Tales and Novels, vol 6

Tales and Novels, vol 6

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Title: Tales and Novels, Vol. 6
Author: Maria Edgeworth
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TALES AND NOVELS
VOL. 6
BY
MARIA EDGEWORTH

THE ABSENTEE.

CHAPTER I.
"Are you to be at Lady Clonbrony's gala next week?" said Lady
Langdale to Mrs. Dareville, whilst they were waiting for their carriages
in the crush-room of the opera-house.
"Oh, yes! every body's to be there, I hear," replied Mrs. Dareville.
"Your ladyship, of course?"
"Why, I don't know; if I possibly can. Lady Clonbrony makes it such a
point with me, that I believe I must look in upon her for a few minutes.
They are going to a prodigious expense on this occasion. Soho tells me
the reception rooms are all to be new furnished, and in the most
magnificent style."
"At what a famous rate those Clonbronies are dashing on," said colonel
Heathcock. "Up to any thing."
"Who are they?--these Clonbronies, that one hears of so much of late?"
said her grace of Torcaster. "Irish absentees, I know. But how do they
support all this enormous expense?" "The son will have a prodigiously

fine estate when some Mr. Quin dies," said Mrs. Dareville.
"Yes, every body who comes from Ireland will have a fine estate when
somebody dies," said her grace. "But what have they at present?"
"Twenty thousand a year, they say," replied Mrs. Dareville.
"Ten thousand, I believe," cried Lady Langdale.
"Ten thousand, have they?--possibly," said her grace. "I know nothing
about them--have no acquaintance among the Irish. Torcaster knows
something of Lady Clonbrony; she has fastened herself by some means
upon him; but I charge him not to commit me. Positively, I could not
for any body, and much less for that sort of person, extend the circle of
my acquaintance."
"Now that is so cruel of your grace," said Mrs. Dareville, laughing,
"when poor Lady Clonbrony works so hard, and pays so high to get
into certain circles."
"If you knew all she endures, to look, speak, move, breathe, like an
Englishwoman, you would pity her," said Lady Langdale.
"Yes, and you cawnt conceive the peens she teekes to talk of the teebles
and cheers, and to thank Q, and with so much teeste to speak pure
English," said Mrs. Dareville.
"Pure cockney, you mean," said Lady Langdale.
"But does Lady Clonbrony expect to pass for English?" said the
duchess.
"Oh, yes! because she is not quite Irish _bred and born_--only bred, not
born," said Mrs. Dareville. "And she could not be five minutes in your
grace's company, before she would tell you that she was Henglish, born
in Hoxfordshire."
"She must be a vastly amusing personage--I should like to meet her if
one could see and hear her incog.," said the duchess. "And Lord

Clonbrony, what is he?"
"Nothing, nobody," said Mrs. Dareville: "one never even hears of him."
"A tribe of daughters, too, I suppose?"
"No, no," said Lady Langdale; "daughters would be past all
endurance."
"There's a cousin, though, a Miss Nugent," said Mrs. Dareville, "that
Lady Clonbrony has with her."
"Best part of her, too," said Colonel Heathcock--"d----d fine
girl!--never saw her look better than at the opera to-night!"
"Fine complexion! as Lady Clonbrony says, when she means a high
colour," said Lady Langdale.
"Miss Nugent is not a lady's beauty," said Mrs. Dareville. "Has she any
fortune, colonel?"
"'Pon honour, don't know," said the colonel.
"There's a son, somewhere, is not there?" said Lady Langdale.
"Don't know, 'pon honour," replied the colonel.
"Yes--at Cambridge--not of age yet," said Mrs. Dareville. "Bless me!
here