A Twine of Way-side Ivy; or, Three tales from an old woman's note-book

Introduction

. " Three Tales from an Old Woman's Note Book !" — methinks already I hear contemptu ously exclaimed by many, who are listlessly turning over these pages in search of some thing to amuse or interest them : — " An Old Woman's Stories ! — certain to be a com pound of prosy aphorisms, and stupidly bitter remarks, tedious and dry into the bargain." Now, did I purpose writing down my own history, perhaps, my friends, it might prove so ; for life to me has been strangely calm and peaceful — so utterly uneventful and conse quent! y unromantic, that actually I have not

INTRODUCTION.

. had the agreeable agitation of even one pro posal to ruffle its tranquillity, or to record. " An old maid, too ; worse and worse." Nay, bear with me a little longer, I forgot myself there, and went a little further in my humility than I need have done perhaps. It is said a chance is given to everybody, once at least in the course of their existence, to change their condition of life, and certainly so far I may plead to being no exception from the general rule. For in truth you must know that, once upon a time, even to me, was poured forth a most devoted declaration of attachment, and, moreover, received into a very willing ear. " How — to you ? You contradict your self singularly in your statements now." Alack and alas ! no — for the honeyed words were uttered only by the lips of a small boy, verging upon twelve years of age, when I was at school. A sad falling off this, is it not, my friends, from what my preamble led you

INTRODUCTION.

. V to expect ? but, nevertheless, so befel my fate. I would say a few words more, for bring ing myself before the public in my old age, ere I plunge courageously into the narration of another's history. I only wish to tell you that I live now in a quiet country village, that I was always old for my years, and that my lot has ever been to comfort others in their hours of sorrow, rather than to mourn griefs of my own, yet — ' I lie in a heavy trance, With a world of dreams without me, Shapes of shadow dance In wavering bands about me." For many are the tales of sorrow and joy which have been confided to me; and — I presume to make up for my own deficiencies on that score — it has pleased Heaven to cast my portion amongst those whose real lives have been chequered with many incidents. I was lately turning over the leaves of an old journal of mine, a chronicle of days past VI

INTRODUCTION.

. away, and therein I found so much inscribed that interested me, I was seized with the benevolent desire (query, by the bye, whether such you will consider it) that others also should benefit thereby. The wish haunted me — that common wish of the present time — to see myself in print again. Yes, the old woman was vain enough to believe that her hoarded treasures might interest you also; and drawn on (by Fate, I suppose, to fulfil my destiny !) I seized my pen — and behold the result ! Should my attempt give pleasure, well and good — it will make me very happy — and I may perchance unlock some more " secrets of my prison house." If not, I shall in that case share the fate of many others; with them, alas ! enduring as best we may, " Les peines d'un malheur dont nous avons ambitionnes la gloire !" EVELYN SHIRLEY'S TWO BALLS. CONSTANCE VERE.

Chapter I

Who is there that does not appreciate the delight of forming one of a large party in a country house ? An agreeable host and hostess, just sufficiently careful of their guests, without too much inter ference ; beauty, talent, and lively powers of con versation being the staple qualities of the indi viduals collected in the mansion, and perpetual yet varying pleasures the order of the day. Surely, if anywhere on the surface of this poor old world, " Be gone dull care " could be sung with effect, that would be the place. In the autumn of 18 — , such a party as the one above imagined was really assembled in the hos^ pitable mansion of Sir John Dalrymple, which was situated in the west of Ireland, near the little town of H . It was the gay period of the year in the neighbourhood ; for, like most other country places, its festivities were only periodical : the inhabitants very sociable for a couple of months or so, and then for the remainder of the twelve months scarcely ever meeting, or knowing much about each other.

There were races and a ball, in the present instance, and all the gentry in the country deemed it a duty to fill their houses for the occasion with guests from far and near. It was a decidedly fast party, the one at Balin aslough Castle — so was Sir John Dalrymple's residence named : the house was crammed to over flowing, and his lady-wife's ingenuity had been sorely taxed to make the necessary arrangements for receiving so many guests ; it had ended in some half-dozen young ladies being obliged to share one long room in the upper portion of the house, called there " the barrack-room " — the tradition existing, that in the stormy days of Oliver Cromwell's time, soldiers had for lona. been quartered in the mansion ; and that, during their sojourn in the place, this apartment, which was unusually spacious, had been used as barrack room by them.

But, on the numerous antiquities and historical associations connected with Balina slough Castle itself, we will not touch ; their name in truth is legion, and to enter into any inquiry respecting them would be endless work, and quite irrelevant to my story. Many were the guests then assembled under that ancient roof; but of all who formed that "goodlie companie," the favourite with all, the winner of every heart, the one whom all most eagerly sought, was Kathleen. Kathleen O'Brien was the spoiled child of in dulgent parents, naturally high-spirited, and with talents which, if better directed, would have been great in their force. Clever, spiriluelle, and agree able, with her wild Irish beauty, she presented a combination of attractions rarely to be met with ; yet, from indulgence, from an overflow of happiness, she was, alas ! now becoming wilful — I might say tyrannical — in the exercise of her power ; too fond of displaying it, she was apt to peril her happiness by the daring risks she ran of forfeiting it, and by the trials she deemed all bound, as it were, to suffer for her sake.

She needed the cold hard lesson of adversity to pierce with its thorn the delicate rose of life, such as existence was to her. The smooth stones of the stream were her portion, and a sadder lot is that, often and often, than is its apparently more trying brother, the furnace of sorrow. Well, it came in time ; but, as yet, a truce to reflections ; what have they to do with such as Kathleen? her lightest look, her smallest word, betokened b such a joyous-hearted being, methinks the sight of her would have changed the most gloomy anchorite from his severity to amiability and humanity. And until now, in "the pleasant fields," had Kathleen wandered, untouched, unharmed. Still, " Amor, che a nulla amo, amar perdona," in time brought its retribution ; and, behold ! even now, Kathleen is already sitting thoughtfully by the window of the barrack-room, gazing listlessly on the fair scene which lay outspread before her.

Kathleen thoughtful ! The world, then, has at length discovered to the gaze something new under the Sun. In Sir John Dalrymple's house, many before her had "met their fate;" it was by no means an uncommon circumstance there ; and verily now even such had happened to Kathleen. She was no longer free-hearted now. She was no longer indifferent to all her wooers. She was learning now to feel " When left by one, That all men beside go with him." It was a strange choice she had made at last, for one so gay, in that cold imperturbable man, with his grave calm countenance, almost saturnine in its expression. Yet was Douglas Osmond's no com mon character, though one that but few women would have smiled upon, though all cared to gain his attention. He was agreeable certainly, in his way ; but there was something almost repel ling, too, in his passionless voice and unimpulsive manner, although that something was indescribable, so veiled was it under the most excessive courtesy.

He gave you the idea of a man, who did all from the head, not from the heart ; his very love seemed but a cold reflection of the warmth of the real genuine feeling ; all appeared so painfully systematic with him ; he was never in the least excited in any one thing he said or did; you could not feel interested in him, it seemed so impossible for him to commit himself in any way. He may have been wrongly judged — who knows? He was a character, to read the which aright defied the talent of the cleverest scrutiniser of the deepest read in the mysteries of the human heart. Yet it was to him, that Kathleen O'Brien had given the first deep love of her warm youthful heart; and even now she worshipped him, with all the wild idolatry of which her ardent, passionate nature was so capable, her vivid fancy imbuing him with every good and brilliant attribute that ever living mortal could have bestowed upon him.

Some said, that picqued by his indifference to her when first thev had met, she had striven her utmost to win WAY- SIDE IVY. the only one who refused her his allegiance, until in the conflict, she, the aggressor, had fallen the victim. But this was not the case now ; she had never for one instant striven to attract him : never ! Nay, more : I confess, I doubt any true-hearted woman ever being induced to engage in such a part ; and with all her faults, Kathleen was " true hearted" in the main. Bather holding a doctrine I have noticed through life to be the case, and one I love to trace and follow ; I should say that here the soul had met its other half ; that the union of the perfect whole would be the result of a mutual attachment between these opposite, but not antagonistic spirits ; and that the more fervid imagination, the finer organization of her nature, was the first to make the discovery.

For in him unmistakably existed those qualities which, joined to her own, would form the full development of character, which two souls, each possessing the mental qualities needed by the other, can alone constitute. Reader, do you understand my theory, and agree with me? Believe me, it is this cure for deficiency of character being found, which would account truly for many of the marriages we hear of that so astonish the world : far more frequently is this a cause of union than an exact similarity of disposition. Some tastes and feelings you must have together ; but au reste, the one being should supply the wants of the other in its spiritual soul — its life-world. Were more attention bestowed upon this doctrine, there would be less desecration of the holy name of love, which, alas ! we are now so often called upon to witness ; comparatively few would be the unhappy marriages now so numerous ; and why ? because the world adores gold and possessions, riches and honour, power and rank ; and the worldly-wise bow to those false glittering mockeries, until the real and the true fade from before their vision into the dim distance, and with fevered hearts and brows they cling to the false and disappointing idols of their own hewing — their creatures of wood and stone which their own hands have made — rather than seek for the mutual support, the gentle mutual affec tion, the true love strong as death (the only right bond of union this forming between man and woman), which alone should influence the choice of the true helpmate for each during their pilgrimage here below.

And still Kathleen sits thoughtfully by the window ! Douglas Osmond had begun by admiring her as one might some beautiful picture: but gradually attracted to her, he too had learnt to WAY-SIDE IVY. think of her, and of her only in the gay circle around him ; yet his cautious nature still checked his natural impulses, and forbade him to give way to the feelings which, spite of himself, he hourly felt gaining strength in his heart; he was just balancing between a retreat and an advance. Oh, Kathleen, beware ! show your true self ; abandon your rash folly — your trials of power ! Child of indulgence, pause, for your happiness is at stake ; your life-happiness, Kathleen !

Chapter II

The whole party were taking a long rambling country walk. They had started in the merriest spirits, laughing and talking ; you would have thought nothing but joy could be in the world; and the lovely face of nature was as smiling as their own. Douglas and Kathleen were together ; they generally were now. No vows of love had been interchanged ; but in moments of deep feeling is the furniture of speech necessary ? " Few are the words which I have spoken, True love's words they should be few ; But by many a voiceless token Hath my soul discoursed with you !" And so it was with my heroine and her lover. It was the childhood of their love, and they lingered over the bright hour unwilling to break its sweet charm by giving it reality by a name. As yet Kathleen with him had restrained her usual arro gant display of power, and he scarcely saw this fault in her character ; and his attachment for her seemed to have completely altered the hardness of his nature : almost joyous was he now !

Time had sped on. I have not paused to tell of the races — of the ball ; they resembled all other races and balls which have gone before them ; they had passed, and when the party started for their walk but two days remained ere they would separate, perhaps never to meet again. Kathleen was more than ever irresistible that day ; and carried away (at length even he carried away !) by his depth of emotion, in that rambling walk, Douglas for the first time spoke openly of his love. He waited for her answer, — impatiently he turned to her. The old rebellious pride warred fearfully in her soul ; and yet, strange paradox ! she cared for him intensely, even more than she herself to her own heart would admit. And so they were. At this instant another voice, speaking close to her, startled Kathleen.

" Miss O'Brien, I am deputed to entreat of you _ 'S A TAVINE OF AVAY-SIDE IVY. to join the rest of the party ; they are endeavour ing to make George Wilson take a ' lover's leap,' and you must come and use your influence ; his courage is marvellously increasing in resemblance to that of Bob Acres, 'oozing out of his fingers' ends every moment."' Kathleen laughingly obeyed, and, much to Mr. Osmond's disgust, following her conductor, was soon amidst the gay throng. At the extreme height of the hill they had been climbing — so completely at the summit, that, until you had arrived there, no idea of its existence presented itself to your mind — was a large yawning fissure ; some freak of nature, or some convulsion of the elements in some far back age, had there separated the hill into two cones, this frightful vacuum yawning grimly between ; over this were the party endeavouring to persuade the weak youth, George, to leap.

He had been the butt of the party for long, and until now had been made a perfect Don Quixote by the feats of gallantry they had laughingly induced him to undertake ; but this was a more serious affair, and even Georo-e proved a Uttle restive now. The matter, com menced only in jest, began to assume a character of earnest, and more than one fair dame endeavoured AVELL. 11 to attest the allegiance of her devoted admirer, by inviting him to attempt the fearful ordeal. "Hasten, Kathleen," cried Isabella Graham, flying eagerly to meet her— "hasten and lend your entreaties to induce this recreant knight to attempt ' the lover's leap.' Surely you must succeed, though all else have failed, Avith the Avould be ' preux chevalier des dames.' " " It is hardly surprising," said Douglas, quietly looking, as he spoke, into the gulf before him; " 'tis a fearful venture."

" And yet," said Lady Dalrymple, " once it Avas undertaken and achieved." " Oh, how? — Do tell us, dear Lady Dalrymple," broke from the eager group. " I am a bad person to ask," answered she, smiling ; " the gift of relating legendary lore thrillingly, alas ! is not mine. It was in the olden time — a cruel father and two despairing lovers (of course) the foundation of the story. — The old lord said, in reply to the pleading of the. young knight, that never should consent of his be given to the marriage of his fair and only child, the heiress of his broad lands, with the object of her choice, unless, he added tauntingly, the gallant but landless suitor would leap this said Avide chasm !' And he did so : he perilled his life for the ' ladye of his love,' and won her ; and so it came to pass that the large possessions of the Fitz- Clares, passed into the family of the Dalrymples.

Therefore, you see, it Avas considered no small feat to perform, even then ; since even in those brave days it was deemed impracticable, though it was achieved spite of its danger ; but, ' love will still be lord of all,' Avhich, I presume, is the moral of my story." " Oh ! Avith an object, and such an object to gain, it might be attempted," said George, as he shudderingly turned away. Douglas shrugged his shoulders. Kathleen saAV the movement, and the proud blood mounted to her very temples. " Mr. Osmond," said she, aside to him, " will not you, for my sake, undertake the perilous leap of the Dalrymple ?" " It was a cruel father, Miss O'Brien, not a hard-hearted ladye-love, who forced the gallant knight to the fearful enterprise." " The spirit of chivalry is then extinct," said the girl scornfully; "though it were a cruel father in the case in question, the knights of old per formed bolder deeds than this for the love they bore to the women of those good days."

Mr. Osmond looked at her searchingly, and walked on to the edge of the cliff. There Avas something in the look she did not like, and morti fied with herself, provoked at her failure, Kath leen paused. " No one will offer to devote themselves, Kathleen — no one, no one ; such degeneracy is very sad," exclaimed Isabella. " Not even you, Miss O'Brien, can command such an adventurous lover," remarked Captain Cunninghame, with a scornful glance at Douglas, of whom he was most thoroughly jealous, with that amiable dog-in-the-mangerlike feeling, which so often distinguishes human nature. He knew he could not win the fair girl himself, but he disliked cordially the idea of another being more fortunate, and hated in proportion any, and every, more suc cessful soupirant ! The gallant Captain Avas one of Miss O'Brien's most indefatigable admirers, and Kathleen detested him thoroughly.

She gave one side-long glance at her lover ; he was talking to Isabella, apparently heedless of all else around him. Piqued by his seeming indifference, stung to the heart by Captain Cunninghame's taunts — of all men, he being the one from whom she could least bear them — all the bad points in her nature sprang rebellious into her mind, and seized the mastery of it. She held in her hand a bouquet of flowers. Oh, Kathleen! — and his gift besides ! — given so short time ago — plucked whilst you shared that happy walk together on the terrace, ere you wandered together up this hill. However, she gave no softening thought to the past : mortified vanity and a weak, foolish Avish to display her power over him alone, then filling her soul. She took, then, this bouquet, and she flung it with an unerring aim across the chasm ; when she had done so, she turned to him calmly, and — " Thus, Mr. Osmond, then, do I noAV lay my commands upon you," she said defiantly; " as a good knight and true, I call upon you to recover for me those flowers; and at my request to undertake a feat Avhich everyone else refuses to attempt."

" A fair challenge, Osmond, from the peerless Queen of Beauty," laughed Captain Cunninghame. " Just so," replied Osmond carelessly ; " I can not but admit the plea ; it is a fair challenge indeed, well becoming the wild behests of the proud ' ladye of beauty ' (then, in a low voice to Kathleen) ; but oh, surely not worthy of the woman's heart I believed in and loved ! Do you really Avish it done, Miss O'Brien?" he added negligently and aloud. Kathleen would have now draAvn back— how gladly! but again the erring pride forbade it; and she bowed her head, in token of assent. He gave one look to the task Avhich lay before him, then one to her he had so fervently adored, as the ideal of all perfection ; then turned to fulfil his undertaking. " Oh ! stop him Kathleen : not in earnest — it is death to dare it," Avildly shrieked the ladies.

Isabella first and the most eagerly. But Kathleen seemed turned into stone. A moment of suspense ; even Avhile they speak, it is done — and he, Douglas, is standing unharmed on the other side,— a great gulf, indeed, betwixt them! Oh ! the feeling of relies this sight gave to all, as they drew the long deep breath after their fear; and the dead silence which the terror-stricken spectator had maintained, gave Avay to the loud heart-felt hurrah of praise and approbation which greeted Mr. Osmond, as he wound sloAvly round the cliff to join the party on the hill-top. He heeded it but little, still less the eager voices of congratulation as he nearer approached them. Apathetically, and as one who had a task to perform, Avhich must be fulfilled, he Avalked straight to the spot where Kathleen stood — no longer the haughty imperious Kathleen, but the trembling, agitated, blushing A TAVINE OF WAY-SIDE IVY. girl — and gave her the flowers so dearly earned, purchased at the costly sacrifice of a life's happiness !

His wonderful self-control, even then, failed him not, and a speech of high-sounding oratory, strong in the conceits of language of the ancient chivalric days, Avas heard by all, as ad dressed to " the fair Queen of Beauty." But to the woman he had loved — " Pledge for pledge, Miss O'Brien," said he, in a low voice ; (poor Kathleen !) " pledge for pledge ; the flowers once more are yours, but in exchange, I retake the heart I once so foolishly offered ; gladly I gave it, but oh ! far more gladly do I reclaim a gift so little valued, so lightly prized, so ill bestoAved." He turned and left her. And she — for one moment startled, bewildered by her own act and its fatal consequences, she stood as one immovable; fixed, chained to the spot ; and then, like many another poor aching heart has done before, she " taught her woman's pride to hide her woman's love," and turning to Captain Cunninghame, made some passing, hurried remark to him, and by degrees was, apparently, once more as gay as ever.

But it Avas not from the heart now, that mockery of laughter, those brilliant repartees. Mechanically the spirit did its office; Avithin, a maddening sorrow was at work ; and how she suffered ! As they left the spot she turned once and looked at Douglas; he, too, appeared calm, far calmer than herself; but his imperturbable countenance defied scrutiny, or any interpretation as to the inner workings of his mind. And so often passes an act in the drama of ex istence : in one brief hour the happiness or misery of a life may thus be made or marred — remain, from that moment, for eternity our own, or be blighted even as it springs into being— and those around see nought of the events that have been passing, even before their very vision ! Alas ! life causes us to become far more skilfully the power ful actor than can any stage teaching ; and the lesson once so learnt, there is but little fear of its being again forgotten.

They left the place where so much had been enacted, unknown, unwitnessed by the rest; and they Avended their way home- Avards, until they reached the terrace garden, before the old castle. Here they encountered their host, Sir John Dalrymple. Did I mention before that he had not acccompanied the party ? I forget! He was wondering at their long ab sence, and, of course, was speedily in possession of the whole history. " Good heavens ! Why, Osmond, my dear AVAY-SIDE IVY. fellow," exclaimed he, "what utter madness! Truly grateful ought you to feel that you escaped Avith life, let alone unhurt ; for fearful indeed Avas the attempt. Miss O'Brien, a verdict of man slaughter should be returned against you ; or, rather," added he, to Kathleen, as he saAV she really looked embarrassed — " or, rather, the ver dict, it is said, Avhich Avas once given by one of our Irish juries — ' Not guilty; but she had better not do it again ! ' " She tried her best to appear gay, and to laugh.

" Miss O'Brien," said Osmond, fixing his eyes upon the poor girl, " thinks the danger but trifling, the risk of a human life but small, in com parison Avith obedience to her behests — I must not, I presume, to a lady, say, of her caprices!" The good-natured baronet saw something Avas wrong. " It is a pity," rejoined he, " I Avas not there to keep so mad a set of young people in order ; my good Avife is hardly equal to the task. Miss O'Brien, in return for your cruelty, you should make a pilgrimage to the Haunted Well, and learn there the fate of a young lady, who can command such obedient knights, to perform her slightest wishes so readily. But Avhere is she? — what has become of her ? " continued he, looking round. Kathleen was gone ; she could bear it no longer ; she had borne it so far, but her strength of mind and body were alike failing now, and she had made her escape ; and she sits by the window, as we first beheld her, leaning her weary head on her hand.

" How it aches," murmured she. Thought and utterance all seemed departed, every idea was bewildered ; her temples throbbed, her very heart seemed standing still; such a dull, dull pain, and not a tear would re lieve the burning eyeballs. And so she remained until hurried steps Avere heard approaching. eager voices echoing through the passages, and the merry companions who shared her room entered. The poor girl tried to rouse herself; she felt all must be concealed. What Avould she not have given for one little corner to her self in that large mansion ! Oh, to be alone ! — She said she had gone from the terrace, for she was tired, and so forth ; and, summoning her maid, began the necessary duties of the evening toilette. How strange the mechanical manner in Avhich we go through such things, Avhen all other exertion seems impossible !

Isabella came to her. " You should have stayed to listen to Sir John's story, Kathleen ; " she said. WAY-SIDE IVY. " Oh, I heard it all ; the verdict of the Irish jury, you mean?" " No, no," replied the other laughing ; " the legend of the Haunted Well— such a fearful thing? Nevertheless, I have a strange desire to try the spell myself, all the same." " Tell it me, dear," said Kathleen, too glad to be spared the exertion of talking. " But my dear child, I really have not time to do so; I shall never be ready for dinner. It was a long, long tale ; but the end of it is this : that, owing to a dreadful sin of an ancestress of this house, that little well in the park is haunted ; and whosoeA'er has the courage to make a pilgrimage to it at the witching hour of midnight, on a Friday night, dip a handkerchief in the Avater, and, kneeling on the large stone at its head, say a prayer, (actually addressed to no less a person than his Satanic majesty himself!) come home and put the handkerchief to dry before the fire, will be rewarded with the edifying sight of the hero she is eventually to marry !"