THE VISIT.
Mike’s performances at the masquerade had doubtless been of the most
distinguished character, and demanded a compensating period of repose, for
he did not make his appearance the entire morning. Towards noon, however,
the door from the garden gently opened, and I heard a step upon the stone
terrace, and something which sounded to my ears like the clank of a sabre.
I lifted my head, and saw Fred Power beside me.
I shall spare my readers the recital of my friend, which, however, more
full and explanatory of past events, contained in reality little more than
Mickey Free had already told me. In fine, he informed me that our army, by
a succession of retreating movements, had deserted the northern provinces,
and now occupied the intrenched lines of Torres Vedras. That Massena, with
a powerful force, was still in march, reinforcements daily pouring in
upon him, and every expectation pointing to the probability that he would
attempt to storm our position.
“The wise-heads,” remarked Power, “talk of our speedy embarkation, the
sanguine and the hot-brained rave of a great victory and the retreat of
Massena; but I was up at headquarters last week with despatches, and saw
Lord Wellington myself.”
“Well, what did you make out? Did he drop any hint of his own views?”
“Faith, I can’t say he did. He asked me some questions about the troops
just landed; he spoke a little of the commissary department, damned the
blankets, said that green forage was bad food for the artillery horses,
sent me an English paper to read about the O. P. riots, and said the
harriers would throw off about six o’clock, and that he hoped to see me at
dinner.”
I could not restrain a laugh at Power’s catalogue of his lordship’s topics.
“So,” said I, “he at least does not take any gloomy views of our present
situation.”
“Who can tell what he thinks? He’s ready to fight if fighting will do
anything, and to retreat, if that be better. But that he’ll sleep an hour
less, or drink a glass of claret more--come what will of it--I’ll believe
from no man living.
“We’ve lost one gallant thing in any case, Charley,” resumed Power. “Busaco
was, I’m told, a glorious day, and our people were in the heat of it. So
that, if we do leave the Peninsula now, that will be a confounded chagrin.
Not for you, my poor fellow, for you could not stir; but I was so cursed
foolish to take the staff appointment,--thus one folly ever entails
another.”
There was a tone of bitterness in which these words were uttered that left
no doubt upon my mind some _arrière pensée_ remained lurking behind them.
My eyes met his; he bit his lip, and coloring deeply, rose from the chair,
and walked towards the window.
The chance allusion of my man Mike flashed upon me at the moment, and I
dared not trust myself to break silence. I now thought I could trace in my
friend’s manner less of that gay and careless buoyancy which ever marked
him. There was a tone, it seemed, of more grave and sombre character, and
even when he jested, the smile his features bore was not his usual frank
and happy one, and speedily gave way to an expression I had never before
remarked. Our silence which had now lasted for some minutes was becoming
embarrassing; that strange consciousness that, to a certain extent, we were
reading each other’s thoughts, made us both cautious of breaking it; and
when at length, turning abruptly round, he asked, “When I hoped to be up
and about again?” I felt my heart relieved from I knew not well what load
of doubt and difficulty that oppressed it. We chatted on for some little
time longer, the news of Lisbon, and the daily gossip finishing our topics.
“Plenty of gayety, Charley, dinners and balls to no end! so get well, my
boy, and make the most of it.”
“Yes,” I replied, “I’ll do my best; but be assured the first use I’ll make
of health will be to join the regiment. I am heartily ashamed of myself for
all I have lost already,--though not altogether my fault.”
“And will you really join at once?” said Power, with a look of eager
anxiety I could not possibly account for.
“Of course I will; what have I, what can I have to detain me here?”
What reply he was about to make at this moment I know not, but the door
opened, and Mike announced Sir George Dashwood.
“Gently, my worthy man, not so loud, if you please?” said the mild voice of
the general, as he stepped noiselessly across the room, evidently shocked
at the indiscreet tone of my follower. “Ah, Power, you here! and our poor
friend, how is he?”
“Able to answer for himself at last, Sir George,” said I, grasping his
proffered hand.
“My poor lad! you’ve had a long bout of it; but you’ve saved your arm, and
that’s well worth the lost time. Well, I’ve come to bring you good news;
there’s been a very sharp cavalry affair, and our fellows have been the
conquerors.”
“There again, Power,--listen to that! We are losing everything!”
“Not so, not so, my boy,” said Sir George, smiling blandly, but archly.
“There are conquests to be won here, as well as there; and in your present
state, I rather think you better fitted for such as these.”
Power’s brow grew clouded; he essayed a smile, but it failed, and he rose
and hurried towards the window.
As for me, my confusion must have led to a very erroneous impression of my
real feelings, and I perceived Sir George anxious to turn the channel of
the conversation.
“You see but little of your host, O’Malley,” he resumed; “he is ever from
home; but I believe nothing could be kinder than his arrangements for you.
You are aware that he kidnapped you from us? I had sent Forbes over to
bring you to us; your room was prepared, everything in readiness, when he
met your man Mike, setting forth upon a mule, who told him you had just
taken your departure for the villa. We both had our claim upon you and, I
believe, pretty much on the same score. By-the-bye, you have not seen Lucy
since your arrival. I never knew it till yesterday, when I asked if she did
not find you altered.”
I blundered out some absurd reply, blushed, corrected myself, and got
confused. Sir George attributing this, doubtless, to my weak state, rose
soon after, and taking Power along with him, remarked as he left the
room,--
“We are too much for him yet, I see that; so we’ll leave him quiet some
time longer.”
Thanking him in my heart for his true appreciation of my state, I sank back
upon my pillow to think over all I had heard and seen.
“Well, Mister Charles,” said Mike as he came forward with a smile, “I
suppose you heard the news? The Fourteenth bate the French down at Merca
there, and took seventy prisoners; but sure it’s little good it’ll do,
after all.”
“And why not, Mike?”
“Musha! isn’t Boney coming himself? He’s bringing all the Roossians down
with him, and going to destroy us entirely.”
“Not at all, man; you mistake. He’s nothing to do with Russia, and has
quite enough on his hands at this moment.”
“God grant it was truth you were talking! But, you see, I read it myself in
the papers (or Sergeant Haggarty did, which is the same thing) that he’s
coming with the Cusacks.”
“With who?--with what?”
“With the Cusacks.”
“What the devil do you mean? Who are they?”
“Oh, Tower of Ivory! did you never hear of the Cusacks, with the red beards
and the red breeches and long poles with pike-heads on them, that does all
the devilment on horseback,--spiking and spitting the people like larks?”
“The Cossacks, is it, you mean? The Cossacks?”
“Ay, just so, the Cusacks. They’re from Clare Island, and thereabouts; and
there’s more of them in Meath. They’re my mother’s people, and was always
real devils for fighting.”
I burst out into an immoderate fit of laughing at Mike’s etymology, which
thus converted Hetman Platoff into a Galway man.
“Oh, murder! isn’t it cruel to hear you laugh that way! There now, alanna!
be asy, and I’ll tell you more news. We’ve the house to ourselves to-day.
The ould gentleman’s down at Behlem, and the daughter’s in Lisbon, making
great preparations for a grand ball they’re to give when you are quite
well.”
“I hope I shall be with the army in a few days, Mike; and certainly, if I’m
able to move about, I’ll not remain longer in Lisbon.”
“Arrah, don’t say so, now! When was you ever so comfortable? Upon my
conscience, it’s more like Paradise than anything else. If ye see the
dinner we sit down to every day; and as for drink,--if it wasn’t that I
sleep on a ground-floor, I’d seldom see a blanket!”
“Well, certainly, Mike, I agree with you, these are hard things to tear
ourselves away from.”
“Aren’t they now, sir? And then Miss Catherine, I’m taching her Irish!”
“Teaching her Irish! for Heaven’s sake, what use can she make of Irish?”
“Ah, the crayture, she doesn’t know better; and as she was always bothering
me to learn her English, I promised one day to do it; but ye see, somehow,
I never was very proficient in strange tongues; so I thought to myself
Irish will do as well. So, you perceive, we’re taking a course of Irish
literature, as Mr. Lynch says in Athlone; and, upon my conscience, she’s an
apt scholar.”
“‘Good-morning to you, Katey,’ says Mr. Power to her the other day, as he
passed through the hall. ‘Good-morning, my dear; I hear you speak English
perfectly now?’
“‘_Honia mon diaoul_,’ says she, making a curtsey.
“Be the powers, I thought he’d die with the laughing.
“‘Well, my dear, I hope you don’t mean it,--do you know what you’re
saying?’
“‘Honor bright, Major!’ says I,--‘honor bright!’ and I gave him a wink at
the same time.
“‘Oh, that’s it!’ said he, ‘is it!’ and so he went off holding his hands to
his sides with the bare laughing; and your honor knows it wasn’t a blessing
she wished him, for all that.”