'You must not,my love,'said Lord Glenfallen,'imagine this place worse than it is.I have no taste for antiquity--at least I should not choose a house to reside in because it is old.Indeed I do not recollect that I was even so romantic as to overcome my aversion to rats and rheumatism,those faithful attendants upon your noble relics of feudalism;and I much prefer a snug,modern,unmysterious bedroom,with well-aired sheets,to the waving tapestry,mildewed cushions,and all the other interesting appliances of romance.However,though Icannot promise you all the discomfort generally belonging to an old castle,you will find legends and ghostly lore enough to claim your respect;and if old Martha be still to the fore,as I trust she is,you will soon have a supernatural and appropriate anecdote for every closet and corner of the mansion;but here we are--so,without more ado,welcome to Cahergillagh!'
We now entered the hall of the castle,and while the domestics were employed in conveying our trunks and other luggage which we had brought with us for immediate use to the apartments which Lord Glenfallen had selected for himself and me,I went with him into a spacious sitting-room,wainscoted with finely polished black oak,and hung round with the portraits of various worthies of the Glenfallen family.
This room looked out upon an extensive level covered with the softest green sward,and irregularly bounded by the wild wood Ihave before mentioned,through the leafy arcade formed by whose boughs and trunks the level beams of the setting sun were pouring.In the distance a group of dairy-maids were plying their task,which they accompanied throughout with snatches of Irish songs which,mellowed by the distance,floated not unpleasingly to the ear;and beside them sat or lay,with all the grave importance of conscious protection,six or seven large dogs of various kinds.Farther in the distance,and through the cloisters of the arching wood,two or three ragged urchins were employed in driving such stray kine as had wandered farther than the rest to join their fellows.
As I looked upon this scene which I have described,a feeling of tranquillity and happiness came upon me,which I have never experienced in so strong a degree;and so strange to me was the sensation that my eyes filled with tears.
Lord Glenfallen mistook the cause of my emotion,and taking me kindly and tenderly by the hand,he said:
'Do not suppose,my love,that it is my intention to SETTLE here.Whenever you desire to leave this,you have only to let me know your wish,and it shall be complied with;so I must entreat of you not to suffer any circumstances which I can control to give you one moment's uneasiness.But here is old Martha;you must be introduced to her,one of the heirlooms of our family.'
A hale,good-humoured,erect old woman was Martha,and an agreeable contrast to the grim,decrepid hag which my fancy had conjured up,as the depository of all the horrible tales in which I doubted not this old place was most fruitful.
She welcomed me and her master with a profusion of gratulations,alternately kissing our hands and apologising for the liberty,until at length Lord Glenfallen put an end to this somewhat fatiguing ceremonial by requesting her to conduct me to my chamber if it were prepared for my reception.
I followed Martha up an old-fashioned oak staircase into a long,dim passage,at the end of which lay the door which communicated with the apartments which had been selected for our use;here the old woman stopped,and respectfully requested me to proceed.
I accordingly opened the door,and was about to enter,when something like a mass of black tapestry,as it appeared,disturbed by my sudden approach,fell from above the door,so as completely to screen the aperture;the startling unexpectedness of the occurrence,and the rustling noise which the drapery made in its descent,caused me involuntarily to step two or three paces backwards.I turned,smiling and half-ashamed,to the old servant,and said:
'You see what a coward I am.'
The woman looked puzzled,and,without saying any more,I was about to draw aside the curtain and enter the room,when,upon turning to do so,I was surprised to find that nothing whatever interposed to obstruct the passage.
I went into the room,followed by the servant-woman,and was amazed to find that it,like the one below,was wainscoted,and that nothing like drapery was to be found near the door.
'Where is it?'said I;'what has become of it?'
'What does your ladyship wish to know?' said the old woman.
'Where is the black curtain that fell across the door,when I attempted first to come to my chamber?'answered I.
'The cross of Christ about us!'said the old woman,turning suddenly pale.
'What is the matter,my good friend?' said I;'you seem frightened.'
'Oh no,no,your ladyship,'said the old woman,endeavouring to conceal her agitation;but in vain,for tottering towards a chair,she sank into it,looking so deadly pale and horror-struck that I thought every moment she would faint.
'Merciful God,keep us from harm and danger!'muttered she at length.
'What can have terrified you so?'said I,beginning to fear that she had seen something more than had met my eye.'You appear ill,my poor woman!'
'Nothing,nothing,my lady,'said she,rising.'I beg your ladyship's pardon for making so bold.May the great God defend us from misfortune!'
'Martha,'said I,'something HAS frightened you very much,and I insist on knowing what it is;your keeping me in the dark upon the subject will make me much more uneasy than anything you could tell me.Idesire you,therefore,to let me know what agitates you;I command you to tell me.'
'Your ladyship said you saw a black curtain falling across the door when you were coming into the room,'said the old woman.
'I did,'said I;'but though the whole thing appears somewhat strange,I cannot see anything in the matter to agitate you so excessively.'