That Hated Saxon [A novel.] With illustrations, etc

Front matter

THAT HATED SAXON NEW NOVELS AT THE LIBRARIES. Mrs. Grundy at Home. By C. T. C. James. 1 vol. 6s. The Incomplete Adventurer. By Tighe Hopkins. 1 vol. 6s. Ben Clough. By William Westall. 1 vol. 6s. Miss Eyon of Eyon Court. By K. S. Macquoid. 1 vol. 6s. Holy Wedlock. By C. T. C. James. 1 vol. 6s. " Paragon threw up his head." THAT HATED SAXON BY THE LADY GREVILLE (LADY VIOLET GREVILLE)- IVITE ILLUSTRATIONS HY EDWIX J. ELLIS IConiioit WARD AND DOWNEY 12 YORK STREET COVENT GARDEN W.C. 1893 [All rights reserved] Richard Clay & Sons, Limited, London &, Bung ay. CONTENTS. CQAP. TAGE I. ARRIVAL ... ... ... ... ... 1 II. LOOKING ROUND ... ... .... ... 13 III. SCHOOLING ... ... ... ... ... 25 IV. A DANDY ... ... ... ... ... 39 V. THE OPENING MEET ... ... ... 52 VI. THE HORSE FAIR ... ... ... ... 65 VII.

AN ENGLISH CUSTOM ... ... ... 80 VIII. PARAGON ... ... ... ... ... 90 IX. THE THREATENING LETTER ... .. 107 X. THE DINNER-PARTY ... ... ... 123 XI. THE FIRE ... ... ... ... ... 137 XII. HOPE ... ... ... ... ... 148 XIII. THE MULLYMAREE MEN ... ... ... 157 XIV. THE INVALID ... ... ... ... 174 XV. THE FAIR ONE CALLS ... ... ... VI CONTENTS. CHAP. PAr.E XVI. EILEEN ... ... ... ... ... 206 XVII. IRISH JUSTICE ... ... ... ... 221 XVIII. THROWING STONES ... ... ... ... 235 XIX. A FAREWELL ... ... ... ... 257 XX. THE SALE ... ... ... .. ... 276 XXI. THE HORSE SHOW ... ... .. ... 296 XXII. THE LITTLE GOD OF LOVE... ... ... LIST OF ILLUSTRATIONS. PAGE Giving a little calf milk out of a pail 15 The girls sat their horses so well ... 31 "Long live Ireland!" ... 28 Part of the fun of the clay ... ... 59 A fine upstanding chestnut ... ... ... ... 71 Sultan ... ... ... ... ... 79 An English custom ... ... ... ... ... 86 Paragon snatched at the snaffle-bridle ... 101 " Catch the child !

" 143 i Harry succeeded in stopping the runaway ... ... 169 The Squire expostulated ... ... ... ... ... 248 "Cowards!" 251 "Oh, Mona, don't worry me" ... ... 282 " How have I offended you ? " A SPORTING STORY.

Chapter I. Arrival

" Do you hear anything ? " said Eileen Murphy, as her sister, impelled by true feminine curiosity, craned her blonde head far out of the window. "Nothing," answered Kathleen, discontentedly. " I dare say they won't come by this train at all." " Probably not. I should think they wouldn't be the sort of people to catch a train or do anything sensible — fine, stuck-up London men!" " What fun we shall have ! " said Mona, the youngest girl, a dishevelled tomboy of fourteen, with big blue eyes, buried under a bush of towzly red hair. " How we will shock them ! " "That's all very well for you, Mona, who are a child," said pretty Eileen, the staidest of the three ; B " but they will be a dreadful nuisance for us. Fancy two men always there, guests who won't go, lodgers one has to be civil to, dress for, and be down to breakfast punctually !

" " Horrid ! " chorused the two girls together. "How such an outlandish idea should ever have got into papa's head, I can't imagine," continued Eileen, in a placidly aggrieved tone. " I'm sure no Master of Hounds ever took iu lodgers before." " Nor ever will again," chirruped Mona, " after the experience they're likely to have here — apple-pie beds, paper in their boots, brushes cut up, and a hundred and one things I can't remember now." ARRIVAL. " Well, you must take the blame of all that," said Eileen. " Much as I hate these men, I can't cut up their brushes." " You can make apple-pies at least; " Hush ! " said Kathleen, drawing in her head quickly. " Here they are, on a car — two cars — and, oh my ! what piles of luggage ! One is tall, the other fair — they're ringing the bell. I wonder if they know it's broken and hasn't rung for years.

Old Jacob is ready for once at least ; he's opened the door, and papa has gone out too. Well, we're in for it now." Presently Mr. Murphy's strong ringing voice — famous in all the country for its sonorous view-halloo — was heard calling " Eileen, Kathleen, come down." With a gesture of disgust the young ladies disappeared, leaving the bare, untidy school-room to Mona. The latter rose from her squatting position on the floor, shook herself like a Newfoundland dog, began to whistle, and finally settled herself in the window-seat to count the pile of luggage, as one by one each article was carried in by the visitors' valet, old Jacob, and a rawboned, shaggy helper from the stable, whose services had been put in requisition. " Dressing-case, with initials J. Y. ; Capt. Yelver ton's, I suppose," commented Mona, " full of silver things — well, he must be a swell; gun-case, that's right ; queer-shaped box— boots, I suppose ; fishing rod ; portmanteau; portmanteau number two— H. C, the Honble.

Harry Colville's that; hat-box, bag, Gladstone bag, black leather bag, yellow leather bag: how many more ?— oh, that's all ! Smart valet gives a look all round. I wonder how long he and old Jacob will live in good-fellowship. Car well paid, evidently; man smiles, means an extra glass of whiskey ; like master like man, generous and a fool ! That's all — what a pity there's nothing more to be seen." Mona now stretched herself and yawned com placently. " I wonder when the girls will be back ; what a lot they'll have to teil me ! I hope they noticed everything, from their hair-partings to their boots — I know the sort, varnished like a mirror, pointed toes, looking as if they were good for nothing but to trip across a street. Won't they get jolly well spoiled here, that's all ! " Mona's reflections were presently interrupted by the return of her sisters.

"Well, what are they like — what did they say — are they hateful?" she inquired, excitedly. "Oh, don't bother, Mona," said Eileen, "they're stiffness itself ; smiled sweetly, and looked at us as if we were savages, with amusement and surprise. Papa offered them whiskey-and-soda, and praised his rum-shrub. I don't believe they had ever heard ARRIVAL. 5 of it before. And mamma says we are to wear our white muslins to-night ; fancy having to dress when we're quite alone — what a bore ! " " What a bore ! " echoed Mona, sympathetically. " I'm so glad I needn't come down." Captain Yelverton and the Honble. Harry Colville on their part exchanged impressions also when they reached their respective rooms and discovered the obsequious valet unpacking. They had noticed everything with interest, from the large entrancehall, with its deep open fire-place on which burnt a smouldering fire of peat, and its sporting decorations of horns, pictures, fire-arms, foxes'-brushes, and stuffed birds and beasts, to the brown oak wainscoting and the dingy threadbare furniture.

Everything had baen solid and substantial once ; everything now was shabby and poverty-stricken. Round the drawing-room hung old family portraits, simpering ladies in scanty draperies, and jolly squires in breeches and red coats, while the paint peeled off the massive doors, and spindle-shanked chairs and sofas stood primly around in their old red-cotton covers. The Squire's study alone, in its comfortable litter of untidiness and everyday usage, boasted of arm-chairs — vast and roomy ; a good writing-table, too, it had, and a cheerful variety of sporting prints, hunting, shooting, and racing pictures and caricatures. Here the Squire seemed most at home, and here accordingly the two young men lingered, conversing, until they were shown into their bed-rooms at dressing-time. " What do you think of the place ?

" asked Harry, who, as the youngest, deferred naturally to his companion's opinions. " Can't say at present ; rather an Irish establishment, I fear, tumbledown and out-at-elbows ; but then we must expect that." " I only hope the dinner won't be poisonous." " Or the wine horrible doctored stuff," said Captain Yelverton, accustomed to a faultless mess. " We can always drink whiskey-and-water. That's sure not to be bad at any rate." " Quite so, and a plain diet and regular hours will do us both a great deal of good, eh, Harry ? You've been knocking about a deal lately, and my nerves are not what they used to be." " It seems a devil of a country to ride over," said Harry, doubtfully. " I never saw such big banks and yawning ditches, that look ready made to receive a man and his horse." "We know nothing of the horses at present," said the Captain, biting his moustache ; " we'll have to do a bit of schooling to-morrow."

"With cub-hunting only just begun, there's plenty of time," replied Harry. " I say, I wonder if those ARRIVAL. girls ride ? I've always heard Irish women were first-class with hounds." " I'm sure I hope not. I hate to see women out hunting ; you've always got to stop and pick them up." "Nice little girl that, with the mop of fair hair. What was her name — Kathleen ? " " Kathleen Mavourneen," murmured Captain Yelverton, as he gave the last touches to his white tie. " Come back to Erin ! Every one is Kathleen here, I suppose. Come on, Harry, there's the bell, and a very cracked one it is, too." Mr. Murphy occupied the common position of an Irish landlord at the present day. He had a huge, rambling, dilapidated house ; a large estate, more or less encumbered with mortgages and heavy charges ; tenants that sometimes wouldn't and sometimes couldn't pay; an ancestry of indisputable antiquity ; a family of children for whom he could make little or no provision ; expensive and sporting tastes in advance of his income ; an airy disregard for facts and figures ; and a happy belief in the good day that was coming.

Add to this that he had a sickly wife, and was the owner of several indifferent race-horses, besides being a master of hounds, and as such expected to sub scribe largely to all kinds of fowl and other charitable funds out of his own pocket, and it may be easily conceived that he was neither very rich nor very prosperous. The shoe began to pinch some what more severely every day; his pretty, uncon ventional daughters were unlikely to retrieve the fortunes of the family by brilliant marriages, in a country where the sparse population of young men were as poor as church mice ; and their brother, an idle ne'er-do-well at present studying at college, possessed neither brains nor perseverance sufficient to enable him to enter any honourable or lucrative profession. It Was under these circumstances that, turning over in his mind a way out of his embarrass ments, he stumbled upon an advertisement in the Field, which seemed to offer a fair temporary solution of his difficulties : — " Two young Englishmen wish to rent a small house in a sporting Irish county for the winter."

"The very thing," said Mr. Murphy to himself; " nobody wants to rent a house when they can live in somebody else's, that's clear. There's fishing, and wild shooting, and hunting galore here, and the society of my daughters to boot : what else couM the heart of man desire ? " — and therewith he indited a diplomatic letter containing a most tempting account of the advantages to be found by residinor for the winter at Ballyknock Hall, the abode of Patrick Murphy, Esq., M.F.H. ARRIVAL. The young men, somewhat tickled by the originality of the suggestion, after making inquiries respecting Mr. ' Murphy's position, and the bona fides of his offer, decided to accept it ; and terms on both sides having been agreed to, the new lodgers lost no time in making their appearance. It was Harry Colville's first visit to Ireland (Captain Yelverton had once been quartered for a year at Cork), and the novelty of everything kept him perpetually amused and interested, while his friend, as became an older and more world-weary man, sought to restrain his expressions of surprise and delight.

Harry Colville, a cheery, good-natured youth, and a younger son, was not blessed with any superlative amount of cash, and the last two seasons in Leicestershire had made considerable inroads upon his slender income. Matters were growing serious. He determined to do his hunting more economically for the future, and the Irish plan seemed to offer a fair field for retrenchment. In the first place, they would not have to keep open house, nor so large a stud of hunters, and the expense of the horses need not be exorbitant. Having had an excellent sale at the close of the year, the two friends determined to buy only Irish hunters at moderate prices, blemishes no objection, provided they were good performers. Mr. Murphy was commissioned to find some, and have them ready for his guests' approval. Harry Colville promised himself no small fund of occupation and amusement in choosing and schooling his new purchases, being at that happy age when a raw youngster is preferred to a perfect old performer.

Though Captain Yelverton talked of himself as having lost his nerve, he was a first-rate rider, with all the coolness and prudence that comes with experience, and plenty of dash when necessary, but he liked his hunters made, and left the enjoyment of the four-year-olds to Harry. Considering all things, dinner passed off pleasantly enough. The girls giggled a good deal, and indulged in sly looks and passwords that were Greek to the young men; Mr. Murphy talked well and glibly on all sporting and country matters ; and the food, though plain, was nicely cooked ; old Jacob too, with his bandy legs and trembling fingers, contrived, contrary to expectation, to hand the dishes round pretty quickly, without any very terrible mishaps. When the ladies left the table, Mr. Murphy desired the young men to draw their chairs round the great fire which, though it was only late September, burnt on the hearth ; and when whiskey-toddy was brought in, and large tumblers handed round, he launched forth into elaborate disquisitions on the ARRIVAL. merits of the horse-flesh he had collected for their inspection.

Presently they adjourned to the com fortable smoking-room, and no more was seen of the female portion of the establishment that night. This arrangement suited Captain Yelverton, who had dreaded the presence of the young ladies; for after a wild and varied career of flirtations and heart breaking love-affairs in all climes, he could afford to be indifferent to the charms of lovely woman. He wanted to hunt and to shoot, to do it as pleasantly and cheaply as possible, and to study his own inclin ations in everything, so that a semi-bachelor life was the first desideratum. Harry Colville, on the contrary, liked the presence of the girls, though he found it rather hard to provide subjects of conversation, and obtained little else for his pains at dinner than a blush and a becoming smile necessitating the display of a row of good teeth, and the sound of a " Did ye now ?

" in the most bewitching of brogues. Sad to relate, Eileen and Kathleen had a decided brogue ; they said " I will " for " I shall," and " Sure, why will I mind," and used various other expressions unknown to English tongues, but nevertheless charming from their lips. They had never been to London in their lives, and thought a visit to Dublin and a ball at the Castle the height of felicity; but they had the largest of eyes, and the sweetest of smiles, and the freshest of country complexions, and altogether were fair and young enough to attract the attention of any sensible young gentleman. They were skittish as fillies, fidgeted and blushed when they were spoken to, and edged near each other, and stared out of their big eyes, and altogether made Harry feel shyer and more uncomfortable than the presence of any number of distinguished London beauties.

The fact is they had no manners; they had grown up wild and un conscious as blackberries on a bush, with little more knowledge of the world and of male society ; indeed they regarded these strangers from London as tire some interlopers, natural enemies destined to disturb the privacy of family life, and introduce the fashions of another world. When Captain Yelverton retired to rest he gave it as his opinion to Harry Colville that the quarters were tolerable, and the old gentleman not half a bad sort, while the girls were a nuisauce ; in the former half of which verdict Harry heartily concurred, and tumbling into bed soon forgot his impressions in the sleep of youth and happy oblivion.

Chapter II. Looking Round

Harry Colville was up betimes next morning, with intent to reconnoitre. The windows of his room looked out upon a large lake, which glittered like a mirror in the sunshine. " Well, we shan't have to go far for our trout fishing," he said to himself, " that's one comfort. But how the deuce hounds can run with a great lake to stop them, I can't imagine." When quickly dressed, even without the assistance of the stately valet, he hurried down the broad oak stairs, a relic of the former family greatness, now half hidden under shabby drugget, and scored with holes from the trudging of innumerable nailed boots. As he did so he nearly upset a girl busily scrubbing on her knees, with a pail of water beside her on the door-step. " Lord save us, is it your honour stirring so early in the morning ? Ye gave me a fright indeed."

Harry laughed. He had the genial, unaffected laugh of the wealthy classes, which won him golden opinions wherever he went, at small expenditure ot trouble to himself. The house, square-built and comfortable, lay embedded in trees on the shore of the lake ; in front of it stretched a vast expanse of grazing land, on which mares and foals disported themselves freely. "One could train a young 'un here easily," thought Harry, as he surveyed the prospect. " And this is distressful Ireland ; doesn't look so very bad any way." Harry was no politician, but had been born and bred a good Conservative. He proceeded to the stables. They consisted of a long low row of outhouses, more or less dilapidated. In the courtyard, which was overgrown with weeds and bore marks of long years of neglect, lounged and shambled various Irish helpers, nominally engaged in rubbing down horses and cleaning cars ; but the cleaning was somewhat perfunctory, and the rubbing down purely superficial.

Long-legged fowls stalked about, picking up the grains that were lavishly scattered among the rough and broken paving-stones, and a large black pig peered suspiciously round the corner, scuttling off with much noisy grunting as Harry advanced. " This at least is Irish," thought Harry. " What would they say to such untidiness in the shires ? " As he stood meditating a heavy truss of hay fell from the open door of the barn above upon his Giving a little calf milk out of a pail. To face page 15. head, and scattered seeds, fluff, and dust in his eyes and over his clothes. With a suppressed oath he looked up as soon as he could rub his eyes sufficiently to see, and beheld a bright little face, full of mischief, peering down anxiously, while a ripple of merry laughter fell on his ear. Half-angry, half-amused at the ridiculous figure he presented, he continued his explorations, after shaking himself clean as well as he could.

In the outer yard were cows and cart horses, and on the side next the meadow a girl dressed in a faded blue serge gown, the sleeves turned up to her elbows, stood on the flags to give a little calf milk out of a pail. It was a pretty picture. The girl's face was turned away, but her shapely waist, her white arms bared to the elbow, and the mass of fair hair untidily coiled round her head, re vealed to Harry the lady's identity. He stood for a moment lost in youthful admiration, when Kathleen turned and saw him, and with a deep blush put down the pail. " I am sorry to have disturbed you," Harry murmured kindly, surprised at her discomfiture. " Is that your calf? " Yes ; isn't he a beauty ? " " He is," said Harry, stroking the animal's soft nose, and looking into his bright, intelligent eyes.

" What will you do with him ? " "Sell him." " What ! when you're so fond of him ? " " It is for his good — and mine," she added, with a sly twinkle in her eye. Harry laughed. From that moment they were good friends. " You see calves are pocket-money," continued Kathleen, " and pigs too. That's my pig over there, and Mona has an old mother-pig on the dung-heap yonder." " Mona is — " " My young sister." " Oh ! " Harry understood now who had thrown the hay-truss at his head. " Mona is fond of mischief, I suppose ? " he asked, as they walked side by side. " Well, she's a child still, you know ; but we're all fond of mischief here. Papa says we're dreadful girls. I expect you will find us very different from your London friends." "Very different indeed," said Harry, absently, looking at Kathleen's freshness, at her glow of health and beauty, at the delicate complexion softened by long days of damp and rainy weather, at the long-fringed eyes, and her picturesque apipearance in the wide-brimmed straw hat, plain blue serge dress, and red-cotton handkerchief loosely tied round her firm white throat.

He remembered how few of the London belles dressed thus would have looked pretty so early in the morning, and he wondered ; but Kathleen, sweetly unconscious of his thoughts, said — " How will you pass your time ? Wasn't it a crackbrained project of papa's to bring you here ? Papa has such queer ideas sometimes." " This was a good idea. But are you sorry we came ? " he asked, seized with a brilliant flash of intuition. " Well, we were a bit sorry at first," honestly con fessed Kathleen ; " but now we've seen you, we don't care so much ; you're not very formidable." " I should hope not," said Harry, laughing at the idea of a good-natured subaltern like himself being formidable to any one. " Where are the horses ? " he asked, Kathleen having subsided into embarrassing silence. " The horses for you ?

Oh, they're in the back yard. But I couldn't show them to you, it would disappoint papa; he wishes to be the first to do that, he's very proud of them. I hope you'll like Fidget and Kitten, they're my favourites ; Kitten is a dear, and she can jump like — like — " She paused for a simile, and Harry put in, " Like fun ! " " Yes, that will do. I've ridden her myself over all the fences about the place. There are some nice c little jumps over there," and she pointed in the direction of the grass lands. " By Jove ! " thought Harry, " I shall have to look out — I expect these girls can ride." " Aren't you hungry ? You must have got up early ? " " So must you." " I had some milk and a piece of bread before I came out ; I expect you have had nothing." Harry confessed that such was the case. " Then let's go in ; I dare say there will be some breakfast by this time, and your lazy friend may be up."

Harry thought this quite likely, and the two amicably pursued their way into the house. The breakfast-table was laid, but nobody seemed to be stirring. Presently old Jacob appeared in his shirt sleeves carrying a tray. " Is it breakfast ye want, miss ? " he said, in a surprised tone. " Sure the master is out with the English jintleman, and the mistress isn't down yet." "Well, bring us something, Jacob; we're very hungry." Jacob grinned, and shortly returned with two smoking basins of porridge, a dish of eggs and bacon and some tea. " Will this do ? " asked Kathleen, as they took their places at the table. " I should think it would," said Harry, settling himself down to a hearty meal. When they had nearly finished, Eileen and Mona made their appearance, and later still Mr. Murphy in a brown suit of homespun, gaiters aud breeches to match, very red in the face and rather hot, with Captain Yelverton scrupulously well dressed, and looking quite cool and indifferent.

" Ah, Harry ! " he said, " I thought you were still in bed." " Not on such a fine morning ; I've been all round the stables and farm." " We've been to see the mares and foals and young horses, and a nice lot they are. Mr. Murphy considers the winner of the Liverpool is amongst them." " Sure and I do," said the M. F. H. ; " own sister to that brown horse, Evergreen, who won the Liver pool in a canter — a dark horse, and nobody on him except ourselves, who knew what a clinker he was." "And you are naturally anxious to repeat the performance ; but I expect anything out of your stable wouldn't be quite so 'dark' this time," politely remarked the Captain. " All our friends knew of it ; the whole county, farmers, jocks, and stable-boys, had their small stakes on; one young constabulary officer won as much as would buy him a nice hunter."

" I got a new saddle," said Kathleen, with a smile of triumph. "And I had a new gown," added Eileen. " And I had a pig," wound up Mona, in her shrill childish treble. "Very delightful indeed," observed Captain Yelverton; "quite a family arrangement." " We all went to see him off at the station, and wasn't poor little Larry, the boy that took charge of him, nervous, that's all ! His mother, who is a widow, cried as if her heart would break. And didn't he have an ovation when he came back ! Why, they lit bonfires on the hills, and everybody was drunk for a week." " Delightful ! " again ejaculated the Captain, with a grimace. " Now, girls, you've talked enough ; be off with you," unceremoniously commanded Mr. Murphy, breaking up the disjointed breakfast stance, and motioning his guests to the stables.

In the stables Mr. Murphy passed his time, visiting, advising upon, doctoring his horses, or superintend ing the lunging of youngsters, or the schooling of awkward hunters. All day long he lounged about with a straw iu his mouth and an ash-plant in his hand, perpetually interrupted by country people who desired a word with his honour. Now it was an old woman whose brood of fine turkeys had been eaten by the foxes, and who wanted compensation from the fowl-fund. Now it was a farmer who objected to having his lands ridden over in consequence of the damage done to his sheep. Now it was an out-ofelbows labourer who wanted work. Now it was some kind of rude justice that he was required to administer between two contending parties, quarrels to be reconciled, or debts arbitrated on. Constantly it was a horse brought for sale, or approval ; but whatever the subject under discussion Mr. Murphy attended to it good-naturedly, his red face glowing with satisfaction, his eyes twinkling with fun, as he explained, listened, or pleasantly joked with and rallied the speaker.

He perfectly understood the people with whom he had to deal, and they as perfectly understood, trusted, and consulted him. The haggling, bargaining, and depreciating, the roughly jocose badgering washed down with whiskey-and-water that took place before the completion of a. sale, seemed rather to cement a reciprocity of kindly feeling than induce annoyance or resent ment, and whether bought or not, the owners of the horses went away good-humouredly at last. Mr. Murphy's life was spent out of doors. In summer he fished, or attended fairs and sales, at which he bought horses. In winter he hunted and shot, but always and ever, except when arrayed in pink, he was to be seen among horses, in his breeches and gaiters, with his ash-plant in his hand. Captain Yelverton, whose tastes were those of a true sportsman, delighted in the horsey atmo sphere, and soon inclined to prefer the rough-and ready style and absence of smartness coupled with the real workmanlike results, to the languid perfection of many a man's stud in the shires, whose horses, though costing two or three hundred guineas, yet never seemed able to go when the time came.

True, there were no natty stables at Ballyknock ; no pretty arrangements of plaited straw and monograms in coloured sand ; none of the newest inventions in stable-fittings, or gas, or electric light. Most of the boxes were low and dark, as a rule the bedding consisted of peat-moss, which looked dirty, and when the horses rolled themselves in it spoilt their clothing, and gave them a dilapidated appearance. The straw that was used was poor, and the oats were black ; the stable-men remarkable for nothing but a somewhat comfortable slovenliness in their persons; yet all looked good-humoured, all seemed to take an honest pride in their charges, and to believe them " real fine lepers," or " grand little horses," or " the best that ever was foaled," while the horses jumped cleverly, and if they did not show a glossy coat and careful grooming, had yet plenty of muscle and life in them.