The Lily of Devon. A novel

Front matter

MOST IMPORTANT DISCOVERY IN INK One of the most important discoveries of modern time has been made by MESSRS. BIDDULPH 8c CO. In the manufacture of a " Black Writing Ink" which will not corrode steel or other pens. Hitherto all attempts have failed to effect this great desideratum. Besides the advantages offered in its non-corrosive qualities, it is highly valuable in another and most important respect — the permanency of its colour — which like the indigo ink of China, it will retain for any length of time, and will stand the most severe chemical tests better than all inks now in use ; consequently, it will be invaluable where length of time for preserving documents is required. All other inks owe their blackness to the antagonistic principles of iron and gall, but while the contest for a period renews, it ultimately destroys both ingredients, leaving the liquid colourless.

This 'GRAPHIC INK' Formed by the union of homogeneous ingredients, incurs no such risk. It is the only known Black Ink which does not corrode steel pens, or get thick in the bottle. It flows from the pen with greater facility than the ordinary inks, dries almost immediately, writes black on the instant, and never changes its colour. BIDDULPH & Co., Ink Merchants, Me Lean's Buildings, New Street Square, Shoe Lane, London. Sole Agents: Messrs. WILLIAMS, COOPERS, & Co., Wholesale°Stationers, West Smithfield London. Sold by all Stationers in Bottles larger than the usual size at Id., 2d., 3d., 6d., 9d., Is., 2s., 4s., 6s., each. *** This Ink is especially adapted for exportation as it is not affected by climate. THE LILY OP DEYON. A NOVEL. By C. F. ARMSTRONG, Esq., ATJTHOK OF "THE TWO MIDSHIPMEN," "THE WAEHAWK," "THE MEDOEA," "THE TWO BUCCANEERS." &C IN THREE VOLUMES.

VOL. II. ILontoon : T. CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHER, 30, WELBECK STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE. 1859. [The Right of Translation is reserved.'] THE LILY OF DEVON.

Chapter I

" When you left the Colossus, De Lacy," began Captain Flaherty, " we all missed you so much, that it did not appear like the same ship. As we were on our cruise back to England, we one night fell in with a French ship, when it was blowing very fresh, and before we could make her out, for she answered our signals, though in an odd kind of a way, Master Crapaud opened fire, and blazed amongst us ; of course we returned the compliment and after a few of these kind of civilities had passed, a confounded round shot knocked a huge splinter out of the mizen mast, a piece of which vol. n. b stretched me senseless on the deck. However, Master Johnny didn't like our civilities, and so made a run of it, and in a dense fog got away from us. On reaching Portsmouth, I was landed, still obliged to keep my bed from the effects of the blow I had received from the brok en mast, though I was tolerably well, except for a giddiness in the head.

I was recommended to drink the Bath waters, and to that city I proceeded ; but as they never mixed either brandy or Hollands with the nauseous mixture, I declined drinking them. I had taken up my abode in a first-rate boarding house, where they kept a choice cook, and it was here, Horace, I first met the widow. I cannot tell you, for the life of me how we became intimate, but we did. By Saint Peter, I had no more idea of ma trimony than a midshipman has of making pancakes. I told you she was only twenty-eight, and had lost two husbands. All the men were in love with her. Now*, upon my conscience, De Lacy, you know I'm not a vain man, but the fact is, she made love to me, by praising my taste in made dishes, and only eating what I recommended. She drank the waters, being recommended to do so for her health.

Bless you ! she looked as blooming as a Hebe. One day, while walking in the rooms, she insisted upon my taking a glass of the ' water.' She held it out to me herself, with her pretty taper fingers. Could I refuse ? I attempted to swallow the abomination, but a complete sense of suffocation ensued ; I grew red in the face, my head became giddy, and I was near falling, when the widow received me in her fair arms, and threw the remainder of the water in the glass in my face, and then sainted. I recovered instantly, snatched up a full tumbler, and in my eagerness to sprinkle her face, I gave her a shower bath. You will say, my friend, that this was a strange way to commence a courtship, and yet, by Saint Peter, I was fairly in for it from that very hour. My beautiful widow, with tears in her eyes, de clared some days after that she should be compelled to leave Bath ; that unfortunate affair of the glass of water had attracted the attention of the company B THE LILY OF DEVON. to her.

She had had, she declared, the cruel misfortune to lose two husbands, and — " She paused, and fixed those two dazzling eyes upon me with such a look, that I felt scorched. " ' For God's sake, madam,' said I, ' tell me how you came to be so unfortunate, and you so young, as to bury two husbands ?' " ' Alas ! Captain,' replied the fair widow, with a sigh, ' I never buried one. The sea, the re morseless sea, had them both.' " She sighed, but continued "'I went out to India at the age of eighteen, consigned like a bale of goods, for I was one of seven daughters, to the care of a widow lady, who received goods of the same description to dispose of. I was indignant, Captain Flaherty, but what could a poor girl do in a strange country, thousands of miles from dear England ? Well, time rolled on ; I had many offers of marriage, but I was difficult to please ; but at last, just as I reached my twenty-first year, I consented to marry a gentleman, reputed wealthy, and who was preparing to embark for England.

From various causes our marriage did not take place till two hours before our embarkation. The Indiaman lay off the shore of Calcutta, and we had to go through the tremen dous surf to embark. Alas ! I got on board safe enough ; my husband refused to leave in the same boat, as he waited for a certain box of valuables. He embarked in a boat not calculated to contend against the surf like the Mussalla boats ; it over turned, and my ill-starred husband perished. Thus, the wife of an hour, I returned to Europe a widow, and it turned out that my deceased husband was literally worth very little property. He de ceived my guardian completely, and as there could be little love in those kind of matches, why, Captain, before the year had expired, I recovered my spirits. My second husband,' continued the widow, and she looked bewitching, ' was an Irishman.

I'm partial to Irishmen, Captain Flaherty, I confess it,1 and her cheeks they were like full blown peonies. ' He was a fine man, stood full six feet, and had the handsomest pair of whiskers I had ever seen at that time,' and she looked at me. ' He said he possessed large estates in Connaught ; he dressed in the highest style of fashion ; his jewelry was splendid ; and," besides, he hinted of a baronetcy in the family he was sure to get one of those days. He then knelt at my feet, and swore he threw himself, his property, and his prospect of a title, to say nothing of his whiskers, at my mercy, and begged me to name an early day. Alas ! I was of too confiding and easy a nature. He was a handsome man,' she sighed, ' and so, Captain Flaherty, I consented. We were married at St. Bride's, and just as we left the church, two policemen requested the pleasure of my husband's company.

I fainted. Alas ! I never saw him again.' " ' Bless my soul,' I exclaimed, ' but you said the sea, the remorseless sea, had them both.' " ' Such was the case, my dear Captain.' " You can't think, Horace, how the word dear sounded from those ruby lips. She was so innocent, so candid ; but when she heard my question, she looked down ; her long, silken lashes hid those dangerous eyes for a moment, but then she looked up. v. " ' I have, been very candid with you hitherto, Captain Flaherty, and I will continue so. My husband was tried for a robbery of valuable jewels in Oxford, was sentenced to be transported, and was embarked on board the Nimrod convict ship. She struck on the edge of the Goodwin Sands, and went down. Two hundred poor souls perished, my husband one of the number ; so you see, my dear Captain, I am the widow of two husbands, and yet — ' " ( By Jove !' said I, ' you had no husband at all.

I'll be the third, if you will take me ; but, by St. Patrick, we will steer clear of the sea on our wedding day.' " Horace De Lacy burst out into a hearty laugh, saying : " And you really engaged yourself to the Widow, notwithstanding those terrible terminations to her matrimonial alliances ?" " I did, by St. Patrick ! There was no resisting her ; and, upon my soul ! I do believe she is as innocent as — as — confound it, at all events — as any widow breathing. I had only my half pay, for I made up my mind to retire, so Lucinda, that's her name — pretty name is it not — so she could not be accused of loving for a fortune ; besides, she had a comfortable independence, though not riches, from her first husband. Well, after thus popping the question, we came to arrange ments, when, by Jove ! I received a letter from an attorney in Wexford; this letter had travelled half over the globe to find me.

Only fancy the very event I so often spoke of as a kind of joke, aboard the Colossus, actually took place. A cousin of mine, a most eccentric bachelor, died, and left me a pro perty worth £2,000 a year. When I told this to Lucinda, she seemed disturbed, and said, ' at all events, I am glad this news did not reach you before our engagement.' ' Why,' said I, ' do you think I would have hauled off, as the sailors say ?' ' No, Flaherty,' she replied, ' for I think you a highly honorable man, but you might have thought I was actuated by mercenary motives.' I put my arm round her waist, gave her a kiss, and said, if the fortune was £20,000 a-year she was worthy of it. So off I set, took possession, and now I am only waiting the expiration of the time appointed. My house, furniture, &c, are all in apple-pie order, and in less than a month I start for Bath, where my intended bride is residing.

So now you have the history of my courtship of the widow of two husbands, and I hope, De Lacy, you will make one at the wedding ; and the feast I promise you this time will not be knocked to smash by a 36 pound shot." " Since you are so determined to become a benedict," said De Lacy, "why, I trust sincerely you will enjoy many years felicity with the fair Lucinda, and unless some unforseen circumstance occurs reckon on me as a guest. I must, however, go to Waterford, but I shall stay here and attend Father O'Mara's funeral ; it's the least I can do, as he lost his life in his efforts to save us — that is B James Kelly and myself—from the savage assault of those ruffians." " By the Law Harry, they will murder you," said Captain Flaherty; "but I'll stick to you, Horace. Confound them, they shall have two of the old Colossus to contend with ; we never hauled down the old girl's colours, and we won't strike ours now ; and now I think of it, by the Immortals ! it's a first-rate plan ; half the country will be at the funeral, just speak to the parish priest, tell him the state of the case, state your relationship to Terence O'Kelly's child, that you are an officer of His Majesty's Royal Navy, and that none of the cloth was ever yet a spy.

Depend on it, scores of these rascals will be present, and a word from their priest will allay the storm against you." " I intended," said Horace, " to address them myself." " It won't do, De Lacy. They will not listen to you. Let the priest do the business ; half of them do not understand English." The rest of the evening was spent by the friends conversing on various matters, especially the man ner by which Miss O'Kelly's rights would be best secured ; at the same time it was very far from Horace De Lacy's intention, and he well knew Helen's generous nature would induce her to adopt the same intention, should he succeed in establishing her claims, to leave Murrough O'Kelly and his mother destitute ; it would be an act of great injustice. It was late that night when the friends retired to rest.

The following day a troop of dragoons rode into the village, and active measures were taken during the day to track the murderers of Father O'Mara, whose funeral was to take place the following day. Great numbers of people were assembling from all parts when the news of the murder reached Killmain. While the friends were eating their breakfast a note was brought in by the young woman who acted the part of waiter. " This is for Mr. De Lacy," said the girl. " Very good," said our hero, " give it me, I am Mr. De Lacy; who left this?" he demanded of the girl. " Faix ! I dont know, sir ; a spalpeen of a chap gave it to me at the door ; I never see'd him afore." " Another intimation from those rascals," said Horace, breaking a remarkably clumsy seal. The moment he saw the hand-writing, he re cognised it to be from the same hand that wrote the threatening letters.

" Well, De Lacy, what are the rascals up to now ?" demanded Captain Flaherty. " I'll read it to you. Listen." " ' You may rest easy in your bed, Mr. De Lacy. We know you now ; you're not the man we took you for. Every word you said to the fat captain, your friend — '" " Curse the rascal's impudence !" interrupted the Marine, laughing. " I'm not to say fat. Deuced good condition, which that cur should find out if I was in arm's length of him ; go on. I beg your pardon, faith, I forgot I was in Ireland." Horace joined in his friend's laugh, and cou tinued : " ' Every word you said was overheard ; the Peep of Day boys have long ears — ' " " So has a jackass," grumbled the Captain, " the villains knew all about my widow, confound them." " ' Knowing who you are, and your purpose here, there's not a hair of your head will be hurt by your friends and well wishers, the Peep of Day Boys."

"Well, by the powers of Moll Kelly!" said Captain Flaherty, " if that does not beat Banagher, I never was a Marine. Where the deuce was the rascal ?" And up got the Captain, and looked round the room, and at once pounced upon a three cornered cupboard; he opened this, but it only contained glasses and jugs, a few dels ornaments, and two dried lemons. " Open the bottom doors," said De Lacy, The Captain did so, and saw a wide empty space; taking the poker, he sounded the back, and it gave a hollow sound ; he then gave it a sound blow, and the back flew open. " Ha ! ha ! by Jove !" said Captain Flaherty ; " here is the secret hiding place ; the rascal could creep or put his head in from the next room, and hear us plain enough. Now, our landlord must be one of the rascal's confederates." " Do not be rash, Flaherty.

You may wrong him ; let us have a look into the next room, and question our host as to who occupied it last evening." Whether the landlord was guilty or not it was impossible to judge by his impassible stupid coun tenance ; he seemed puzzled to understand their meaning ; he went before them into the chamber next theirs, and which was only divided by a wooden partition papered. The friends said nothing about being overheard, they merely requested to know who occupied the chamber the evening before. " Several persons, your honour, that came to talk and hear about poor Father O'Mara's death. We had no other room to put them to drink in, 'acause of the body ; your honours, occupying the big room, though it's carried away now. Did they make a noise ?" " Something of the sort," said Captain Flaherty, pointing to the displaced boards ; " look ! they broke into your cupboard.

" The Lord save us ! so they did, though there's nothing in it." " Faith, not now," said the Captain, " but if I could have laid my hand on what was in it last night, you would be wiser this morning." Mr. Murphy opened his eyes and looked the picture of innocence ; whether he was so or not it was quite useless to attempt to discover. " At all events," said Captain Flaherty, " it's somewhat satisfactory to know you will no longer be a mark for a Peep of Day Boy from behind a hedge." The funeral of Father O'Mara and of the O'Kelly was attended by a vast concourse of people, the latter by many of the gentry in the vicinity — that is, within the circle of fifteen or twenty miles, but no disturbance of any kind took place. Neither could the dragoons discover a single one of the rebels, though they scoured the country day and night.

Neither did Murrough O'Kelly by word or action take any further notice of Horace De Lacy; though at the funeral of his father he carried his arm in a sling, and passed our hero twice during the period of his stay in the village of Kellmani. Having nothing further to detain him, Horace De Lacy paid a farewell visit to Jem Kelly's father; he informed the old man of the note he had received, and to judge by it, he felt satisfied the leader of the Peep of Day Boys was no common peasant. " Very likely not, sir," said the old game keeper, " for it is said there are many of the small gentry amongst them." Captain Flaherty, finding he could not prevail on Horace to visit his mansion near Wexford at this period, bade him farewell, fixing time and place to meet in England ; while Florace De Lacy, and his now determined attendant, James Kelly, set out on foot for Duncannon early in the morning, intending to procure a boat from thence to Waterford.

Chapter II

" So here is a letter at last from Mr. De Lacy and for you, Helen," said Lady Elesmere: "there is one also for my caro sposo, so we shall have some news of his proceedings ; they have the Waterford post mark, but by the date they are a long time coining. Now, my love, read all the sweet parts to yourself, but let me hear the rest." " Oh, you shall hear it all," said Helen with a slight blush over her beautiful cheek, as she opened the letter with some degree of agitation in her manner. It was a very long letter, and gave Helen a full account of everything, but making extremely light of the danger he had incurred. There were, of course, many kind and affectionate words and wishes, but yet the writer did not give way to all the feelings of his heart. Lady Elesmere somehow defined the writer's reasons for this reserve, and looking into Helen's expressive features she perceived that they wore a serious and thoughtful look.

" This is an extraordinary discovery, Helen," said Lady Elesmere, " there is scarcely a doubt but that the estates of the O'Kelly's will be yours, and yet you are looking as if you lost a fortune instead of gaining one." " I felt a wish to know who and where my dear father was and came from," said Helen, " but for more than one reason I do not covet wealth. Now in the first place I feel satisfied, notwithstanding the careless way Horace mentions it, that he might have lost his life in this undertaking of his to discover my relations ; in the next — " Helen hesitated, but after a moment said, " Why should I attempt to hide my feelings or thoughts from you, dear friend. I fancy I have read Horace's kind and noble nature, even during our somewhat short intercourse. I know he cares not for wealth, and therefore the chance of my possessing a large fortune, while he himself is without one, will wound his high spirit.

I see in the tone of his letter that already it influences his words, and the expression of his feelings. Now depend on it, dear friend, — I say it to you, for you know how dearly I love him — that our union, if I succeed to this inheritance, is further off than ever." " I will not deny it, my dear Helen," said Lady Elesmere, " but something of the same kind struck me as you read his letter : now this is a false feeling. Why should a man be too proud to owe his independence to the woman he professes to love? Anymore than a woman, should to her husband ; it is true we grow up with the idea planted in our hearts that man is our natural protector, and may, without wounding our feelings, elevate us to his own position, either of rank or wealth. But to a spirit such as Horace de Lacy's such a contingency might rankle in his breast.

I myself fancy he will never rest till he achieves something; if he cannot gain wealth he must gain fame. I am sure he regrets bitterly resigning his profession which he loved, and in which he so distinguished himself." While her ladyship was speaking Lord Elesmere entered the room with an open letter in his hand. " By Jove ! is not Horace a first-rate fellow ?" said his lordship. "I wish you joy, Miss O'Kelly, you will be mistress of Crokane before long, depend on it. I see by this letter that De Lacy has had an interview with a Mr. O'Driscol, a lawyer of some note in Waterford, and employed him to put in your claims at once for the estates of Crokane and Kilmaine ; he also says he was to sail on the 14th in a fine brig bound for Plymouth. If he sailed on that day we may expect him at any moment : this letter is dated the 13th., and this is the 1 7th.

Now, how the deuce it took all that time to get here I cannot think." " Well, I suppose they are not so far advanced in locomotion across the water as we are," said Lady Elesmere, " but I wonder why Mr. De Lacy preferred the risk of delay by a merchant vessel, and our time in England so short." " You may depend, my dear," said his lordship, " that Horace trusted to his old element in the hopes of a quicker passage ; a vessel, w*ith a fair wind, would make the run to Plymouth in twenty-eight hours, and a journey over land, without counting the voyage across, would take four days. Be sides I am now somewhat puzzled," continued his lordship. " It will be extremely awkw*ard for Miss O'Kelly to be absent from this country at this crisis." Lady Elesmere and Helen looked chagrined, her Ladyship saying: " Had you not better see your lawyer, and hear his opinion respecting her being absent ?"

" I will call on him to-day," said Lord Elesmere. " At all events, De Lacy will let us know all about it when he arrives. You are going to-night to tbe Countess De Castigilione's, are you not ?" " Yes," returned Lady Elesmere ; " she is a very charming woman, and I rejoice that we shall have the pleasure of her society again in Naples. The Count and Countess leave much about the same period that our departure is fixed for." " Well, I will join you there," said his Lordship. " I dine at the Club, having made an appointment there, and now I will take a stroll as far as my lawyer's. I am really anxious to have a legal opinion on this case." " Your lordship is very kind," said Helen, " in taking all this trouble. I am sure, if my wishes were consulted, I would let my chance of suc ceeding to this property take its course sooner than be deprived of the happiness I now enjoy."

" You are a dear good soul, Helen," said Lady Elesmere, " but that would be paying troppo caro for it. Depend on it, the lawyers have a way of managing those things in a manner agreeable to their clients." The Count De Castigilione, where the fair friends were to spend the evening, was a nobleman of high rank and large fortune. He and his Countess accompanied the Neapolitan envoy to Eng-.and; the Countess was an extremely fine woman, and of exceedingly agreeable manners, spoke the English language fluently, and with a most pleasing accent. She was visited during her stay in England by all the nobility and gentry attending the Court. Amongst her visitors was Lady Elesmere, with whom the Countess became extremely intimate. With Helen, w*hen intro duced, she became perfectly charmed ; our heroine herself, fascinated by her affability and exceeding lively disposition, rejoiced at the prospect of their again meeting at Naples, near which city the Count possessed a magnificent villa residence.

As the week wore on Helen began to feel ex tremely uneasy at the prolonged absence of Horace De Lacy, when to the infinite joy of all parties. Lord Elesmere's departure was postponed for a month, owing to some turn in the aspect of affairs on the Italian continent. Amongst the many admirers of Helen O'Kelly, for she attracted universal admiration and attention amid the select society into which she was introduced by the much admired Lady Elesmere, was the young Lord Arthur De Ross. He had just succeeded to the large estates of his uncle in the county of Wexford, Ireland ; the family mansion was situated on the banks of the Barrow, within a few miles of the town now called New Ross. His lordship was a handsome man, extremely talented, and very agreeable : he was very intimate with Lord Elesmere, and visited at his town mansion before Helen O'Kelly's introduction there.

It was at the Countess de Castiglione's, however, where he first beheld our heroine, and it required but a very short acquaintance to ripen an intimacy on his part into an ardent passion. Lord De Ross was certainly free from contamination of the fashionable vices of the period, though they began to be greatly diminished by the moral atmosphere of the chaste court of George the Third. Helen, naturally high spirited and cheerful, received his lordship's attention with her usual easy grace and VOL. il c pleasing conversational powers : she preferred Lord De Ross' manner and society to the many others that fluttered about her like moths, scorch ing thtir wings in a light that dazzled and attracted them. There was one gentleman, a foreigner, a Cala brian nobleman, extremely intimate with the Count and Countess De Castiglione, who annoyed Helen much by his attentions when they met in society, and in fact the Calabrian Marquis was every where ; he was a tall, powerful man in the prime of life, and was accounted extremely handsome, but to Helen — why she could not say — he was extremely disagreeable ; his dark, almost dazzling eyes, no matter what part of the room she might chance to be in, were perpetually fixed upon her, till at length she remarked the circumstance to Lady Elesmere.

" My love," said her ladyship, with a light laugh, " you must expect this : the Countess says the Marquis is a man of immense wealth, almost a sovereign in his wild province of Calabria ; at the Court of Naples he is the arbiter of fashion, and every one follows in his train." " Ah," said Helen, " that may be in Italy all very natural, but I assure you it's anything but pleasant whenever I look up to find those great, dark, meaning eyes of his fixed upon you. I agree with you that foreign manners and modes are not quite agreeable to me." " The Countess is decidedly the most pleasing foreigner I ever met," returned Lady Elesmere, " and the Marquis De Cabaletira is a prodigious favorite of hers and her husband's, and the fact is he would have attempted to gain your affections had I not honestly told the Countess you were positively engaged to a cousin of yours ; I thought this was the best method of putting an end to at tentions I knew would be disagreeable to you."