If Racking The Tenantry Is The Condition On Which He
Gets This Lovely Home, It Is A Temptation Certainly.
We felt as if we
were in the wrong place, as, after glancing at the handsome cottage, the
trim lawn fringed with shrubbery and then at the ruins we took the lower
walk hoping to get round under the shelter of some trees to the ruins.
A
small river brawled over the stones below - far below where we were
walking. A detached portion of the ruins sitting on a rock overlooked
both us and the river. Was it in any part of this building that the
naughty lady watched for her lover?
A little further on we looked down some steps into gardens stretching
along beside the river - gardens blazing with flowers and sweet with
blossomed fruit trees. It was so unexpected, so splendidly beautiful, it
surpassed a dream of fairy-land. We passed on, saw a shadowy lady among
the flowers on the lawn, knew it was the wraith of the unhappy and
guilty Dearvorgill. Stole out of the farther gate - at least I did -
feeling naughty and intrusive. Found ourselves in the clean little town
of Drumahaire, a pretty little village, straggled over a hillside among
the trees.
Went into a shop to enquire for the veritable Brefni Castle. A sad and
hungry-looking man scenting a possible sixpence started forward as
guide. He piloted us back by the way we came into the ruins we had
passed. Was determined to see visions and dream dreams amid these
historical ruins. Alas, it was a disgraceful failure. Not only was the
back of the modern tyrannical cottage laid up against the tyrannical
castle of history, but the ancient and modern were dovetailed into one
another, trying to bewilder you as to where ancient history and legend
ended, and modern anecdote began. We looked into the great hall with its
deep fire-place at the side, and upwards where another stately apartment
had once been, a lofty presence room over the great hall, but the week's
wash of the La Touches was flapping in the wind that moaned through the
deserted halls of the O'Ruarke. Looked into a tower to find a peat
stack, climbed over a load of coal to see the withdrawing room of the
departed, but not forgotten great lady, or the kitchen that cooked for
the men-at-arms, who waited on the lord's behest. Peeped into a turret
and was insolently asked what we meant by a splendid but ill-tongued
peacock; admired the ivy green that happed the bare walls and noticed
that the chickens roosted there in its shelter.
We drove home by another way, among gay, green woods under the shelter
of mighty rocks, passed more ruins. We stopped to examine these older
ruins of the ancient O'Ruarkes. A Milesian gentleman showed us through
them. It is the correct thing to have a ruin on your place; it is a kind
of patent of gentility.
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