castle rackrent-第18章

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y　master　did　not　relish　the　thoughts　of　a　troublesome　canvass；　and　all　the　ill…will　he　might　bring　upon　himself　by　disturbing　the　peace　of　the　county；　besides　the　expense；　which　was　no　trifle；　but　all　his　friends　called　upon　one　another　to　subscribe；　and　they　formed　themselves　into　a　committee；　and　wrote　all　his　circular　letters　for　him；　and　engaged　all　his　agents；　and　did　all　the　business　unknown　to　him；　and　he　was　well　pleased　that　it　should　be　so　at　last；　and　my　lady　herself　was　very　sanguine　about　the　election；　and　there　was　open　house　kept　night　and　day　at　Castle　Rackrent；　and　I　thought　I　never　saw　my　lady　look　so　well　in　her　life　as　she　did　at　that　time。　　There　were　grand　dinners；　and　all　the　gentlemen　drinking　success　to　Sir　Condy　till　they　were　carried　off；　and　then　dances　and　balls；　and　the　ladies　all　finishing　with　a　raking　pot　of　tea　in　the　morning　＇See　GLOSSARY　25＇。　　Indeed；　it　was　well　the　company　made　it　their　choice　to　sit　up　all　nights；　for　there　were　not　half　beds　enough　for　the　sights　of　people　that　were　in　it；　though　there　were　shake…downs　in　the　drawing…room　always　made　up　before　sunrise　for　those　that　liked　it。　　For　my　part；　when　I　saw　the　doings　that　were　going　on；　and　the　loads　of　claret　that　went　down　the　throats　of　them　that　had　no　right　to　be　asking　for　it；　and　the　sights　of　meat　that　went　up　to　table　and　never　came　down；　besides　what　was　carried　off　to　one　or　t'other　below　stair；　I　couldn't　but　pity　my　poor　master；　who　was　to　pay　for　all；　but　I　said　nothing；　for　fear　of　gaining　myself　ill…will。　　The　day　of　election　will　come　some　time　or　other；　says　I　to　myself；　and　all　will　be　over；　and　so　it　did；　and　a　glorious　day　it　was　as　any　I　ever　had　the　happiness　to　see。

'Huzza！　　huzza！　　Sir　Condy　Rackrent　for　ever！'　　was　the　first　thing　I　hears　in　the　morning；　and　the　same　and　nothing　else　all　day；　and　not　a　soul　sober　only　just　when　polling；　enough　to　give　their　votes　as　became　'em；　and　to　stand　the　browbeating　of　the　lawyers；　who　came　tight　enough　upon　us；　and　many　of　our　freeholders　were　knocked　off；　having　never　a　freehold　that　they　could　safely　swear　to；　and　Sir　Condy　was　not　willing　to　have　any　man　perjure　himself　for　his　sake；　as　was　done　on　the　other　side；　God　knows；　but　no　matter　for　that。　　Some　of　our　friends　were　dumbfounded　by　the　lawyers　asking　them：　　Had　they　ever　been　upon　the　ground　where　their　freeholds　lay？　　Now；　Sir　Condy　being　tender　of　the　consciences　of　them　that　had　not　been　on　the　ground；　and　so　could　not　swear　to　a　freehold　when　cross…examined　by　them　lawyers；　sent　out　for　a　couple　of　cleavesful　of　the　sods　of　his　farm　of　Gulteeshinnagh；　＇At　St。　Patrick's　meeting；　London；　March　1806；　the　Duke　of　Sussex　said　he　had　the　honour　of　bearing　an　Irish　title；　and；　with　the　permission　of　the　company；　he　should　tell　them　an　anecdote　of　what　he　had　experienced　on　his　travels。　When　he　was　at　Rome　he　went　to　visit　an　Irish　seminary；　and　when　they　heard　who　it　was；　and　that　he　had　an　Irish　title；　some　of　them　asked　him；　'Please　your　Royal　Highness；　since　you　are　an　Irish　peer；　will　you　tell　us　if　you　ever　trod　upon　Irish　ground？'　　When　he　told　them　he　had　not；　'Oh；　then；'　said　one　of　the　Order；　'you　shall　soon　do　so。'　　They　then　spread　some　earth；　which　had　been　brought　from　Ireland；　on　a　marble　slab；　and　made　him　stand　upon　it。＇　　and　as　soon　as　the　sods　came　into　town；　he　set　each　man　upon　his　sod；　and　so　then；　ever　after；　you　know；　they　could　fairly　swear　they　had　been　upon　the　ground。　　＇This　was　actually　done　at　an　election　in　Ireland。＇　　We　gained　the　day　by　this　piece　of　honesty　＇See　GLOSSARY　26＇。　　I　thought　I　should　have　died　in　the　streets　for　joy　when　I　seed　my　poor　master　chaired；　and　he　bareheaded；　and　it　raining　as　hard　as　it　could　pour；　but　all　the　crowds　following　him　up　and　down；　and　he　bowing　and　shaking　hands　with　the　whole　town。

'Is　that　Sir　Condy　Rackrent　in　the　chair？'　　says　a　stranger　man　in　the　crowd。

'The　same；'　says　I。　　'Who　else　should　it　be？　　God　bless　him！'

'And　I　take　it；　then；　you　belong　to　him？'　　says　he。

'Not　at　all；'　says　I；　'but　I　live　under　him；　and　have　done　so　these　two　hundred　years　and　upwards；　me　and　mine。'

'It's　lucky　for　you；　then；'　rejoins　he；　'that　he　is　where　he　is；　for　was　he　anywhere　else　but　in　the　chair；　this　minute　he'd　be　in　a　worse　place；　for　I　was　sent　down　on　purpose　to　put　him　up；　＇TO　PUT　HIM　UP：　to　put　him　in　gaol＇　and　here's　my　order　for　so　doing　in　my　pocket。'

It　was　a　writ　that　villain　the　wine　merchant　had　marked　against　my　poor　master　for　some　hundreds　of　an　old　debt；　which　it　was　a　shame　to　be　talking　of　at　such　a　time　as　this。

'Put　it　in　your　pocket　again；　and　think　no　more　of　it　anyways　for　seven　years　to　come；　my　honest　friend；'　says　I；　'he's　a　member　of　Parliament　now；　praised　be　God；　and　such　as　you　can't　touch　him：　and　if　you'll　take　a　fool's　advice；　I'd　have　you　keep　out　of　the　way　this　day；　or　you'll　run　a　good　chance　of　getting　your　deserts　amongst　my　master's　friends；　unless　you　choose　to　drink　his　health　like　everybody　else。'

'I've　no　objection　to　that　in　life；'　said　he。　　So　we　went　into　one　of　the　public…houses　kept　open　for　my　master；　and　we　had　a　great　deal　of　talk　about　this　thing　and　that。　　'And　how　is　it；'　says　he；　'your　master　keeps　on　so　well　upon　his　legs？　　I　heard　say　he　was　off　Holantide　twelvemonth　past。'

'Never　was　better　or　heartier　in　his　life；'　said　I。

'It's　not　that　I'm　after　speaking　of'　said　he；　'but　there　was　a　great　report　of　his　being　ruined。〃

'No　matter；'　says　I；　'the　sheriffs　two　years　running　were　his　particular　friends；　and　the　sub…sheriffs　were　both　of　them　gentlemen；　and　were　properly　spoken　to；　and　so　the　writs　lay　snug　with　them；　and　they；　as　I　understand　by　my　son　Jason　the　custom　in　them　cases　is；　returned　the　writs　as　they　came　to　them　to　those　that　sent　'em　much　good　may　it　do　them！with　a　word　in　Latin；　that　no　such　person　as　Sir　Condy　Rackrent；　Bart。；　was　to　be　found　in　those　parts。'

'Oh；　I　understand　all　those　ways　betterno　offencethan　you；'　says　he；　laughing；　and　at　the　same　time　filling　his　glass　to　my　master's　good　health；　which　convinced　me　he　was　a　warm　friend　in　his　heart　after　all；　though　appearances　were　a　little　suspicious　or　so　at　first。　　'To　be　sure；'　says　he；　still　cutting　his　joke；　'when　a　man's　over　head　and　shoulders　in　debt；　he　may　live　the　faster　for　it；　and　the　better　if　he　goes　the　right　way　about　it；　or　else　how　is　it　so　many　live　on　so　well；　as　we　see　every　day；　after　they　are　ruined？'

'How　is　it；'　says　I；　being　a　little　merry　at　the　time'how　is　it　but　just　as　you　see　the　ducks　in　the　chicken…yard；　just　after　their　heads　are　cut　off　by　the　cook；　running　round　and　round　faster　than　when　alive？'

At　which　conceit　he　fell　a…laughing；　and　remarked　he　had　never　had　the　happiness　yet　to　see　the　chicken…yard　at　Castle　Rackrent。

'It　won't　be　long　so；　I　hope；'　says　I；　'you'll　be　kindly　welcome　there；　as　everybody　is　made　by　my　master：　　there　is　not　a　freer…　spoken　gentleman；　or　a　better　beloved；　high　or　low；　in　all　Ireland。'

And　of　what　passed　after　this　I'm　not　sensible；　for　we　drank　Sir　Candy's　good　health　and　the　downfall　of　his　enemies　till　we　could　stand　no　longer　ourselves。　　And　little　did　I　think　at　the　time；　or　till　long　after；　how　I　was　harbouring　my　poor　master's　greatest　of　enemies　myself。　　This　fellow　had　the　impudence；　after　coming　to　see　the　chicken…yard；　to　get　me　to　introduce　him　to　my　son　Jason；　little　more　than　the　man　that　never　was　born　did　I　guess　at　his　meaning　by　this　visit：　　he　gets　him　a　correct　list　fairly　drawn　out　from　my　son　Jason　of　all　my　master's　debts；　and　goes　straight　round　to　the　creditors　and　buys　them　all　up；　which　he　did　easy　enough；　seeing　the　half　of　them　never　expected　to　see　their　money　out　of　Sir　Condy's　hands。　　Then；　when　this　base…　minded　limb　of　the　law；　as　I　afterwards　detected　him　in　being；　grew　to　be　sole　creditor　over　all；　he　takes　him　out　a　custodiam　on　all　the　denominations　and　sub…denominations；　and　even　carton　and　half…carton　upon　the　estate　＇See　GLOSSARY　27＇；　and　not　content　with　that；　must　have　an　execution　against　the　master's　goods　and　down　to　the　furniture；　though　little　worth；　of　Castle　Rackrent　itself。　　But　this　is　a　part　of　my　story　I'm　not　come　to　yet；　and　it's　bad　to　be　fores