FREE BOOKS

Author's List




PREV.   NEXT  
|<   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163  
164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   >>   >|  
preserved traces of great personal advantages, while his manner exhibited all that polished ease and courtesy which was said to be peculiar to the Irish gentleman of the French Court. Addressing me in English, he invited me to join his meal, and on my declining, as having already breakfasted, he said, 'I perceive, from your name, we are countrymen, and as your uniform tells me the service in which you are engaged, we may speak with entire confidence. Tell me then, frankly, all that you know of the actual condition of Ireland.' Conceiving that this question applied to the result of my late studies, and was meant to elicit the amount of my information, I at once began a recital of what I had learned from the books and reports I had been reading, My statistics were perfect--they had been gotten off by heart; my sympathies were, for the same reason, most eloquent; my indignation was boundless on the wrongs I deplored, and in fact, in the fifteen minutes during which he permitted me to declaim without interruption, I had gone through the whole 'cause of Ireland,' from Henry n. to George n. 'You have been reading Mr. Madgett, I perceive,' said he, with a smile; 'but I would rather hear something of your own actual experience. Tell me, therefore, in what condition are the people at this moment, as regards poverty?' 'I have never been in Ireland, general,' said I, not without some shame at the avowal coming so soon after my eloquent exhortation. 'Ah, I perceive,' said he blandly, 'of Irish origin, and a relative probably of that very distinguished soldier, Count Maurice de Tiernay, who served in the Garde du Corps.' 'His only son, general,' said I, blushing with eagerness and pleasure at the praise of my father. 'Indeed!' said he, smiling courteously, and seeming to meditate on my words. 'There was not a better nor a braver sabre in the corps than your father--a very few more of such men might have saved the monarchy--as it was, they dignified its fall. And to whose guidance and care did you owe your early training, for I see you have not been neglected?' A few words told him the principal events of my early years, to which he listened with deep attention. At length he said, 'And now you are about to devote your acquirements and energy to this new expedition?' 'All, general! Everything that I have is too little for such a cause.' 'You say truly, boy,' said he warmly; 'would that so good a cause had better lea
PREV.   NEXT  
|<   139   140   141   142   143   144   145   146   147   148   149   150   151   152   153   154   155   156   157   158   159   160   161   162   163  
164   165   166   167   168   169   170   171   172   173   174   175   176   177   178   179   180   181   182   183   184   185   186   187   188   >>   >|  



Top keywords:
perceive
 

Ireland

 

general

 
condition
 

actual

 

eloquent

 

reading

 

father

 

avowal

 

courteously


smiling

 
Indeed
 

coming

 
relative
 
soldier
 

meditate

 

praise

 

Tiernay

 

exhortation

 

served


distinguished

 

origin

 

pleasure

 

blandly

 

blushing

 
eagerness
 

Maurice

 

devote

 

acquirements

 

energy


length

 

listened

 
attention
 

expedition

 

warmly

 

Everything

 

events

 

principal

 

monarchy

 

dignified


braver
 
neglected
 

training

 

guidance

 

engaged

 
entire
 

confidence

 
service
 
breakfasted
 

countrymen