These tales have been WRITTEN DOWN,as the heading of each announces,by the Rev.Francis Purcell,P.P.,of Drumcoolagh;and in all the instances,which are many,in which the present writer has had an opportunity of comparing the manu of his departed friend with the actual traditions which are current amongst the families whose fortunes they pretend to illustrate,he has uniformly found that whatever of supernatural occurred in the story,so far from having been exaggerated by him,had been rather softened down,and,wherever it could be attempted,accounted for.
I mention this circumstance,because it was one upon which a thousand wild and fantastical reports were founded,though one would have thought that the truth scarcely required to be improved upon;and again,because it produced a strong and lasting effect upon my spirits,and indeed,I am inclined to think,upon my character.
I was,for several years after this occurrence,long after the violence of my grief subsided,so wretchedly low-spirited and nervous,that I could scarcely be said to live;and during this time,habits of indecision,arising out of a listless acquiescence in the will of others,a fear of encountering even the slightest opposition,and a disposition to shrink from what are commonly called amusements,grew upon me so strongly,that I have scarcely even yet altogether overcome them.
We saw nothing more of Mr.Carew.
He returned to England as soon as the melancholy rites attendant upon the event which I have just mentioned were performed;and not being altogether inconsolable,he married again within two years;after which,owing to the remoteness of our relative situations,and other circumstances,we gradually lost sight of him.
I was now an only child;and,as my elder sister had died without issue,it was evident that,in the ordinary course of things,my father's property,which was altogether in his power,would go to me;and the consequence was,that before I was fourteen,Ashtown House was besieged by a host of suitors.However,whether it was that I was too young,or that none of the aspirants to my hand stood sufficiently high in rank or wealth,I was suffered by both parents to do exactly as I pleased;and well was it for me,as I afterwards found,that fortune,or rather Providence,had so ordained it,that I had not suffered my affections to become in any degree engaged,for my mother would never have suffered any SILLY FANCY of mine,as she was in the habit of styling an attachment,to stand in the way of her ambitious views--views which she was determined to carry into effect,in defiance of every obstacle,and in order to accomplish which she would not have hesitated to sacrifice anything so unreasonable and contemptible as a girlish passion.
When I reached the age of sixteen,my mother's plans began to develop them-selves;and,at her suggestion,we moved to Dublin to sojourn for the winter,in order that no time might be lost in disposing of me to the best advantage.
I had been too long accustomed to consider myself as of no importance whatever,to believe for a moment that I was in reality the cause of all the bustle and preparation which surrounded me,and being thus relieved from the pain which a consciousness of my real situation would have inflicted,I journeyed towards the capital with a feeling of total indifference.
My father's wealth and connection had established him in the best society,and,consequently,upon our arrival in the metropolis we commanded whatever enjoyment or advantages its gaieties afforded.
The tumult and novelty of the scenes in which I was involved did not fail con-siderably to amuse me,and my mind gradually recovered its tone,which was naturally cheerful.
It was almost immediately known and reported that I was an heiress,and of course my attractions were pretty generally acknowledged.
Among the many gentlemen whom it was my fortune to please,one,ere long,established himself in my mother's good graces,to the exclusion of all less important aspirants.However,I had not understood or even remarked his attentions,nor in the slightest degree suspected his or my mother's plans respecting me,when Iwas made aware of them rather abruptly by my mother herself.
We had attended a splendid ball,given by Lord M--,at his residence in Stephen's Green,and I was,with the assist-ance of my waiting-maid,employed in rapidly divesting myself of the rich ornaments which,in profuseness and value,could scarcely have found their equals in any private family in Ireland.
I had thrown myself into a lounging- chair beside the fire,listless and exhausted,after the fatigues of the evening,when Iwas aroused from the reverie into which I had fallen by the sound of footsteps approaching my chamber,and my mother entered.
'Fanny,my dear,'said she,in her softest tone,'I wish to say a word or two with you before I go to rest.You are not fatigued,love,I hope?'
'No,no,madam,I thank you,'said I,rising at the same time from my seat,with the formal respect so little practised now.
'Sit down,my dear,'said she,placing herself upon a chair beside me;'I must chat with you for a quarter of an hour or so.
Saunders'(to the maid)'you may leave the room;do not close the room-door,but shut that of the lobby.'
This precaution against curious ears having been taken as directed,my mother proceeded.
'You have observed,I should suppose,my dearest Fanny--indeed,you MUST have observed Lord Glenfallen's marked attentions to you?'
'I assure you,madam--'I began.
'Well,well,that is all right,'interrupted my mother;'of course you must be modest upon the matter;but listen to me for a few moments,my love,and I will prove to your satisfaction that your modesty is quite unnecessary in this case.You have done better than we could have hoped,at least so very soon.Lord Glenfallen is in love with you.I give you joy of your conquest;'and saying this,my mother kissed my forehead.