castle rackrent-第8部分

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She　was　a　strict　observer；　for　self　and　servants；　of　Lent；　and　all　fast…days；　but　not　holidays。　　One　of　the　maids　having　fainted　three　times　the　last　day　of　Lent；　to　keep　soul　and　body　together；　we　put　a　morsel　of　roast　beef　into　her　mouth；　which　came　from　Sir　Murtagh's　dinner；　who　never　fasted；　not　he；　but　somehow　or　other　it　unfortunately　reached　my　lady's　ears；　and　the　priest　of　the　parish　had　a　complaint　made　of　it　the　next　day；　and　the　poor　girl　was　forced；　as　soon　as　she　could　walk；　to　do　penance　for　it；　before　she　could　get　any　peace　or　absolution；　in　the　house　or　out　of　it。　　However；　my　lady　was　very　charitable　in　her　own　way。　　She　had　a　charity　school　for　poor　children；　where　they　were　taught　to　read　and　write　gratis；　and　where　they　were　kept　well　to　spinning　gratis　for　my　lady　in　return；　for　she　had　always　heaps　of　duty　yarn　from　the　tenants；　and　got　all　her　household　linen　out　of　the　estate　from　first　to　last；　for　after　the　spinning；　the　weavers　on　the　estate　took　it　in　hand　for　nothing；　because　of　the　looms　my　lady's　interest　could　get　from　the　Linen　Board　to　distribute　gratis。　　Then　there　was　a　bleach…yard　near　us；　and　the　tenant　dare　refuse　my　lady　nothing；　for　fear　of　a　lawsuit　Sir　Murtagh　kept　hanging　over　him　about　the　watercourse。　With　these　ways　of　managing；　'tis　surprising　how　cheap　my　lady　got　things　done；　and　how　proud　she　was　of　it。　　Her　table　the　same　way；　kept　for　next　to　nothing　＇See　GLOSSARY　6＇；　duty　fowls；　and　duty　turkeys；　and　duty　geese；　came　as　fast　as　we　could　eat　'em；　for　my　lady　kept　a　sharp　look…　out；　and　knew　to　a　tub　of　butter　everything　the　tenants　had；　all　round。　　They　knew　her　way；　and　what　with　fear　of　driving　for　rent　and　Sir　Murtagh's　lawsuits；　they　were　kept　in　such　good　order；　they　never　thought　of　coming　near　Castle　Rackrent　without　a　present　of　something　or　othernothing　too　much　or　too　little　for　my　ladyeggs；　honey；　butter；　meal；　fish；　game；　grouse；　and　herrings；　fresh　or　salt；　all　went　for　something。　　As　for　their　young　pigs；　we　had　them；　and　the　best　bacon　and　hams　they　could　make　up；　with　all　young　chickens　in　spring；　but　they　were　a　set　of　poor　wretches；　and　we　had　nothing　but　misfortunes　with　them；　always　breaking　and　running　away。　　This；　Sir　Murtagh　and　my　lady　said；　was　all　their　former　landlord　Sir　Patrick's　fault；　who　let　'em　all　get　the　half…year's　rent　into　arrear；　there　was　something　in　that　to　be　sure。　　But　Sir　Murtagh　was　as　much　the　contrary　way；　for　let　alone　making　English　tenants　＇See　GLOSSARY　7＇　of　them；　every　soul；　he　was　always　driving　and　driving；　and　pounding　and　pounding；　and　canting　and　canting　＇See　GLOSSARY　8＇；　and　replevying　and　replevying；　and　he　made　a　good　living　of　trespassing　cattle；　there　was　always　some　tenant's　pig；　or　horse；　or　cow；　or　calf；　or　goose；　trespassing；　which　was　so　great　a　gain　to　Sir　Murtagh；　that　he　did　not　like　to　hear　me　talk　of　repairing　fences。　　Then　his　heriots　and　duty…work　＇See　GLOSSARY　9＇　brought　him　in　something；　his　turf　was　cut；　his　potatoes　set　and　dug；　his　hay　brought　home；　and；　in　short；　all　the　work　about　his　house　done　for　nothing；　for　in　all　our　leases　there　were　strict　clauses　heavy　with　penalties；　which　Sir　Murtagh　knew　well　how　to　enforce；　so　many　days'　duty…work　of　man　and　horse；　from　every　tenant；　he　was　to　have；　and　had；　every　year；　and　when　a　man　vexed　him；　why；　the　finest　day　he　could　pitch　on；　when　the　cratur　was　getting　in　his　own　harvest；　or　thatching　his　cabin；　Sir　Murtagh　made　it　a　principle　to　call　upon　him　and　his　horse；　so　he　taught　'em　all；　as　he　said；　to　know　the　law　of　landlord　and　tenant。　As　for　law；　I　believe　no　man；　dead　or　alive；　ever　loved　it　so　well　as　Sir　Murtagh。　　He　had　once　sixteen　suits　pending　at　a　time；　and　I　never　saw　him　so　much　himself：　　roads；　lanes；　bogs；　wells；　ponds；　eel…wires；　orchards；　trees；　tithes；　vagrants；　gravelpits；　sandpits；　dunghills；　and　nuisances；　everything　upon　the　face　of　the　earth　furnished　him　good　matter　for　a　suit。　　He　used　to　boast　that　he　had　a　lawsuit　for　every　letter　in　the　alphabet。　　How　I　used　to　wonder　to　see　Sir　Murtagh　in　the　midst　of　the　papers　in　his　office！　　Why；　he　could　hardly　turn　about　for　them。　　I　made　bold　to　shrug　my　shoulders　once　in　his　presence；　and　thanked　my　stars　I　was　not　born　a　gentleman　to　so　much　toil　and　trouble；　but　Sir　Murtagh　took　me　up　short　with　his　old　proverb；　'learning　is　better　than　house　or　land。'　　Out　of　forty…nine　suits　which　he　had；　he　never　lost　one　but　seventeen　＇See　GLOSSARY　10＇；　the　rest　he　gained　with　costs；　double　costs；　treble　costs　sometimes；　but　even　that　did　not　pay。　　He　was　a　very　learned　man　in　the　law；　and　had　the　character　of　it；　but　how　it　was　I　can't　tell；　these　suits　that　he　carried　cost　him　a　power　of　money：　　in　the　end　he　sold　some　hundreds　a　year　of　the　family　estate；　but　he　was　a　very　learned　man　in　the　law；　and　I　know　nothing　of　the　matter；　except　having　a　great　regard　for　the　family；　and　I　could　not　help　grieving　when　he　sent　me　to　post　up　notices　of　the　sale　of　the　fee　simple　of　the　lands　and　appurtenances　of　Timoleague。

'I　know；　honest　Thady；'　says　he；　to　comfort　me；　'what　I'm　about　better　than　you　do；　I'm　only　selling　to　get　the　ready　money　wanting　to　carry　on　my　suit　with　spirit　with　the　Nugents　of　Carrickashaughlin。'

He　was　very　sanguine　about　that　suit　with　the　Nugents　of　Carrickashaughlin。　　He　could　have　gained　it；　they　say；　for　certain；　had　it　pleased　Heaven　to　have　spared　him　to　us；　and　it　would　have　been　at　the　least　a　plump　two　thousand　a　year　in　his　way；　but　things　were　ordered　otherwisefor　the　best　to　be　sure。　He　dug　up　a　fairy…mount　against　my　advice；　and　had　no　luck　afterwards。　　＇These　fairy…mounts　are　called　ant…hills　in　England。　They　are　held　in　high　reverence　by　the　common　people　in　Ireland。　A　gentleman；　who　in　laying　out　his　lawn　had　occasion　to　level　one　of　these　hillocks；　could　not　prevail　upon　any　of　his　labourers　to　begin　the　ominous　work。　　He　was　obliged　to　take　a　LOY　from　one　of　their　reluctant　hands；　and　began　the　attack　himself。　　The　labourers　agreed　that　the　vengeance　of　the　fairies　would　fall　upon　the　head　of　the　presumptuous　mortal　who　first　disturbed　them　in　their　retreat　＇See　GLOSSARY　11＇。＇　　Though　a　learned　man　in　the　law；　he　was　a　little　too　incredulous　in　other　matters。　I　warned　him　that　I　heard　the　very　Banshee　that　my　grandfather　heard　under　Sir　Patrick's　window　a　few　days　before　his　death。　　＇The　Banshee　is　a　species　of　aristocratic　fairy；　who；　in　the　shape　of　a　little　hideous　old　woman；　has　been　known　to　appear；　and　heard　to　sing　in　a　mournful　supernatural　voice　under　the　windows　of　great　houses；　to　warn　the　family　that　some　of　them　are　soon　to　die。　　In　the　last　century　every　great　family　in　Ireland　had　a　Banshee；　who　attended　regularly；　but　latterly　their　visits　and　songs　have　been　discontinued。＇　　But　Sir　Murtagh　thought　nothing　of　the　Banshee；　nor　of　his　cough；　with　a　spitting　of　blood；　brought　on；　I　understand；　by　catching　cold　in　attending　the　courts；　and　overstraining　his　chest　with　making　himself　heard　in　one　of　his　favourite　causes。　　He　was　a　great　speaker　with　a　powerful　voice；　but　his　last　speech　was　not　in　the　courts　at　all。　　He　and　my　lady；　though　both　of　the　same　way　of　thinking　in　some　things；　and　though　she　was　as　good　a　wife　and　great　economist　as　you　could　see；　and　he　the　best　of　husbands；　as　to　looking　into　his　affairs；　and　making　money　for　his　family；　yet　I　don't　know　how　it　was；　they　had　a　great　deal　of　sparring　and　jarring　between　them。　　My　lady　had　her　privy　purse；　and　she　had　her　weed　ashes　＇See　GLOSSARY　12＇；　and　her　sealing　money　＇See　GLOSSARY　13＇　upon　the　signing　of　all　the　leases；　with　something　to　buy　gloves　besides；　and；　besides；　again　often　took　money　from　the　tenants；　if　offered　properly；　to　speak　for　them　to　Sir　Murtagh　about　abatements　and　renewals。　　Now　the　weed　ashes　and　the　glove　money　he　allowed　her　clear　perquisites；　though　once　when　he　saw　her　in　a　new　gown　saved　out　of　the　weed　ashes；　he　told　her　to　my　face　（for　he　could　say　a　sharp　thing）　that　she　should　not　put　on　her　weeds　before　her　husband's　death。　　But　in　a　dispute　about　an　abatement　my　lady　would　have　the　last　word；　and　Sir　Murtagh　grew　mad　＇See　GLOSSARY　14＇；　I　was　within　hearing　of　the　door；　and　now　I　wish　I　had　made　bold　to　step　in。　　He　spoke　so　loud；　the　whole　kitchen　was　out　on　the　stairs　＇See　GLOSSARY　15＇。　　All　on　a　sudden　he　stopped；　and　my　lady　too。　　Something　has　surely　happened；　thought　I；　and　so　it　was；　for　Sir　Murtagh　in　his　passion　broke　a　blood…vessel；　and　all　the　law　in　the　land　could　do　nothing　in　that　case。　　My　lady　sent　for　five　physicians；　but　Sir　Murtagh　died；　and　was　buried。　She　had　a　fine　jointure　settled　upon　her；　and　took　herself　away；　to　the　great　joy　of　the　tenantry。　　I　never　said　anything　one　way　or　the　other　whilst　she　was　part　of　the　family；　but　got　up　to　see　her　go　at　three　o'clock　in　the　morning。

'It's　a　fine　morning；　honest　Thady；'　says　she；　'good…bye　to　ye。'　And　into　the　carriage　she　stepped；　without　a　word　more；　good　or　bad；　or　even　half…a…crown；　but　I　made　my　bow；　and　stood　to　see　her　safe　out　of　sight　for　the　sake　of　the　family。

Then　we　were　all　bustle　in　the　house；　which　made　me　keep　out　of　the　way；　for　I　walk　slow　and　hate　a　bustle；　but　the　house　was　all　hurry…skurry；　preparing　for　my　new　master。　　Sir　Murtagh；　I　forgot　to　notice；　had　no　childer　＇CHILDER：　　this　is　the　manner　in　which　many　of　Thady's　rank；　and　others　in　Ireland；　formerly　pronounced　the　word　CHILDREN＇；　so　the　Rackrent　estate　went　to　his　younger　brother；　a　young　dashing　officer；　who　came　amongst　us　before　I　knew　for　the　life　of　me　whereabouts　I　was；　in　a　gig　or　some　of　them　things；　with　another　spark　along　with　him；　and　led　horses；　and　servants；　and　dogs；　and　scarce　a　place　to　put　any　Christian　of　them　into；　for　my　late　lady　had　sent　all　the　feather…beds　off　before　her；　and　blankets　and　household　linen；　down　to　the　very　knife…cloths；　on　the　cars　to　Dublin；　which　were　all　her　own；　lawfully　paid　for　out　of　her　own　money。　　So　the　house　was　quite　bare；　and　my　young　master；　the　moment　ever　he　set　foot　in　it　out　of　his　gig；　thought　all　those　things　must　come　of　themselves；　I　believe；　for　he　never　looked　after　anything　at　all；　but　harum…scarum　called　for　everything　as　if　we　were　conjurors；　or　he　in　a　public…house。　　For　my　part；　I　could　not　bestir　myself　anyhow；　I　had　been　s