Tales and Novels, vol 6 | Page 9

who was standing beside
Miss Nugent?"
"In di'monds, yes--But you won't think her plain when you see more of
her--that wears off--I thought her plain, at first--I hope--"
"I hope," said Lord Colambre, "that you will not take it unkindly of me,
my dear mother, if I tell you, at once, that I have no thoughts of
marrying at present--and that I never will marry for money: marrying
an heiress is not even a new way of paying old debts--at all events, it is
one to which no distress could persuade me to have recourse; and as I
must, if I outlive old Mr. Quin, have an independent fortune, there is no
occasion to purchase one by marriage."
"There is no distress that I know of in the case," cried Lady Clonbrony.
"Where is your imagination running, Colambre? But merely for your
establishment, your independence."
"Establishment, I want none--independence I do desire, and will
preserve. Assure my father, my dear mother, that I will not be an
expense to him--I will live within the allowance he made me at
Cambridge--I will give up half of it--I will do any thing for his
convenience--but marry for money, that I cannot do."
"Then, Colambre, you are very disobliging," said Lady Clonbrony, with
an expression of disappointment and displeasure; "for your father says
if you don't marry Miss Broadhurst, we can't live in Lon'on another
winter."
This said--which had she been at the moment mistress of herself, she
would not have betrayed--Lady Clonbrony abruptly quitted the room.
Her son stood motionless, saying to himself, "Is this my mother?--How
altered!"
The next morning he seized an opportunity of speaking to his father,

whom he caught with difficulty just when he was going out, as usual,
for the day. Lord Colambre, with all the respect due to his father, and
with that affectionate manner by which he always knew how to soften
the strength of his expressions, made nearly the same declarations of
his resolution, by which his mother had been so much surprised and
offended. Lord Clonbrony seemed more embarrassed, but not so much
displeased. When Lord Colambre adverted, as delicately as he could, to
the selfishness of desiring from him the sacrifice of liberty for life, to
say nothing of his affections, merely to enable his family to make a
splendid figure in London, Lord Clonbrony exclaimed, "That's all
nonsense!--cursed nonsense! That's the way we are obliged to state the
thing to your mother, my dear boy, because I might talk her deaf before
she would understand or listen to any thing else; but, for my own share,
I don't care a rush if London was sunk in the salt sea. Little Dublin for
my money, as Sir Terence O'Fay says."
"Who is Sir Terence O'Fay, may I ask, sir?"
"Why, don't you know Terry?--Ay, you've been so long at
Cambridge--I forgot. And did you never see Terry?"
"I have seen him, sir.--I met him yesterday at Mr. Mordicai's, the
coachmaker's."
"Mordicai's!" exclaimed Lord Clonbrony, with a sudden blush, which
he endeavoured to hide, by taking snuff. "He is a damned rascal, that
Mordicai! I hope you didn't believe a word he said--nobody does that
knows him."
"I am glad, sir, that you seem to know him so well, and to be upon your
guard against him," replied Lord Colambre; "for, from what I heard of
his conversation, when he was not aware who I was, I am convinced he
would do you any injury in his power."
"He shall never have me in his power, I promise him. We shall take
care of that--But what did he say?"
Lord Colambre repeated the substance of what Mordicai had said, and

Lord Clonbrony reiterated, "Damned rascal!--damned rascal!--I'll get
out of his hands--I'll have no more to do with him." But, as he spoke,
he exhibited evident symptoms of uneasiness, moving continually, and
shifting from leg to leg, like a foundered horse.
He could not bring himself positively to deny that he had debts and
difficulties; but he would by no means open the state of his affairs to
his son: "No father is called upon to do that," said he to himself; "none
but a fool would do it."
Lord Colambre, perceiving his father's embarrassment, withdrew his
eyes, respectfully refrained from all further inquiries, and simply
repeated the assurance he had made to his mother, that he would put his
family to no additional expense; and that, if it was necessary, he would
willingly give up half his allowance.
"Not at all, not at all, my dear boy," said his father: "I would rather
cramp myself than that you should be cramped, a thousand times over.
But it is all my Lady Clonbrony's nonsense. If people would but, as
they ought, stay in their own country,