The Story of Nelly Dillon ... By the author of 'Myself and my Relatives'

Front matter

&c MR. NEWBY'S NEW NOVELS. In Three Vols. Price 31s. Cd. UNCLE ARMSTRONG. A Novel. By Lord B*#*###M, Author of " Masters and Workmen," " The Fate of Folly," "Naples," _c. In Three Vols. Price 31s. Gd. A TROUBLED STREAM. By the Author of " The Cliffords of Oakley," "Constance Dale," Ac. In Three Vols. Price 31s. Cd. (In July). OUR BLUE JACKETS AFLOAT AND ASHORE A Novel. By F. C. ARMSTRONG, Anther cf "The Two Midshipmen," "The Naval Li.u'.enant, Extract from the Morning Post, Feb. lGtb, 1SGG. A very ingenious invention has lately been patented by Messrs. Jay, of Regent Street, — " THE EUTHEIMA." It is nothing less than a self-fit ting and adjustable bodice, possessing the power of expanding to accommodate any variation of the figure, to obviate all undue pressure and necessity for alteration, and therefore expressly suited to the requirements of ladies in a delicate state of health.

" The Eutheima" is made in black silk, elegantly trimmed ; it is tight to the bust, with bands and epaulettes of crepe or of silk gimp and jet beads, but it can be made in any material. The elasticity is contrived by the insertion of welts of elastic webbing under the braces, from the shoulder to the waist, beneath the arms and down the shoulders under the brace ornaments. The set and style are excellent. The ladies appear to be quite ready to appreciate the peculiar merits and conveniences of the new patent, for, though but very recently introduced to the public, the Queen (the Lady's Newspaper) and Court Journal state that considerable numbers have already been sold. THE STOEY OF NELLY DILLON IN TWO VOLUMES. BY The Author of " Myself and my Relatives," &C. "Love is lite The shadow of a flower in a s trca _ , Wliich seems- -but is not ; And yet, There is no spirit under Heaven.

That works with such delusion." L. E. L. VOL. I. Sonbmt : T. CAUTLEY NEWBY, PUBLISHER, 30, WELBECK STREET, CAVENDISH SQUARE. 1866. [all rights reserved.] TO FIELD marshal THE RIGHT HON'OUUABLE VISCOUNT GOUGH, K.P., G.C.B., K.S.I., THIS WORK IS DEDICATED AS A SLIGHT TESTIMONY OF THE AUTHOR'S APPRECIATION OF THE DISTINGUISHED SERVICES WHICH HE HAS RENDERED TO HIS COUNTRY.

Chapter I. The Meeting Of The Lovers

It was a very lovely Sabbath evening, — the sunshine fell in golden rays upon rich fields of pasture, and waving meadows of long grass nearly ripe for the scythe. The lofty range of the Galtie mountains, Slievenanian and the Commeragh hills, looked as if covered by a blue haze as they rose in the distance, seeming almost to touch the sky above them. No picture could have seemed more beautiful than that bright Tipperary landscape viewed VOL. I. B from a height, with its far-spreading fields of luxuriant crops, its neat farm-houses, its bold mountains, and the silvery line of the Suir winding in and out through groups of trees. A young girl, dressed coquettishly, and ex ceedingly lovely in appearance, emerged from a comfortable homestead — bearing the aspect of a wealthy farmer's dwelling. She wore a gown of fine muslin, a gay shawl, and her unbonneted head was adorned by many a glossy braid and plait.

You could not have seen a fairer face than hers — in any rank of life she would have attracted admiration ; — the exquisitely moulded features, the spark ling, yet soft eyes, the graceful figure and contour of the small Grecian head must have been pronounced perfect of their kind any where. The expression of the girl's face was of a noble cast — a little haughty, perhaps, but not unpleasantly so. There was much of self-consequence displayed in her gait, as she went lightly forward, now and then humming a bar of a lively song, or stopping to pick a wild flower by the way. Anyone could have seen that the past week had left but small trace of hard work on her — she looked as little accustomed to toil as a high-born lady, — the small white hands were as delicate as those of a child — the air as degage as if such a thing as care did not exist.

Just at that moment she was as happy as a new made queen. She had been at mass in the early part of the day — she had said her prayers, and asked a blessing for all who were dear to her, and these were many ; she had performed all the light duties of the day, and now she was going forth to take her Sunday evening walk. A few of her neighbours, perhaps, thought it peculiar that she preferred setting out on her stroll alone, to seeking the companionship of some young person of her own age ; but she knew her own business best. She crossed many a rustic style, passed over many a fresh green field, and down many a b nairow lane flanked by sweet smelling hedge rows, meeting few people on the way, but of those few almost all turned to look back at her fair figure after they had passed her. At length the flush on her cheek deepened its hue, and her eyes sparkled still more brightly when she encountered the individual whom perhaps she had been hoping and expecting to meet all along the way.

It was a young man some years older than herself, strikingly handsome, tall, dark, and of athletic appear ance, with the careless air of one who had little to do, and was altogether his own master. She rather slacktned than hurried her pace as he approached quickly to meet her. " I was going as fast as ever I could to the house, Nelly," he said, joining her at once. "Well, I thought the evenin' was so fine I'd come out as soon as ever supper was over," replied the girl. " Father and the boys are out, and mother's gone to sit with Mrs. Fagan." " And so there's no one at home but Kitty, I suppose ?" " Not one. You know Kitty doesn't stir out of a Sunday evenin' scarce at all. We were thinkin' it was long since you had been up at our place." " Ay, so it is ; but I have been bothered about many's the thing this time back."

" What about, Pety ?" inquired the girl, a little anxiously. " Oh, one thing or another," replied the young man, rather evasively, as he looked tenderly into the blue eyes scanning his face. " But no matter what troubles me, Nelly ; there's one thought never out of my mind and sometimes it frets me, and sometimes it lifts me up as high as the heavens above everything in the wide world." Nelly knew the look even better than the language of love, and this speech made her colour rise brightly. " You don't be often at home now,I think ?" she said, after a pause. lt Well not often, maybe. You see there's a good deal o' business to look after of one sort or another, and there's no depending on any one but oneself to do the right thing." "Have you settled anything about the few acres that you said Mr. Hanlon wanted you to part with?"

" Oh, not anything," returned Pety, as his brow lowered quickly, and the light in his black eye grew darker. " You know I told you, Nelly, I wouldn't ever give up a rood o' that ground." " And no one can make you do it, as long as you pay the rent, I suppose ?" " No, nor longer than that, too," said the young man, as a slight smile curled his lip. " But you will pay the rent all right, won't ye?" urged the girl. " Never fret about that, Nelly. Whatever I think right to do I'll do it, and not all the powers on earth will make me go back o' what I know I'm entitled to." " Musha ! but I don't like quarrels," said the girl, sighing very heavily. " Sure it's heart breakin' to think of all that comes to pass out of ever so little a beginnin'. Han- Ion's a very hard man where he's thwarted, though every one says he's an honest — " " Never heed what everyone says, Nelly.

You know the ould saying, ' the divil's good when he's plazed,' and Hanlon's like the same gentleman." " Were you at mass to day, Pety ?" " Well, I wasn't. You know I'm not over fond of goin' ; and, anyway, I wasn't near the chapel to-day. It never appeared to me, Nelly, that people got much good by goin' to mass, though you'd see them crowdin' to it as thick as bees, Sundays upon Sundays." " In joke or earnest, Pety, you shouldn't say that," observed Nelly, gravely, while an expression of pain flitted across her face. "I know I'm not good, Nelly; but wait a bit. The time will come when I'll warrant I'll be a changed man, and you'll do what you'll like with me." The girl shook her head. " If you don't change for something better than any won on earth, Pety, I doubt if you'll ever change at all," she said, despondingly ; all her light-hearted gaiety seeming to for sake her.

" There's won thing that would send me faster to the bad than anything else in this life," said the youth, earnestly, "and that would be to lose your good opinion, Nelly. If I was ever so much inclined to turn care less about what became of me, a word from you would set me right again." " And why don't you mind what I tell you now, Pety?" asked the girl, looking straight in his face. " How am I to b'lieve that you'd turn steady and good to plaze me won time more than another ?" " You know I'm not sure of you yet," sail the youth. " There's many a slip betwixt the cup and the lip ; and oftentimes I'm fairly out o' my mind, thinkin' that something may come between us, and send me to ruin entirely. If anything happened to turn you from me, Nelly, I wouldn't care a pinch o' snuff what became o' me, body or soul; and there's the downright truth for ye!"

" That aint a right way to talk, Pety," returned the girl, endeavouring to suppress the slight smile of satisfaction that rose to her lips, in spite of herself. " You know I'm only a poor mortal worm, compared to all that ought to make you lead a proper life. Love, they say, is an easy thing to win or lose; and so, you see, if you got tired o' me, what depindance should I have that you'd mind a word I'd say?" " There's nothing in life that could make me grow tired o' ye, Nelly ; and you know that right well, though you're fond o' talkin', just to vex me. How many years is it, now, since we're spakin' to other ? I b'lieve you can scarce remember the time when you weren't more to me than anything in the wide world." " We were always together as childther," b NELL* DILLON. said Nelly. " You used to be far oftener in our house than you are now !"

" That's because I don't think I'm as wel come there as I was in them days," answered the young man, fixing his dark eyes on the girl's face, with a searching expression. " It seems to me now as if your father didn't care to see me; he ain't as civil as he used to be, and your brothers, somehow, ain't as friendly, aither." " Don't fancy any such nonsense as that, Pety," observed Nelly, hastily. " Father always had a good wish for ye." "But people change often, Nelly. IIow somever, it don't matter much when you're the same to me that ever you were. I've that confidence in you still, that you'd take my part again my enemies, and not be talked into givin' me up entirely by one belongin' to ye." " Nobody ever tries to put me again' you," replied Nelly, in a low, trembling voice. " Father and mother have always spoken well of ye ; and if they ever feel sorry that you don't do right, they're grieved about it."

" Does anyone at home think I've a chance of your love, Nelly?" asked Pety, while a look, half scornful, half incredulous, played on his features. " Nobody ever spoke of it," said Nelly, in a tone scarcely louder than a whisper. " And you never mintioned it, yourself, I'll warrant ?'' " Why would I, Pety ? That wouldn't be my place ?" The youth's lip curled bitterly ; but he made no remark. Nelly and he walked very far that evening before they turned to go to wards the home of the former. The sun had long set, and the grass was heavy with dew, as they passed over the fields. That Sunday evening stroll was very precious to both, — and they lingered over it, minute after minute, till the fast gathering dusk told them it was time to retrace their steps. As they went back a few people met them, and more than one paused to watch their figures as they passed onwards.

" I dunno would Nelly Dillon's father care to see her wid Pety Fogarty this way," said one thoughtful matron to a companion, after she had met the young people. " It's my opinion Pat Dillon hasn't the smallest sus picion on earth that them two is coortin'." " And sure he must be the blindest man that ever stepped, Mrs. Doogan, if he wouldn't use his eyes like everybody else," returned her friend. " God help the crathurs!" ejaculated Mrs. Doogan. " An' sure they've been acquainted wid other since they wor born, as you may say. It's hard to tell how it '11 end, but the Lord grant there mayn't be a sad stop to it, that's all I pray." " Do you think does the father know she's walkin' wid Fogarty this minnit?" " No more than the dead," solemnly replied Mrs. Doogan. " And yit sure Nelly has got the name of bein' a very modest, discreet girl."

" It's the way wid many a won like her. You see Fogarty's the finest boy in the counthry, and there's no denyin' he has a takin' way wid him whin he chooses, though half times he don't care to make himself pleasant to the girls. Hundreds of uglier men than Pety have turned the heads of Colleens as well brought up as Nelly Dillon, and made them forget parents and all belongin' to them." " Somebody ought to tell Pat Dillon how things is goin' on." " Oh never do you heed what aint no concern o' yours," said Mrs. Doogan, sagely. " Don't go to make mischief, and stir up a shindy that wouldn't do no good, but may be send Nelly to harm faster than she's goin' this minnit." And thus the two women talked, while Pety Fogarty and Nelly Dillon slowly wended their way towards the home of the young girl.

Chapter II. Shadowy Fears

The youth did not accompany his sweetheart quite to the gate of her father's farm. He left her at the head of a lane leading to it, watching her figure with earnest gaze till she got safely to the door of the house. In the dim light he could see her wave her hand to him as she disappeared within the dwelling, and then he turned away. The Dillons' farm was extensive, and always kept in the best order. The dwelling house and out-offices were never out of repair, and the garden and fields bore traces of taste and industry. The farmer was a very honest respectable man, and Tipperary can boast of many such, though it bears so dark a character, and unfortunately not without reason. His sons were three in number, and all of unblemished reputations. Not one of them had ever cracked a skull, or fired at a landlord in his life, and no relative of the family had been hanged for the last thirty years, which was saying a good deal for the Tipperary respectability of the Dillons.

The female portion of the family consisted of the mother and two daughters, the elder of the latter being considerably older than her sister Nelly, who was the youngest of the family and the pet and pride of the household. They were all well looking, — sons and daughters, — but none had the beauty or grace of Nelly, and so she was allowed many indulgences and granted many favours in consideration of her rare loveliness. Perhaps Mrs. Dillon herself petted the girl less than did the other members of the domestic circle ; but female beauty is greatly prized in Ireland, and her father and brothers felt it as a triumph when people declared that Nelly was the prettiest girl at every market, wake, or dance in the neighbourhood, nor was her sister Kitty less proud of the admiration she created. When Nelly entered the house after her evening walk, she found Kitty sitting alone in the cleanly swept kitchen, which was the apartment generally occupied by the family, though they had a comfortable parlour off it for particular occasions.

The fire had burned low in the grate, and the chirp of the cricket sounded at intervals from the hearth. Kitty was leaning her head on her hand when her sister entered, but she arose immediately to meet her. "It's late Nelly, isn't it?" she asked, as the young girl threw back the shawl from her shoulders, and sat down as isa little weary. " I daresay it is, Kitty, but where's mother ?" " Not come back yit. Bet Fagan had a few frinds to supper to-night, and she wanted me to go with mother, but I wouldn't go whin you weren't within." " May be ye wouldn't have gone any way, Kitty," rejoined Nelly. " Sure you scarce stir out day or night." " Had ye a pleasant walk this evenin' ?" " Oh, ever so pleasant, and the air was as warm and sweet as ever I found it. I could have stopped out far longer, only for the dark comin' on."

" Faith an' it was time for ye to come in," said Kitty, in her blunt way, " Sure the bats is flyin' about this hour." " Well, it was lovely, and I'm sorry the evenin's over." " Did ye see many people out ?" asked Kitty, after a pause. " Not very many. I met Mrs. Doogan and Mary Wall." " Anybody else?" " Oh, I saw plenty, but I wasn't spakin' to many." " You weren't your lone all the time you were out, though?" said Kitty, fixing her eyes on her sister's face, which grew very red, though the faint light concealed the change of colour. " I was not my lone, — you wouldn't think I'd go walkin' by myself at this hour, Kitty; sure ye wouldn't ?"' " Well, I would not, and that's the truth ; and what's more, maybe I'd have a guess of who you'd be with, too, so you may as well tell it out at wonst."

"I met Pety Fogarty, just a piece above Tim Scully's land, and then he turned with _- _ " me. " And so you were all them hours with him?" " Yes ; but Kitty, why in the world do you cross-question me this way ? Sure you don't think me wrong for takin' a Sunday walk with Pety ?" asked Nelly, in a voice very unsteady and agitated, as though her breath was coming and going in short gasps. " I'd as soon you'd walk with anyone else, Nelly, and that's the truth," said Kitty, gravely. " Oh, don't put that notion in father's head," rejoined the young girl, in a tone of distress. " He has never said a word yet again' me goin' with Pety, and— and — " " And you're afraid he'd tell ye to give up walkin' with him if I'd say anything? Never fear, child, I won't put ill in father's head ; but I'll give you my own opinion, and that's only fair.

Don't let your new shawl fall into the can of water. What's come over you, that you're so tired and out of spirits ?" " I'm tired ; but not out of humour or spirits." But Kitty, who had lit a candle, now scanned her sister's face, with a scrutiny that the latter shrank from, without knowing why. She had a presentiment of coming trouble, perhaps. " Nelly, my own darlin', you know what ever I wish you to do is for your good,'' said the elder sister, whose own countenance wore a look of anxiety and care. " The time may come when you'll be long sorry for keepuf company with Pety Fogarty, for he's a slutherin' cunnin' fella ; and if he'd wonst gain a hold upon your heart — which God forbid — you'd find it the hardest thing in life to get rid of the likin'. I'd wish to warn you in time, child, for your own sake, and the sake of all belongin' to ye."

" Don't talk that way, Kitty," gasped the young girl, whose face was now deadly pale. " Pety has been our friend as long as I can remember; and father never said I wasn't to spake to him." "Father never said it, because he has no more notion than the child unborn, that you and he see each other scarce at all lately, or that if you did meet, you'd be more to other than you were when you were childther. Father never thinks of you but as a child, yit ; and sure, what more are you ? You're near ten years younger than me, and I'm not much over six-and-twenty." Nelly longed to say, " and you think father wouldn't let me walk with Pety, if he thought of forbidding it ;" but could not summon up courage to ask the dread question. Better far to leave the affair a matter of doubt, than be confirmed in a terrible surmise.

" Don't be vexed with anything I say, my pet," said Kitty, putting her arm round her, as Nelly was leaving the kitchen. But the young girl could not reply — she felt as if a dark gulf was springing up be tween her and her sister — as though the time was at hand when they would no longer be in each other's confidence. She became very sad — full of undefined forebodings of coming evil, as she sought the solitude of the chamber, which she and Kitty shared, in the upper part of the house. The moon was just rising now, and the clouds without were tipped with a faint sheen of silver. Nelly leaned her head upon her hand ; and as she stood looking out of the small lattice, that commanded a view of the distant mountains, some bitter tears rose to her eyes. For the first time in her life, perhaps, she experienced what it was to feel downcast, and fearful of the future.

" If father and Kitty don't like Fogarty, sure it's his own fault," she thought, trying to console herself. "It id be easy for him to do right if he chose; and maybe, whin he knows why there id be objections to him, he'd mend his ways. Anyhow, neither my father or mother have ever told me to give up bein' friendly with him ; and as long as they don't spake ov it, I needn't care what anyone else says." And so she argued with herself, trying to banish the dread that was oppressing her — trying to persuade herself that what she feared might not come to pass ; and then she knelt down and prayed most fervently for God to direct her in the right way, for she knew well the weakness of her own power to resist temptation.

Chapter III. Fogarty's Home

Upon leaving Nelly Dillon, and watching the last glimpse of her figure, as it disap peared within the door of her father's house, Peter Fogarty slowly retraced his steps homewards. That evening walk with the girl he had loved since earliest boyhood, softened down many a hard, dark feeling, that had oppressed his mind for the last week. " Oh, if I could think myself only fit for her!" he exclaimed, mentally, while going on his way ; " or if she had no family to put between her and me ! But I know right well ___ I might as well ask Pat Dillon for a piece of his own heart, as try to get Nelly from him. She doesn't know him as well as I do. He can be as hard as a piece of iron, when he has a mind; and then, them three chaps o' brothers, she has, are so stuck-up and stiff, these times back ! I wish they were all in America — for I'm purty _ure ov Nelly her self, if she hadn't such a pack to keep her from goin' her own way."

Fogarty lived about a mile and a half from the Dillons. His father and mother were both dead, and he had no brother or sister. It was well known that he had been left independent and well-off, at his father's death ; but people had begun to suspect latterly that he had taken to wild courses, and was running into extravagance. Never was a man less inclined to settle down to habits of industry than Peter ; — he neglected vol. i. c THE STORY OF NELLY DILLON. the farm that fell into his hands as soon as he had reached the age of twenty-one; and gradually, the cattle that stocked the land were disappearing, without being replaced. Gurtnamogue was indeed rapidly becoming a wretched looking homestead — the roof falling into decay — the walls black and dirty — the Avindows broken-paned ; and the gates and fences of the fields all bearing traces of sad carelessness.

Peter was often from home for days and weeks together, and the only occupant of the dwelling, during his absence, was an aged relative of his mother, named Norry Croon, who minded the house-keeping affairs, and such trifles as were in her power to look after, at her ad vanced age. When the young man reached this cheerless home, he was informed by Norry that Mr. Hanlon, the agent of the landlord to whom Gurtnamogue belonged, had called in that evening, to say he would be ready to receive the rent due, at his office, the following Tuesday, when he expected all THE STORY OF NELLY DILLON. the tenants in the neighbourhood to meet him punctually. " He couldn't let even a Sunday pass, without lookin' about his money,. it's like," said Peter, with a sneer; "then maybe he wont get it as fast as he thinks.

People aint all as great fools as the Dillons that pay their rent up to the very day, and never get a bit o' thanks." " The half o' them agents isn't worth their salt," growled Norry ; " they're as mane as the lowest ov the low. I b'lieve Hanlon took all Nancy Finlahan's eggs and butther last market day to help to pay the next half year's rent of her holdin', without waitin' for it to come due." " He'd better look to himself," said Fogarty, significantly. " He'll be apt to get more than he bargains for, I doubt," resumed the woman. "Will ye go to Cashel to spake to him on Tuesday ?" " Thedivilatoe," replied Peter, decisively. " You'd be in the right ov it. I give him c a fine short answer whin he stopped here this evenin', an' him ridin' his big, sleek horse, an' lookin' as pompous as I dunno what, though he hasn't the spirit ov a hound."

" He expected to find me here, I warrant ?'' said Fogarty. "I suppose he did; he hardly stopped a minute, just waited to say, ' Let Fogarty know he's to meet me o' Tuesday, with the rint,' an' then he give a crack ov his whip an' away with him. Wor ye up at the Dillons this evenin' ?" u No, then I wasn't." "I'm glad ov it. I don't like them Dillons, and it id be well for ye to give them up." " It wouldn't be hard for me to do that," said Peter, with a slight sneer ; " they don't seem so fond ov my company." " They're not worth thryin' to curry favour with; and for all Nelly's cried up as such a beauty, she's nothin' to the girk that used to be in my day," said Norry. " There's not many can touch her now then in these parts," sighed Fogarty, as he flung himself wearily into a chair. " Did ye hear who it was that offered Hanlon a good price for the three-acre field, he's wantin' you to give up?" inquired the old woman, after a pause of some minutes.

" I never asked anything about it," replied the youth. " I aint goin' to part with it, and it don't matter who wants it." " Then I'll tell ye who it is," said Norry, with a malignant expression of countenance, " it's that sly chap, Dinny Ryan, that's goin' to get a cottage built for himself, an' he in tends to have a comfortable piece o' ground, just near the father's farm, and close by here. There's for ye !" " It's nothing to me what Dinny Ryan's goin' to do, as long as he can't touch a rood ov my land," said Fogarty. " But if there's any dispute about the rint, Pety, you know Hanlon will take the field, no thanks to ye." "Dinny Ryan daren't offer to take it!" observed Fogarty ; " any man that would come between me and them acres, id never draw breath to put a foot on them." " No, more he shouldn't," said Norry.