CHAPTER I. A FIRESIDE GROUP
It was exactly forty-five years ago that a group, consisting of threepersons, drew their chairs around the fire of a handsome dinner-roomin Merrion Square, Dublin. The brilliantly lighted apartment, the tablestill cumbered with decanters and dessert, and the sideboard resplendentwith a gorgeous service of plate, showed that the preparations hadbeen made for a much larger party, the last of whom had just taken hisdeparture.
Of the three who now drew near the cheerful blaze, more intent, as itseemed, on confidential intercourse than the pleasures of the table, hewho occupied the centre was a tall and singularly handsome man, of somesix or seven-and-twenty years of age. His features, perfectly classicalin their regularity, conveyed the impression of one of a cold andhaughty temperament, unmoved by sudden impulse, but animated by a spiritdaringly ambitious. His dress was in the height of the then mode, and hewore it with the air of a man of fashion and elegance.
This was Lord Castlereagh, the youthful Secretary for Ireland, one whosecareer was then opening with every promise of future distinction.
At his right hand sat, or rather lounged, in all the carelessnessof habitual indolence, a young man some years his junior, his darkcomplexion and eyes, his aquiline features, and short, thin upper lipalmost resembling a Spanish face.
His dress was the uniform of the Foot Guards,--a costume which wellbecame him, and set off to the fullest advantage a figure of perfectsymmetry. A manner of careless inattention in which he indulged,contrasted strongly with the quick impatience of his dark glances andthe eager rapidity of his utterance when momentarily excited; forthe Honorable Dick Forester was only cool by training, and not bytemperament, and, at the time we speak of, his worldly education wasscarcely more than well begun.
The third figure--strikingly unlike the other two--was a man of fifty orthereabouts, short and plethoric. His features, rosy and sensual, werelit up by two gray eyes whose twinkle was an incessant provocative tolaughter. The mouth was, however, the great index to his character. Itwas large and full, the under lip slightly projecting,--a circumstanceperhaps acquired in the long habit of a life where the tasting functionhad been actively employed; for Con Heffernan was a gourmand of thefirst water, and the most critical judge of a vintage the island couldboast. Two fingers of either hand were inserted in the capacious pocketsof a white vest, while, his head jauntily leaning to one side, he satthe very ideal of self-satisfied ease and contentment. The _aplomb_--whyshould there be a French word for an English quality?--he possessed wasnot the vulgar ease of a presuming or underbred man,--far from it;it was the impress of certain gifts which gave him an acknowledgedsuperiority in the society he moved in. He was shrewd, withoutover-caution; he was ready-witted, but never rash; he possessed thatrare combination of quick intelligence with strong powers of judgment;and, above all, he knew men, or at least such specimens of the race ascame before him in a varied life, well and thoroughly.
If he had a weak point in his character, it was a love ofpopularity,--not that vulgar mob-worship which some men court and seekafter; no, it was the estimation of his own class and set he desired toobtain. He was proud of his social position, and nervously sensitive inwhatever might prejudice or endanger it. His enemies--and Con was tooable a man not to have made some--said that his low origin was thesecret of his nature; that his ambiguous position in society demandedexertions uncalled for from others less equivocally circumstanced; andthat Mr. Heffernan was, in secret, very far from esteeming the high andtitled associates with whom his daily life brought him in contact. Ifthis were the case, he was assuredly a consummate actor. No man everwent through a longer or more searching trial unscathed, nor could anexpression be quoted, or an act mentioned, in which he derogated, evenfor a moment, from the habits of "his order."
"You never did the thing better in your life, my Lord," said Con, as thedoor closed upon the last departing guest. "You hit off Jack Massy toperfection; and as for Watson, though he said nothing at the time,I 'll wager my roan cob against Deane Moore's hackney--long odds,I fancy--that you find him at the Treasury to-morrow morning, with a slyrequest for five minutes' private conversation."
"I'm of your mind, Heffernan. I saw that he took the bait,--indeed, todo the gentlemen justice, they are all open to conviction."
"You surely cannot blame them," said Con, "if they take a moreconciliating view of your Lordship's opinions when assisted by suchclaret as this: this is old '72, if I mistake not."
"They sold it to me as such; but I own to you I 'm the poorestconnoisseur in the world as regards wine. Some one remarked this eveningthat the '95 was richer in bouquet."
"It was Edward Harvey, my Lord. I heard him; but that was the year hegot his baronetcy, and he thinks the sun never shone so brightlybefore; his father was selling Balbriggan stockings when this grape wasripening, and now, the son has more than one foot on the steps of thepeerage." This was said with a short, quick glance beneath the eyelids,and evidently more as a feeler than with any strong conviction of itsaccuracy.
"No Government can afford to neglect its supporters, and theacknowledgments must be proportioned to the sacrifices, as well as tothe abilities of the individuals who second it."
"By Jove! if these gentlemen are in the market," said Forester, whobroke silence for the first time, "I don't wonder at their price being ahigh one; in consenting to the 'Union,' they are virtually voting theirown annihilation."
"By no means," said the Secretary, calmly; "the field open to theirambition is imperial, and not provincial; the English Parliament willform an arena for the display of ability as wide surely as this ofDublin. Men of note and capacity will not be less rewarded: the loserswill be the small talkers, county squires of noisy politics, and craftylawyers of no principles; they will, perhaps, be obliged to remain athome and look after their own affairs; but will the country be the worsefor that, while the advantages to trade and commerce are inconceivable?"
"I agree with you there," said Con; "we are likely to increase ourexports, by sending every clever fellow out of the country."
"Why not, if the market be a better one?"
"Would n't you spare us a few luxuries for home consumption?" said Con,as he smacked his lips and looked at his glass through the candle.
His Lordship paid no attention to the remark, but, taking a small tabletfrom his waistcoat-pocket, seemed to study its contents. "Are we certainof Cuffe; is he pledged to us, Heffernan?"
"Yes, my Lord, he has no help for it; we are sure of him; he owes theCrown eleven thousand pounds, and says the only ambition he possesses isto make the debt twelve, and never pay it."
"What of that canting fellow from the North,--New-land?"
"He accepts your terms conditionally, my Lord," said Con, with a slyroll of his eye. "If the arguments are equal to your liberality, he willvote for you; but as yet he does not _see_ the advantages of a Union."
"Not _see_ them!" said Lord Castlereagh, with a look of irony; "why didyou not let him look at them from your own windows, Heffernan? The viewis enchanting for the Barrack Department."
"The poor man is short-sighted," said Con, with a sigh, "and never couldstretch his vision beyond the Custom House."
"Be it so, in the devil's name; a commissioner more or less shall never,stop us!"
"What a set of rascals," muttered Forester between his teeth, as hetossed off a bumper to swallow his indignation.
"Well, Forester, what of your mission? Have you heard from your friendDarcy?"
"Yes; I have his note here. He cannot come over just now, but he hasgiven me an introduction to his father, and pledges himself I shall bewell received."
"What Darcy is that?" said Heffernan.
"The Knight of Gwynne," said his Lordship; "do you know him?"
"I believe, my Lord, there is not a gentleman in Ireland who could notsay yes to that question; while west of the Shannon, Maurice Darcy is aname to swear by."
"We want such a man much," said the Secretary, in a low, distinctu
tterance; "some well-known leader of public opinion is of greatvalue just now. How does he vote usually? I don't see his name in thedivisions."
"Oh, he rarely comes up to town, never liked Parliament; but when hedid attend the House, he usually sat with the Opposition, but, withoutlinking himself to party, spoke and voted independently, and, strangeto say, made considerable impression by conduct which in any other manwould have proved an utter failure."
"Did he speak well, then?"
"For the first five minutes you could think of nothing but his lookand appearance; he was the handsomest man in the House, a littletoo particular, perhaps, in dress, but never finical; as he went on,however, the easy fluency of his language, the grace and elegance ofhis style, and the frank openness of his statements, carried his hearerswith him; and many who were guarded enough against the practised powerof the great speakers were entrapped by the unstudied, manly tone of theKnight of Gwynne. You say truly, he would be a great card in your handsat this time."
"We must have him at his own price, if he has one. Is he rich?"
"He has an immense estate, but, as I hear, greatly encumbered; but don'tthink of money with him, that will never do."
"What's the bait, then? Does he care for rank? Has he any children grownup?"
"One son and one daughter are all his family; and as for title, I don'tthink that he 'd exchange that of Knight of Gwynne for a Dukedom. Hisson is a lieutenant in the Guards."
"Yes; and the best fellow in the regiment," broke in Forester. "In everyquality of a high-spirited gentleman, Lionel Darcy has no superior."
"The better deserving of rapid promotion," said his Lordship, smilingsignificantly.
"I should be sorry to offer it to him at the expense of his father'sprinciples," said Forester.
"Very little fear of your having to do so," said Heffernan, quickly;"the Knight would be no easy purchase."
"You must see him, however, Dick." said the Secretary; "there is noreason why he should not be with us on grounds of conviction. He is aman of enlightened and liberal mind, and surely will not think the worseof a measure because its advocates are in a position to serve his son'sinterests."
"If that topic be kept very studiously out of sight, it were all themore prudent," said Con, dryly.
"Of course; Forester will pay his visit, and only advert to the matterwith caution and delicacy. To gain him to our side is a circumstance ofso much moment that I say _carte blanche_ for the terms."
"I knew the time that a foxhound would have been a higher bribe than ablue ribbon with honest Maurice; but it's many years since we met, now,and Heaven knows what changes time may have wrought in him. A smileand a soft speech from a pretty woman, or a bold exploit of somehare-brained fellow, were sure to find favor with him, when he wouldhave heard flattery from the lips of royalty without pride or emotion."
"His colleague in the county is with us; has he any influence over theKnight?"
"Far from it. Mr. Hickman O'Reilly is the last man in the world to haveweight with Maurice Darcy, and if it be your intention to make O'Reillya peer, you could have taken no readier method to arm the Knight againstyou. No, no; if you really are bent on having him, leave all thought ofa purchase aside; let Forester, as the friend and brother officer ofyoung Darcy, go down to Gwynne, make himself as agreeable to the Knightas may be, and when he has one foot on the carriage-step at hisdeparture, turn sharply round, and say, 'Won't you vote with us,Knight?' What between surprise and courtesy, he may be taken too shortfor reflection, and if he say but 'Yes,' ever so low, he's yours. That's_my_ advice to you. It may seem a poor chance, but I fairly own I see nobetter one."
"I should have thought rank might be acceptable in such a quarter," saidthe Secretary, proudly.
"He has it, my Lord,--at least as much as would win all the respect anyrank could confer; and besides, these new peerages have no prestigein their favor yet a while; we must wait for another generation. Thisclaret is perfect now, but I should not say it were quite so delicate inflavor the first year it was bottled. The squibs and epigrams on the newpromotions are remembered where the blazons of the Heralds' College areforgotten; that unlucky banker, for instance, that you made a Viscountthe other day, both his character and his credit have suffered for it."
"What was that you allude to?--an epigram, was it?"
"Yes, very short, but scarcely sweet. Here it is:--
"'With a name that is borrowed, a title that's bought,--'
you, remember, my Lord, how true both allegations are,--
"'With a name that is borrow'd, a title that's bought, Sir William wouldfain be a gentleman thought; While his Wit is mere cunning, his Couragebut vapor, His Pride is but money, his Money but paper.'"
"Very severe, certainly," said his Lordship, in the same calm tone heever spoke. "Not your lines, Mr. Heffernan?"
"No, my Lord; a greater than Con Heffernan indited these,--one who didnot scruple to reply to yourself in the House in an imitation of yourown inimitable manner."
"Oh, I know whom you mean,--a very witty person indeed," said theSecretary, smiling; "and if we were to be laughed out of office,he might lead the Opposition. But these are very business-like,matter-of-fact days we 're fallen upon. The cabinet that can give awayblue ribbons may afford to be indifferent to small jokers. But to revertto matters more immediate: you must start at once, Forester, for theWest, see the Knight, and do whatever you can to bring him towards us.I say _carte blanche_ for the terms; I only wish our other elevations tothe peerage had half the pretension he has; and, whatever our friend Mr.Heffernan may say, I opine to the mere matter of compact, which says, somuch for so much."
"Here's success to the mission, however its negotiations incline," saidHeffernan, as he drained off his glass and rose to depart. "We shall seeyou again within ten days or a fortnight, I suppose?"
"Oh, certainly; I'll not linger in that wild district an hour longerthan I must." And so, with good night and good wishes, the partyseparated,--Forester to make his preparations for a journey which, inthose days, was looked on as something formidable.