Howheoccupiedhimself，orwhatcountrieshevisitedduringhisabsence，wasneverknown，nordidheafterwardsmakeanyallusionorencourageanyinquiriestouchinghisforeignsojourn。HeleftIrelandintheyear1742，beingthenjustofage，andwasnotheardofuntiltheyear1760——
abouteighteenyearsafterwards——atwhichtimehereturned。Hispersonalappearancewas，asmighthavebeenexpected，verygreatlyaltered，morealtered，indeed，thanthetimeofhisabsencemighthavewarrantedoneinsupposinglikely。
Buttocounterbalancetheunfavourablechangewhichtimehadwroughtinhisformandfeatures，hehadacquiredalltheadvantagesofpolishofmannerandrefinementoftastewhichforeigntravelissup-
posedtobestow。ButwhatwastrulysurprisingwasthatitsoonbecameevidentthatSirRobertwasverywealthy——
wealthytoanextraordinaryandunaccountabledegree；andthisfactwasmademanifest，notonlybyhisexpensivestyleofliving，butbyhisproceedingtodis-
embarrasshisproperty，andtopurchaseextensiveestatesinaddition。Moreover，therecouldbenothingdeceptiveintheseappearances，forhepaidreadymoneyforeverything，fromthemostimportantpurchasetothemosttrifling。
SirRobertwasaremarkablyagreeableman，andpossessingthecombinedadvantagesofbirthandproperty，hewas，asamatterofcourse，gladlyreceivedintothehighestsocietywhichthemetropolisthencommanded。ItwasthusthathebecameacquaintedwiththetwobeautifulMissF——ds，thenamongthebrightestornamentsofthehighestcircleofDublinfashion。Theirfamilywasinmorethanonedirectionalliedtonobility；andLadyD——，theireldersisterbymanyyears，andsometimemarriedtoaoncewell-
knownnobleman，wasnowtheirprotectress。
Theseconsiderations，besidethefactthattheyoungladieswerewhatisusuallytermedheiresses，thoughnottoaverygreatamount，securedtothemahighpositioninthebestsocietywhichIrelandthenproduced。Thetwoyoungladiesdifferedstrongly，alikeinappearanceandincharacter。Theelderofthetwo，Emily，wasgenerallyconsideredthehandsomer——
forherbeautywasofthatimpressivekindwhichneverfailedtostrikeevenatthefirstglance，possessingasitdidalltheadvantagesofafinepersonandacommandingcarriage。Thebeautyofherfeaturesstrikinglyassortedincharacterwiththatofherfigureanddeportment。Herhairwasraven-blackandrichlyluxuriant，beautifullycontrastingwiththeperfectwhitenessofherforehead——herfinelypencilledbrowswereblackastheringletsthatclusterednearthem——andherblueeyes，full，lustrous，andanimated，possessedallthepowerandbrilliancyofbrownones，withmorethantheirsoftnessandvarietyofexpression。Shewasnot，however，merelythetragedyqueen。Whenshesmiled，andthatwasnotseldom，thedimplingofcheekandchin，thelaughingdisplayofthesmallandbeautifulteeth——but，morethanall，theroguisharchnessofherdeep，brighteye，showedthatnaturehadnotneglectedinherthelighterandthesoftercharacteristicsofwoman。
HeryoungersisterMarywas，asI
believenotunfrequentlyoccursinthecaseofsisters，quiteintheoppositestyleofbeauty。Shewaslight-haired，hadmorecolour，hadnearlyequalgrace，withmuchmorelivelinessofmanner。Hereyeswereofthatdarkgreywhichpoetssomuchadmire——fullofexpressionandvivacity。
Shewasaltogetheraverybeautifulandanimatedgirl——thoughasunlikehersisterasthepresenceofthosetwoqualitieswouldpermithertobe。Theirdissimilaritydidnotstophere——itwasdeeperthanmereappearance——thecharacteroftheirmindsdifferedalmostasstrikinglyasdidtheircomplexion。Thefair-hairedbeautyhadalargeproportionofthatsoftnessandpliabilityoftemperwhichphysiognomistsassignasthecharacteristicsofsuchcomplexions。Shewasmuchmorethecreatureofimpulsethanoffeeling，andconsequentlymorethevictimofextrinsiccircumstancesthanwashersister。
Emily，onthecontrary，possessedconsiderablefirmnessanddecision。Shewaslessexcitable，butwhenexcitedherfeelingsweremoreintenseandenduring。Shewantedmuchofthegaiety，butwithitthevolatilityofheryoungersister。Heropinionswereadopted，andherfriendshipsformedmorereflectively，andheraffectionsseemedtomove，asitwere，moreslowly，butmoredeterminedly。Thisfirmnessofcharacterdidnotamounttoanythingmasculine，anddidnotatallimpairthefemininegraceofhermanners。
SirRobertArdaghwasforalongtimeapparentlyequallyattentivetothetwosisters，andmanyweretheconjecturesandthesurmisesastowhichwouldbetheladyofhischoice。Atlength，however，thesedoubtsweredetermined；heproposedforandwasacceptedbythedarkbeauty，EmilyF——d。
Thebridalswerecelebratedinamannerbecomingthewealthandconnectionsoftheparties；andSirRobertandLadyArdaghleftDublintopassthehoneymoonatthefamilymansion，CastleArdagh，whichhadlatelybeenfittedupinastyleborderinguponmagnificent。
Whetherincompliancewiththewishesofhislady，orowingtosomewhimofhisown，hishabitswerehenceforwardstrikinglyaltered；andfromhavingmovedamongthegayestifnotthemostprofligateofthevotariesoffashion，hesuddenlysettleddownintoaquiet，domestic，countrygentleman，andseldom，ifever，visitedthecapital，andthenhissojournswereasbriefasthenatureofhisbusinesswouldpermit。
LadyArdagh，however，didnotsufferfromthischangefurtherthaninbeingsecludedfromgeneralsociety；forSirRobert’swealth，andthehospitalitywhichhehadestablishedinthefamilymansion，commandedthatofsuchofhislady’sfriendsandrelativesashadleisureorinclinationtovisitthecastle；andastheirstyleoflivingwasveryhandsome，anditsinternalresourcesofamusementconsiderable，fewinvitationsfromSirRobertorhisladywereneglected。
Manyyearspassedquietlyaway，duringwhichSirRobert’sandLadyArdagh’shopesofissuewereseveraltimesdisappointed。Inthelapseofallthistimethereoccurredbutoneeventworthrecording。SirRoberthadbroughtwithhimfromabroadavalet，whosometimesprofessedhimselftobeFrench，atothersItalian，andatothersagainGerman。Hespokealltheselanguageswithequalfluency，andseemedtotakeakindofpleasureinpuzzlingthesagacityandbalkingthecuriosityofsuchofthevisitorsatthecastleasatanytimehappenedtoenterintoconversationwithhim，orwho，struckbyhissingularities，becameinquisitiverespectinghiscountryandorigin。SirRobertcalledhimbytheFrenchname，JACQUE，andamongthelowerordershewasfamiliarlyknownbythetitleof’Jack，thedevil，’anappellationwhichoriginatedinasupposedmalignityofdispositionandarealreluctancetomixinthesocietyofthosewhowerebelievedtobehisequals。Thismorosereserve，coupledwiththemysterywhichenvelopedallabouthim，renderedhimanobjectofsuspicionandinquirytohisfellow-servants，amongstwhomitwaswhisperedthatthismaninsecretgovernedtheactionsofSirRobertwithadespoticdictation，andthat，asiftoindemnifyhimselfforhispublicandapparentservitudeandself-denial，heinprivateexactedadegreeofrespectfulhomagefromhisso-calledmaster，totallyinconsistentwiththerelationgenerallysupposedtoexistbetweenthem。
Thisman’spersonalappearancewas，tosaytheleastofit，extremelyodd；hewaslowinstature；andthisdefectwasenhancedbyadistortionofthespine，soconsiderableasalmosttoamounttoahunch；
hisfeatures，too，hadallthatsharpnessandsicklinessofhuewhichgenerallyaccompanydeformity；heworehishair，whichwasblackassoot，inheavyneglectedringletsabouthisshoulders，andalwayswithoutpowder——apeculiarityinthosedays。Therewassomethingunpleasant，too，inthecircumstancethatheneverraisedhiseyestomeetthoseofanother；thisfactwasoftencitedasaproofofhisbeingsomethingnotquiteright，andsaidtoresultnotfromthetimiditywhichissupposedinmostcasestoinducethishabit，butfromaconsciousnessthathiseyepossessedapowerwhich，ifexhibited，wouldbetrayasupernaturalorigin。Once，andonceonly，hadheviolatedthissinisterobservance：itwasontheoccasionofSirRobert’shopeshavingbeenmostbitterlydisappointed；hislady，afterasevereanddangerousconfinement，gavebirthtoadeadchild。Immediatelyaftertheintelligencehadbeenmadeknown，aservant，havinguponsomebusinesspassedoutsidethegateofthecastle-yard，wasmetbyJacque，who，contrarytohiswont，accostedhim，observing，’So，afterallthepother，thesonandheirisstill-born。’Thisremarkwasaccompaniedbyachucklinglaugh，theonlyapproachtomerrimentwhichhewaseverknowntoexhibit。
Theservant，whowasreallydisappointed，havinghopedforholidaytimes，feastinganddebaucherywithimpunityduringtherejoicingswhichwouldhaveaccompaniedachristening，turnedtartlyuponthelittlevalet，tellinghimthatheshouldletSirRobertknowhowhehadreceivedthetidingswhichshouldhavefilledanyfaithfulservantwithsorrow；andhavingoncebrokentheice，hewasproceedingwithincreasingfluency，whenhisharanguewascutshortandhistemeritypunished，bythelittlemanraisinghisheadandtreatinghimtoascowlsofearful，half-demoniac，half-insane，thatithauntedhisimaginationinnightmaresandnervoustremorsformonthsafter。
TothismanLadyArdaghhad，atfirstsight，conceivedanantipathyamountingtohorror，amixtureofloathinganddreadsoverypowerfulthatshehadmadeitaparticularandurgentrequesttoSirRobert，thathewoulddismisshim，offeringherself，fromthatpropertywhichSirRoberthadbythemarriagesettlementsleftatherowndisposal，toprovidehandsomelyforhim，providedonlyshemightberelievedfromthecontinualanxietyanddiscomfortwhichthefearofencounteringhiminduced。
SirRobert，however，wouldnothearofit；therequestseemedatfirsttoagitateanddistresshim；butwhenstillurgedindefianceofhisperemptoryrefusal，heburstintoaviolentfitoffury；hespokedarklyofgreatsacrificeswhichhehadmade，andthreatenedthatiftherequestwereatanytimerenewedhewouldleavebothherandthecountryforever。Thiswas，however，asolitaryinstanceofviolence；hisgeneralconducttowardsLadyArdagh，thoughatnotimeuxorious，wascertainlykindandrespectful，andhewasmorethanrepaidintheferventattachmentwhichsheborehiminreturn。
SomeshorttimeafterthisstrangeinterviewbetweenSirRobertandLadyArdagh；onenightafterthefamilyhadretiredtobed，andwheneverythinghadbeenquietforsometime，thebellofSirRobert’sdressing-roomrangsuddenlyandviolently；theringingwasrepeatedagainandagainatstillshorterintervals，andwithincreasingviolence，asifthepersonwhopulledthebellwasagitatedbythepresenceofsometerrifyingandimminentdanger。AservantnamedDonovanwasthefirsttoanswerit；hethrewonhisclothes，andhurriedtotheroom。
SirRoberthadselectedforhisprivateroomanapartmentremotefromthebed-
chambersofthecastle，mostofwhichlayinthemoremodernpartsofthemansion，andsecuredatitsentrancebyadoubledoor。Astheservantopenedthefirstofthese，SirRobert’sbellagainsoundedwithalongerandlouderpeal；theinnerdoorresistedhiseffortstoopenit；butafterafewviolentstruggles，nothavingbeenperfectlysecured，orowingtotheinadequacyoftheboltitself，itgaveway，andtheservantrushedintotheapartment，advancingseveralpacesbeforehecouldrecoverhimself。Asheentered，heheardSirRobert’svoiceexclaimingloudly——
’Waitwithout，donotcomeinyet；’
buttheprohibitioncametoolate。Nearalowtruckle-bed，uponwhichSirRobertsometimesslept，forhewasawhimsicalman，inalargearmchair，sat，orratherlounged，theformofthevaletJacque，hisarmsfolded，andhisheelsstretchedforwardonthefloor，soasfullytoexhibithismisshapenlegs，hisheadthrownback，andhiseyesfixeduponhismasterwithalookofindescribabledefianceandderision，while，asiftoaddtothestrangeinsolenceofhisattitudeandexpression，hehadplaceduponhisheadtheblackclothcapwhichitwashishabittowear。
SirRobertwasstandingbeforehim，atthedistanceofseveralyards，inapostureexpressiveofdespair，terror，andwhatmightbecalledanagonyofhumility。
Hewavedhishandtwiceorthrice，asiftodismisstheservant，who，however，remainedfixedonthespotwherehehadfirststood；andthen，asifforgettingeverythingbuttheagonywithinhim，hepressedhisclenchedhandsonhiscolddampbrow，anddashedawaytheheavydropsthatgatheredchillandthicklythere。
Jacquebrokethesilence。
’Donovan，’saidhe，’shakeupthatdroneanddrunkard，Carlton；tellhimthathismasterdirectsthatthetravellingcarriageshallbeatthedoorwithinhalf-
an-hour。’
Theservantpaused，asifindoubtastowhatheshoulddo；buthisscrupleswereresolvedbySirRobert’ssayinghurriedly，’Go——go，dowhateverhedirects；hiscommandsaremine；tellCarltonthesame。’