Kilgorman

It was with a sore heart that presently I surrendered my burden to her mother's arms, and addressed myself to the task of recompensing my brave Paddy for that day's feat.

While I rubbed him down, up came Martin, and my spirits rose.

"Go along away out of that, you blundering spalpeen," said he, with a cuff on the ear. "I'll learn you to meddle, so I will. Go and clean the pots, and let the horse alone."

"Clean the pots yourself," said I, pretty hot, "and leave the horse to one that can ride him."

He gaped at me in his stupid way.

"You'll swallow it in time," said I, having finished my rubbing down.

"Wait out there, like a jewel, till I put the beast away, and then you shall call me spalpeen again."

I think he was more astonished to be defied than he chose to confess.

Anyway he waited for me.

"Now," said I, "Mister Martin, I'm waiting for you."

He made a lunge at me, which I dodged, and before he knew where he was I had him on the cheek-bone so suddenly that he slipped and tumbled on the ground.

I was two years older than the day I had fought Tim, poor Tim, on the cliff at Fanad. And to-day I was so uplifted I could have fought an army.

So it was a disappointment when Martin stumbled to his feet and sheered off with a threat of vengeance.

What cared I? Paddy and I had won a race, and my little mistress was safe.

Yet Martin, as will appear presently, was a man of his word.

CHAPTER NINE.

BEHIND THE INN DOOR AT RATHMULLAN.

I know not what account of our adventure was given by my little mistress to her parents, but certain it was I found myself risen in the good graces of the mother, if not in those of his honour. As to the latter, his graces, good or bad, were hard to calculate. Perhaps he disliked me less than before, rather than liked me better. He said nothing, except to reprimand me for a.s.saulting Martin. But I suspected it was no special love for Martin which called forth the rebuke.

And now, for a time, things went uneasily at Knockowen. For a sour man, his honour kept a good deal of company; and I, who waited upon them, with eyes and ears open, could see that my master was playing a difficult and dangerous game.

One week certain mysterious persons would drop in, and sit in long confabulation. Another week some fellow-justice of his honour's would claim his hospitality and advice on matters of deep importance.

Sometimes a noisy braggart from the country side would demand an audience; and sometimes an officer in his Majesty's uniform would arrive as an honoured guest.

On all such occasions the tenor of the talk was the growing unrest of the country, and the gathering of that great storm which was soon to turn the whole country into a slaughter-house.

But the difficult task which Mr Gorman set before himself was to agree

That he was deep in league with the smugglers on the coast I myself knew. But to hear him talk to the revenue officers who visited him, one might think that he spent his days and nights in seeking to put down this detestable trade. That he had a hand in the landing of foreign arms the reader knows as well as I. But when his brother magistrates came to lay their heads with his, none was more urgent than he to run down the miscreants. Indeed, he went to more than empty words; for once, when a rumour spread that a cargo of powder and shot was expected off Malin, he himself led the party which for three days lay in wait to intercept it. And no one knew except himself and me that during those very three days, while he kicked his loyal heels on Malin Head, the _Cigale_ ran quietly into Lough Sw.i.l.l.y, and after resting a few hours, ran as quietly out, with a good deal less ballast in her than she came with.

I remember that well, for it was a day when I was secretly plotting to take advantage of my master's absence to steal up to Kilgorman. I had indeed got not far from the place when, to my disgust, Martin and another man overtook me on horseback, and ordered me to return at once to Knockowen at my mistress's bidding.

I durst not disobey, or betray my purpose, so turned back sulkily, leaving them to canter on; and, to add to my chagrin, as I looked round presently from the hill-top, I recognised the flaunting sails of the _Cigale_ standing in for the sh.o.r.e. This sight filled me with a new longing to see Tim, on whom for two years now I had only once, for an hour, set eyes. Come what would, I must steal away and hail him as soon as ever I could escape for an hour or so. Alas! it was easy to promise.

The reason of my mistress's summons was for me to take an officer, who had just ridden over in hot haste from Carndonagh, by boat to Rathmullan. He was to rejoin his regiment that night, and being a distant kinsman of my lady had presumed on his relations.h.i.+p to beg a pa.s.sage across the lough by the shortest way.

You may guess if I cast loose the boat with a merry heart, and bade farewell to my chance of seeing Tim, let alone of obeying my mother's call to Kilgorman.

More than that, this voyage to Rathmullan reminded me of another time when my crew was more to my taste than this lumbering trooper; and, as if to complete my trouble, Miss Kit came down gaily to the jetty to speed the parting guest.

"It's a pity we could not keep you, Captain Lestrange, till my father returned. You must come again when times are quieter."

"That'll not be this year or next," said the young officer; "but whenever it is, I could hardly find you looking prettier than you are now, Miss Gorman."

"Wait till you see," said she, with a saucy laugh, waving her hand as we pushed off.

I had it in my heart to upset the boat as the fellow stood and kissed his hand.

"Sit down, sir, if you please, and trim the boat," I said. "By your leave, sir, till I haul the sail."

And before he was aware of it I hauled away, and left him kissing his hand to a sheet of white canvas that interposed between him and my little mistress.

That solaced me vastly.

Once out on the lough I found my pa.s.senger, who was little more than a lad of twenty, friendly enough, and inclined to while away the voyage with chat.

"So the master's at Malin, after the smugglers?" said he.

"Troth, yes," said I; "but they're hard boys to catch."

"I wouldn't thank you for fools that ran into your arms," said he.

"'Deed you won't find many such in these parts."

"What's that building on the far point there?" he asked presently, pointing to Kilgorman.

"That's Kilgorman House, colonel."

"Oh! There's some story about that house surely. Somebody was murdered or robbed--what was it?"

"His honour's brother, Terence Gorman, owned it. And he was shot on the hill fifteen years ago; and n.o.body will go near the place since."

"Oh, I remember now," said he. "And there was something about a lady and child that died too. I heard about it from a cracked body that was servant to my sister-in-law in Paris."

"Biddy McQuilkin," said I. "Sure she's in France still!"

"What, do you know her?"

"She's from these parts, colonel."

"Well, she may be there still, unless they're all dead. Paris is a hot place for any one just now. When they kill kings, and cut off heads like turnip-tops, it's no place for strangers."

"They do say the French will be this length before long," said I, recalling some of the talk I had heard at his honour's table.