintotheroom,andI

  desiredhimtocomeandsitdown,forIhadsomethingof

  momenttosaybeforethemboth,whichitwasabsolutely

  necessaryheshouldhear。

  HelookedalittledisturbedattheassurancewithwhichI

  seemedtospeakit,andcameandsatdownbyme,havingfirst

  shutthedoor;uponwhichIbegan,forIwasverymuchprovoked,

  andturningmyselftohim,’Iamafraid,’saysI,’mydear’for

  Ispokewithkindnessonhisside,’thatyouhaveaverygreat

  abuseputuponyou,andaninjurydoneyounevertobe

  repairedinyourmarryingme,which,however,asIhavehad

  nohandinit,IdesireImaybefairlyacquittedofit,andthat

  theblamemayliewhereitoughttolie,andnowhereelse,for

  Iwashmyhandsofeverypartofit。’

  ’Whatinjurycanbedoneme,mydear,’sayshe,’inmarrying

  you。

  Ihopeitistomyhonourandadvantageeveryway。’

  ’I

  willsoonexplainittoyou,’saysI,’andIfearyouwillhave

  noreasontothinkyourselfwellused;butIwillconvinceyou,

  mydear,’saysIagain,’thatIhavehadnohandinit’;andthere

  Istoppedawhile。

  Helookednowscaredandwild,andbegan,Ibelieve,to

  suspectwhatfollowed;however,lookingtowardsme,and

  sayingonly,’Goon,’hesatsilent,asiftohearwhatIhad

  moretosay;soIwenton。

  ’Iaskedyoulastnight,’saidI,

  speakingtohim,’ifeverImadeanyboasttoyouofmyestate,

  orevertoldyouIhadanyestateintheBankofEnglandor

  anywhereelse,andyouownedIhadnot,asismosttrue;and

  Idesireyouwilltellmehere,beforeyoursister,ifeverIgave

  youanyreasonfrommetothinkso,orthateverwehadany

  discourseaboutit’;andheownedagainIhadnot,butsaidI

  hadappearedalwaysasawomanoffortune,andhedepended

  onitthatIwasso,andhopedhewasnotdeceived。

  ’Iamnot

  inquiringyetwhetheryouhavebeendeceivedornot,’saidI;

  ’Ifearyouhave,andItoo;butIamclearingmyselffromthe

  unjustchargeofbeingconcernedindeceivingyou。

  ’IhavebeennowaskingyoursisterifeverItoldherofany

  fortuneorestateIhad,orgaveheranyparticularsofit;and

  sheownsIneverdid。

  Anypray,madam,’saidI,turningmyself

  toher,’besojusttome,beforeyourbrother,tochargeme,

  ifyoucan,ifeverIpretendedtoyouthatIhadanestate;and

  why,ifIhad,shouldIcomedownintothiscountrywithyou

  onpurposetosparethatlittleIhad,andlivecheap?’

  She

  couldnotdenyoneword,butsaidshehadbeentoldinLondon

  thatIhadaverygreatfortune,andthatitlayintheBankof

  England。

  ’Andnow,dearsir,’saidI,turningmyselftomynewspouse

  again,’besojusttomeastotellmewhohasabusedbothyou

  andmesomuchastomakeyoubelieveIwasafortune,and

  promptyoutocourtmetothismarriage?’

  Hecouldnotspeak

  aword,butpointedtoher;and,aftersomemorepause,flew

  outinthemostfuriouspassionthateverIsawamaninmy

  life,cursingher,andcallingherallthewhoresandhardnames

  hecouldthinkof;andthatshehadruinedhim,declaringthat

  shehadtoldhimIhad#15,000,andthatshewastohave#500

  ofhimforprocuringthismatchforhim。

  Hethenadded,

  directinghisspeechtome,thatshewasnoneofhissister,but

  hadbeenhiswhorefortwoyearsbefore,thatshehadhad#100

  ofhiminpartofthisbargain,andthathewasutterlyundone

  ifthingswereasIsaid;andinhisravinghesworehewould

  letherheart’sbloodoutimmediately,whichfrightenedher

  andmetoo。

  Shecried,saidshehadbeentoldsointhehouse

  whereIlodged。

  Butthisaggravatedhimmorethanbefore,

  thatsheshouldputsofaruponhim,andrunthingssucha

  lengthuponnootherauthoritythanahearsay;andthen,turning

  tomeagain,saidveryhonestly,hewasafraidwewereboth

  undone。

  ’For,tobeplain,mydear,Ihavenoestate,’sayshe;

  ’whatlittleIhad,thisdevilhasmademerunoutinwaiting

  onyouandputtingmeintothisequipage。’

  Shetookthe

  opportunityofhisbeingearnestintalkingwithme,andgot

  outoftheroom,andIneversawhermore。

  Iwasconfoundednowasmuchashe,

  andknewnotwhatto

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