tremendous　retribution　which；　after　long
  delays　of　many　years；　finally　overtook　and
  crushed　them。　Wonderful　and　inscrutable
  are　the　dealings　of　God　with　His　creatures。
  Deep　and　fervent　as　must　always　be　my
  gratitude　to　heaven　for　my　deliverance；
  effected　by　a　chain　of　providential
  occurrences；　the　failing　of　a　single　link　of　which
  must　have　ensured　my　destruction；　I　was
  long　before　I　could　look　back　upon　it　with
  other　feelings　than　those　of　bitterness；
  almost　of　agony。
  The　only　being　that　had　ever　really
  loved　me；　my　nearest　and　dearest　friend；
  ever　ready　to　sympathise；　to　counsel；　and
  to　assistthe　gayest；　the　gentlest；　the
  warmest　heartthe　only　creature　on
  earth　that　cared　for　meHER　life　had　been
  the　price　of　my　deliverance；　and　I　then
  uttered　the　wish；　which　no　event　of　my
  long　and　sorrowful　life　has　taught　me　to
  recall；　that　she　had　been　spared；　and　that；
  in　her　stead；　_I_　were　mouldering　in　the
  grave；　forgotten　and　at　rest。
  THE　BRIDAL　OF　CARRIGVARAH。
  Being　a　Sixth　Extract　from　the　Legacy　of　the　late　Francis
  Purcell；　P。　P。　of　Drumcoolagh。
  In　a　sequestered　district　of　the
  county　of　Limerick；　there　stood
  my　early　life；　some　forty
  years　ago；　one　of　those　strong　stone
  buildings；　half　castle；　half　farm…house；
  which　are　not　unfrequent　in　the　South　of
  Ireland；　and　whose　solid　masonry　and
  massive　construction　seem　to　prove　at
  once　the　insecurity　and　the　caution　of　the
  Cromwellite　settlers　who　erected　them。
  At　the　time　of　which　I　speak；　this
  building　was　tenanted　by　an　elderly　man；
  whose　starch　and　puritanic　mien　and
  manners　might　have　become　the　morose
  preaching　parliamentarian　captain；　who
  had　raised　the　house　and　ruled　the
  household　more　than　a　hundred　years
  before；　but　this　man；　though　Protestant
  by　descent　as　by　name；　was　not　so　in
  religion；　he　was　a　strict；　and　in　outward
  observances；　an　exemplary　Catholic；　his
  father　had　returned　in　early　youth　to　the
  true　faith；　and　died　in　the　bosom　of　the
  church。
  Martin　Heathcote　was；　at　the　time　of
  which　I　speak；　a　widower；　but　his　house…
  keeping　was　not　on　that　account　altogether
  solitary；　for　he　had　a　daughter；　whose　age
  was　now　sufficiently　advanced　to　warrant
  her　father　in　imposing　upon　her　the
  grave　duties　of　domestic　superintendence。
  This　little　establishment　was　perfectly
  isolated；　and　very　little　intruded　upon　by
  acts　of　neighbourhood；　for　the　rank　of
  its　occupants　was　of　that　equivocal　kind
  which　precludes　all　familiar　association
  with　those　of　a　decidedly　inferior　rank；
  while　it　is　not　sufficient　to　entitle　its
  possessors　to　the　society　of　established
  gentility；　among　whom　the　nearest
  residents　were　the　O'Maras　of　Carrigvarah；
  whose　mansion…house；　constructed
  out　of　the　ruins　of　an　old　abbey；　whose
  towers　and　cloisters　had　been　levelled　by
  the　shot　of　Cromwell's　artillery；　stood
  not　half　a　mile　lower　upon　the　river
  banks。
  Colonel　O'Mara；　the　possessor　of　the
  estates；　was　then　in　a　declining　state　of
  health；　and　absent　with　his　lady　from　the
  country；　leaving　at　the　castle；　his　son
  young　O'Mara；　and　a　kind　of　humble
  companion；　named　Edward　Dwyer；　who；
  if　report　belied　him　not；　had　done　in　his
  early　days　some　PECULIAR　SERVICES　for　the
  Colonel；　who　had　been　a　gay　man
  perhaps　worsebut　enough　of　recapitulation。
  It　was　in　the　autumn　of　the　year　17
  that　the　events　which　led　to　the　catastrophe
  which　I　have　to　detail　occurred。
  I　shall　run　through　the　said　recital　as
  briefly　as　clearness　will　permit；　and　leave
  you　to　moralise；　if　such　be　your　mood；
  upon　the　story　of　real　life；　which　I　even
  now　trace　at　this　distant　period　not　without
  emotion。
  It　was　upon　a　beautiful　autumn　evening；
  at　that　glad　period　of　the　season　when
  the　harvest　yields　its　abundance；　that
  two　figures　were　seen　sauntering　along
  the　banks　of　the　winding　river；　which　I
  described　as　bounding　the　farm　occupied
  by　Heathcote；　they　had　been；　as　the　rods
  and　landing…nets　which　they　listlessly
  carried　went　to　show；　plying　the　gentle；
  but　in　this　case　not　altogether　solitary
  craft　of　the　fisherman。　One　of　those
  persons　was　a　tall　and　singularly　handsome
  young　man；　whose　dark　hair　and
  complexion　might　almost　have　belonged
  to　a　Spaniard；　as　might　also　the　proud　but
  melancholy　expression　which　gave　to　his
  countenance　a　character　which　contrasts
  sadly；　but　not　uninterestingly；　with
  extreme　youth；　his　air；　as　he　spoke　with
  his　companion；　was　marked　by　that　careless
  familiarity　which　denotes　a　conscious
  superiority　of　one　kind　or　other；　or　which
  may　be　construed　into　a　species　of
  contempt；　his　comrade　afforded　to　him　in
  every　respect　a　striking　contrast。　He
  was　rather　low　in　staturea　defect　which
  was　enhanced　by　a　broad　and　square…built
  figurehis　face　was　sallow；　and　his
  features　had　that　prominence　and　sharpness
  which　frequently　accompany　personal
  deformitya　remarkably　wide　mouth；
  with　teeth　white　as　the　fangs　of　a　wolf；
  and　a　pair　of　quick；　dark　eyes；　whose
  effect　was　heightened　by　the　shadow　of　a
  heavy　black　brow；　gave　to　his　face　a
  power　of　expression；　particularly　when
  sarcastic　or　malignant　emotions　were　to
  be　exhibited；　which　features　regularly
  handsome　could　scarcely　have　possessed。
  'Well；　sir；'　said　the　latter　personage；
  'I　have　lived　in　hall　and　abbey；　town
  and　country；　here　and　abroad　for　forty
  years　and　more；　and　should　know　a　thing
  or　two；　and　as　I　am　a　living　man；　I
  swear　I　think　the　girl　loves　you。'
  'You　are　a　fool；　Ned；'　said　the
  younger。
  'I　may　be　a　fool；'　replied　the　first
  speaker；　'in　matters　where　my　own
  advantage　is　staked；　but　my　eye　is　keen
  enough　to　see　through　the　flimsy　disguise
  of　a　country　damsel　at　a　glance；　and　I
  tell　you；　as　surely　as　I　hold　this　rod；　the
  girl　loves　you。'
  'Oh　I　this　is　downright　headstrong
  folly；'　replied　the　young　fisherman。
  'Why；　Ned；　you　try　to　persuade　me
  against　my　reason；　that　the　event　which
  is　most　to　be　deprecated　has　actually
  occurred。　She　is；　no　doubt；　a　pretty
  girla　beautiful　girlbut　I　have　not
  lost　my　heart　to　her；　and　why　should　I
  wish　her　to　be　in　love　with　me？　Tush；
  man；　the　days　of　romance　are　gone；　and
  a　young　gentleman　may　talk；　and　walk；
  and　laugh　with　a　pretty　country　maiden；
  and　never　breathe　aspirations；　or　vows；　or
  sighs　about　the　matter；　unequal　matches
  are　much　oftener　read　of　than　made；　and
  the　man　who　could；　even　in　thought；
  conceive　a　wish　against　the　honour　of
  an　unsuspecting；　artless　girl；　is　a　villain；
  for　whom　hanging　is　too　good。'
  This　concluding　sentence　was　uttered
  with　an　animation　and　excitement；　which
  the　mere　announcement　of　an　abstract
  moral　sentiment　could　hardly　account
  for。
  'You　are；　then；　indifferent；　honestly
  and　in　sober　earnest；　indifferent　to　the
  girl？'　inquired　Dwyer。
  'Altogether　so；'　was　the　reply。
  'Then　I　have　a　request　to　make；'
  continued　Dwyer；　'and　I　may　as　well　urge
  it　now　as　at　any　other　time。　I　have
  been　for　nearly　twenty　years　the　faithful；
  and　by　no　means　useless；　servant　of　your
  family；　you　know　that　I　have　rendered
  your　father　critical　and　important
  services'　he　paused；　and　added　hastily：
  'you　are　not　in　the　moodI　tire　you；
  sir。'
  'Nay；'　cried　O'Mara；　'I　listen　patiently
  proceed。'
  'For　all　these　services；　and　they　were
  not；　as　I　have　said；　few　or　valueless；　I
  have　received　little　more　reward　than
  liberal　promises；　you　have　told　me　often
  that　this　should　be　mendedI'll　make　it
  easily　doneI'm　not　unreasonableI
  should　be　contented　to　hold　Heathcote's
  ground；　along　with　this　small　farm　on
  which　we　stand；　as　full　quittance　of　all
  obligations　and　promises　between　us。'
  'But　how　the　devil　can　I　effect　that
  for　you；　this　farm；　it　is　true；　I；　or　my
  father；　rather；　may　lease　to　you；　but
  Heathcote's　title　we　cannot　impugn；　and
  even　if　we　could；　you　would　not　expect
  us　to　ruin　an　honest　man；　in　order　to
  make　way　for　YOU；　Ned。'
  'What　I　am；'　replied　Dwyer；　with　the
  calmness　of　one　who　is　so　accustomed　to
  contemptuous　insinuations　as　to　receive
  them　with　perfect　indifference；　'is　to　be
  attributed　to　my　devotedness　to　your
  honourable　familybut　that　is　neither
  here　nor　there。　I　do　not　ask　you　to
  displace　Heathcote；　in　order　to　made
  room　for　me。　I　know　it　is　out　of　your
  power　to　do　so。　Now　hearken　to　me　for
  a　moment；　Heathcote's　property；　that
  which　he　has　set　out　to　tenants；　is　worth；
  say　in　rents；　at　most；　one　hundred
  pounds：　half　of　this　yearly　amount　is
  assigned　to　your　father；　until　payment　be
  made　of　a　bond　for　a　thousand　pounds；
  with　interest　and　soforth。　Hear　me
  patiently　for　a　moment　and　I　have　done。
  Now　go　you　to　Heathcote；　and　tell　him
  your　father　will　burn　the　bond；　and　cancel
  the　debt；　upon　one　conditionthat　when
  I　am　in　possession　of　this　farm；　which　you
  can　lease　to　me　on　what　terms　yo