Barry Lyndon

of course, flown to her assistance, but Captain Fagan (a dry sort of fellow this Fagan was) prevented me, saying, 'I advise you to leave the young lady to herself, Master Redmond, and be sure s

, for, in the midst of the diversion, caused by

f a suit of laced velvet. 'Is it you or I, Cousin Mick, that is to have the honour of chastising this insolent Eng

ion; 'hang you for a meddling brat: your hand is in everybody's pie. What business had yo

bench, 'I shall die: I know I shal

an; on which Nora, giving him an indignant

ness have you, you meddling rascal, to

d. Recollect, I stood to you when I was eleven years old. I'm your match now, and, by Jove, provoke me, and I'

mend yourself to the family,'

ough to be his mot

swore a tremendous oath, that need not be put down here): 'the

you-flog you, you mean! I'll send for Nick

-gone state as you; but, believe me, I know the world, and if you will but follow my advice, you won't regret having taken it. Nora Brady has not a penny; you are not a whit richer. You are but fifteen, and she's four

ce? I never did, and I told Captain Fagan fairly, that Nora might love me or no

my face in it, and burst into such a passion of tears as I would then have had nobody see for the world. The crumpled riband which I had flung at Quin lay in the walk, and I sat there for hours, as wretched as any man in Ireland, I believe, for the time being. But it's a changeable world! When we consider how great our sorrows SEEM, and how small they ARE; how we think we shall die of grief, and how quickly w

f, and once more took the riband. As I passed through the offices, I saw the Captain's saddle was still hanging up at the stable-door, and saw his odious red-coated brute of a servant swaggering with the scullion-girls and kitchen-people. 'The Engl

ttom of the big table, as usual, and my fr

said my uncle, 'up an

me with his mother

y. Captain Fagan sat smiling; and I looked on as cold as a stone. I thought the dinner would choke me: but I was determined to put a good face on it, and when the cloth was drawn, filled my glass with the rest; and we drank the King and the Church, as gentlemen should. My uncle was in high good-humour, and especially always joking with Nora and the Captain. It was, 'Nora, divide that

f Nora, who said, 'Oh, pa! do let us go!' and said, 'No, Mrs. Brady and ladies, if you plaise; this is a sort of toast that is drunk a great dale too seldom in my family, a

'--I screeched o

your tongue!' said big Ulick, w

after it, for the next moment I myself was under the table, tripped up by Ulick, who hit me a violent cuff on the head as I went down; and I had hardly leisure to hear the general screaming and skurrying that was taking place above me, being so fully occupied with kicks, and thumps, and curses,

ing, as mine was-HIS was cut across the bridge, and his beauty spoiled for ever. Ulick shook himself, sat down quietly, filled

l the row mean?' says my uncle.

Mick sulkily: 'yours and t

him; 'speak civil of my father and me, and don

usiness has the vagabond here? If I had my

ould be,' sai

father, 'The fact is, sir, that the young monkey has fallen in love with Nora, and findi

le, quite good-humouredly. ''Faith, Faga

h these here ways of going on. I'm an Englishman I am, and a man of property; and I-I'-'If you're insulted, and not satisfied, reme

ugh, Captain Fagan, much to my mortification, joined. I turned rather smartly upon him, however, and bade him to understand that as for my cousin Ulick, who had been my best friend through life, I could put up with rough treatment from him; yet, though

ne of you had better go home with him,' said he, turning to his sons, 'or the lad may be playing

d the Captain, with a faint attempt at

id Ulick; 'and no one can doubt your courage;

l morning, boys. Kilwangan's

ers,' replied Ulick: 'WE'RE

in, very faint; 'it'

nely, you kno

ry lonely!'

something in the Captain's ear, in which I thought I caught the w

; and the horses were quickly brought r

He said that after the quarrel at dinner, he thought I would scarcely want to see the lad

to pay off the four thousand pounds which is bothering your uncle so. He takes a girl without a penny-a girl with no more beauty than yonder bullock. Well, well, don't look furious; let's say she IS handsome-there's no accounting for tastes,-a girl that

I am,'

arryville yonder? And now, when his affairs can be put into order, and a chance offers for his old age to be made comfortable, who flings himself in the way of him and com

he enemy's too strong); 'and it's I am the injured man, Captain Fagan. No man was ever, since the world began, treated so. Look here-look at this riband. I've worn it in my heart for s

sir. Give them time, and let nobody else come to the house, and they'l

ow him, if it's into the church, and meet him there. I'll have his blood, or he shall have mine; and this riband shall be found dyed in it. Yes, and if I kill him, I'll pin it on

t must. For a young fellow, you are the most blood-

essage to him?' sai

er may be on the look-out. Her

e house swelling with pride and exultation to think that

ppened at Castle Brady. In spite of my precautions to secrecy, then, I half suspected that my mother knew all, from the manner in which she embraced me on my arrival, and received our guest, Captain Fagan. The poor soul looked a little anxious and flushed, and every now and then gazed very hard in the Captain's face; but she said not a word about the quarrel, for she had a noble spirit, and would as lief have seen anyone of her kindred hanged as shirking from the field of honour. What has become o

troducing him to my mother, in a majestic and dignified way, said the Captain must be thirsty after his walk

STER says! Go, get the wine, and the cakes and glasses, directly.' Then (for you may be sure she did not give Tim the keys of our little cellar) she went and got the liquor herself; and Tim brought it in, on the silver tray, in due form. My dear mother poured out the wine, and drank the Captain welcome; but I observed her hand shook very much as she performed this cour

cut you in pieces: but the tears and supplications of Miss Honoria induced him, though very unwillingly, to relent. Now, however, matters have gone too far. No officer, bearing His Majesty's commission, can r

r mark,' said I. 'I a

believe you are not; for a lad, I

met Sir Huddlestone Fuddlestone, the Hampshire baronet, and ran him through the neck. They met on horseback, with sword and pistol, on Hounslow Heath, as I dare say you have heard tell of, and those are the pistols' (they hung on each side of the picture) 'which the gallant Barry used. He was quite i

n his eyes. 'You're after my own soul. As long as Jack

the butler, Mr. Tim): and we parted at length, he engaging to arrange matters with Mr. Quin's second that night, and to bring me news in the morning as to the place where the meeting should take place. I have often thought since, how different my fate might have been, had I not fallen in love with Nora at that early age; and had I not flung the wine in Quin's face, and so brought o

I was fully prepared. I had ink and pen in my room-had I not been writing those verses to Nora but the day previous, like a poor fond fool as I was? An

ould I be otherwise when educated by such a mother as you? I forgive all my enemies-I beg your blessing as a dutiful son. I desire that my mare Nora, which my uncle gave me, and which I called after the most faithless of he

OND B

ra I

have Captain Quin's, whom I hate, but forgive), and will be a pretty ornament for you on your marriage-day. Wea

DMO

now I was grown so tall. She said I must have a suit against winter, if-if-she could afford it. She winced rather at the 'if,' Heaven bless her! I knew what was in her mind. And then she fell to telling me about the black pig that must be killed, and that she had found the speckled hen's nest that morning, whose eggs I liked so, and other such triflin

d well oiled, and put some fresh flints I had into the locks, and got balls and powder ready against the Captain should come. There was claret and a cold fowl put ready for him on the sideboard, and a case-bottle of old brandy too, with a couple of little glasses on the silver tray with the Barry arms emblazoned.

id, 'Look ye, Redmond my boy; this is a silly business. The girl will marry Quin, mark my words; and as sure as she does you'll forget her. You are but a boy. Quin is willing to consider

'dies, but never apologises. I'll see

nothing for it

says I; 'where's the meeting,

out with him,' an

take leave of Mrs. Barry. The curtains of her bedroom windows were down, and they didn't move as we mounted and trotted off... BUT TWO HOURS AFTERWARDS, you should h

in red regimentals, as big a monster as ever led a grenadier company. The party were laughing together at some joke of one or the othe

in Fagan, in a great rage, 'and trust to see

' replied Mr. Fagan. 'You are no

y man with the

. He knocked his knee against the swinging park-gate last

which Fagan said it must have been some other gate, and repeated what he had said to Mr. Qui

ok off his hat and turned extremely red. 'And very lucky for you, Redmond my boy,' con

n; adding, 'I never yet knew th

te it. I'm ashamed of it. Say you're s

go to DUBLING, as proposed

and I'll as soon go to DUBLING as t

ick with a laugh to Fagan. 'Take your

big voice; 'and make them short

the pistols.' And he added, with some emotion, to me,

there under the gorget. See how the fool shows himself open.' Mick, who had never spoken a word, Ulick, and the Captain retired to one side, and Ulick gave the signal. It was slowly given, and I had leisure to cover my ma

econds, running towards him. Ulick

ng open his coat, blood was seen gurgling from un

d at him. The unfortunate man did not answer, but when the support of Ulic

'You had better ride off, young sir, before the police are

ite dead?

ad,' answ

giving the huge prostrate body a scornful kick with hi

as we may. Your man shall go for a cart, and take away the body of this unhappy gentleman. This ha

the letter, and flung them down on the body of Captain Quin. 'There!' says I-'take her those riban

nemy prostrate before me; for I knew that I had met and conquered

me, get the youngster ou

dle till we came to my mother's door. When there, Ulick told Tim to feed my mare, as

o without some discussion; for why should I not be as safe at Barryville, she said, as my cousin and Ulick at Castle Brady?-bailiffs and duns never got near THEM; why should constables be enabled to come upon me? But Ulick persisted in the necessity of my instant departure; in which argument, as I was anxious to see the world, I must confess, I sided with him; and my mother was bro

e valise, to be placed at the back of my mare, in which were my clothes, linen, and a silver dressing-case of my father's. She bade me, too, to keep the sword and the pistols I had known to use so like a man. She hurried my departure now (though her heart, I know, was full), and almost in half-an-hour after my arrival at home I was once more on the road again, with the wide world as it w