首页 >出版文学> Letters on Literature>第33章
  byJosephSheridanLeFanuWithaMemoirbyALFREDPERCEVALGRAVES
  INTHREEVOLUMES。
  VOL。III。
  CONTENTSOFVOL。III——
  JIMSULIVAN’SADVENTURESINTHEGREATSNOW
  ACHAPTERINTHEHISTORYOFATYRONEFAMILY
  ANADVENTUREOFHARDRESSFITZGERALD,AROYALISTCAPTAIN
  ’THEQUAREGANDER’
  BILLYMALOWNEY’STASTEOFLOVEANDGLORY
  THEPURCELLPAPERS——
  JIMSULIVAN’SADVENTURESINTHEGREATSNOW。
  BeingaNinthExtractfromtheLegacyofthelateFrancisPurcell,P。P。ofDrumcoolagh。
  JimSulivanwasadacent,honestboyasyou’dfindinthesevenparishes,an’hewasabeautifulsinger,an’anillegantdancerintirely,an’amightyplisantboyinhimself;buthehadthedivil’sbadluck,forhemarriedforlove,an’avcoorseheniverhadanasyminuteafther。
  NellGormanwasthegirlhefancied,an’
  abeautifulslipofagirlshewas,jisttwintytotheminutewhenhemarriedher。Shewasasroundan’ascomplateinallhershapesasafirkin,you’dthink,an’hertwocheekswasasfatan’asred,itidopenyourhearttolookatthem。
  Butbeautyisnotthethingallthrough,an’asbeautifulasshewasshehadthedivil’stongue,an’thedivil’stimper,an’
  thedivil’sbehaviourallout;an’itwasimpossibleforhimtobeinthehousewithherforwhileyou’dcounttinwithouthavin’
  anargymint,an’assureassherizanargymintwithhimshe’dhithimawipeivaskilletorwhateverlaynexttoherhand。
  Well,thiswasn’tatallplasin’toJimSulivanyoumaybesure,an’therewasscarceaweekthathisheadwasn’tplastheredup,orhisbackbintdouble,orhisnoseswelledasbigasapittaty,withthevilenceivhertimper,an’hisheartwasscaldedeverlastin’lywithhertongue;sohehadnopaceorquietnessinbodyorsoulatallatall,withthewayshewasgoin’
  an。
  Well,yourhonour,onecowldsnowin’
  evenin’hekiminaftherhisday’sworkregulatin’themeninthefarm,an’hesatdownveryquitebythefire,forhehadascrimmidgewithherinthemornin’,an’
  allhewantedwasanairivthefireinpace;
  sodivilawordhesaidbutdhrewastoolan’satdownclosetothefire。Well,assoonasthewomansawhim,’Moveaff,’saysshe,’an’don’tbeinthrudin’anthefire,’saysshe。
  Well,hekeptnevermindin’,an’didn’tletan’tohearawordshewassayin’,soshekimoveran’shehadaspooninherhand,an’shetookjistthesmallesttasteinlifeivtheboilin’watheroutivthepot,an’shedhroppeditdownanhisshins,an’
  withthatheletaroaryou’dthinktheroofidflyaffivthehouse。
  ’Houldyourtongue,youbarbarrian,’
  saysshe;’you’llwakenthechild,’saysshe。
  ’An’ifIdoneright,’sayshe,forthespoonfulofboilin’watherrizhimentirely,’I’dtakeyourself,’sayshe,’an’I’dstuffyouintothepotanthefire,an’boilyou。’
  sayshe,’intocastoroil,’sayshe。
  ’That’spurtybehavour,’saysshe;’it’sfineusageyou’regivin’me,isn’tit?’saysshe,gettin’wickedereveryminute;’butbeforeI’mboiled,’saysshe,’thryhowyoulikeTHAT,’saysshe;an’,sureenough,beforehehadtimetoputuphisguard,shehothimaraleterribleclinkivtheironspoonacrassthejaw。
  ’Houldme,someivye,orI’llmurdherher,’sayshe。
  ’Willyou?’saysshe,an’withthatshehothimanothertintimesasgoodasthefirst。
  ’Byjabers,’sayshe,slappin’himselfbehind,’that’sthelastsaluteyou’llevergiveme,’sayshe;’sotakemylastblessin’,’
  sayshe,’youungovernablebaste!’sayshe——an’withthathepulledanhishatan’
  walkedoutivthedoor。
  Well,shenevermindedawordhesaid,forheusedtosaythesamethingallasoneeverytimeshedhrewblood;an’shehadnoexpectationatallbuthe’dcomebackbythetimesupperidbeready;butfaixthestorydidn’tgoquitesosimplethistime,forwhilehewaswalkin’,lonesomeenough,downtheborheen,withhisheartalmostbrokewiththepain,forhisshinsan’hisjawwasmightytroublesome,avcourse,withthethratementhegot,whodidheseebutMickHanlon,hisuncle’ssarvintby,ridin’down,quiteanasy,antheouldblackhorse,withahalteraslongashimself。
  ’IsthatMr。Soolivan?’saystheby。
  sayshe,assoonashesawhimagoodbitaff。
  ’Tobesureitis,yespalpeen,you,’saysJim,roarin’out;’whatdoyouwantwidmethistimea-day?’sayshe。
  ’Don’tyouknowme?’saysthegossoon,’it’sMickHanlonthat’sinit,’sayshe。
  ’Oh,bluranagers,thin,it’swelcomeyouare,Mickyasthore,’saysJim;’howisallwidthemanan’thewomanbeyant?’
  sayshe。
  ’Oh!’saysMicky,’badenough,’sayshe;’theouldman’sjistaff,an’ifyoudon’thurrylikeshot,’sayshe,’he’llbeinglorybeforeyougetthere,’sayshe。
  ’It’sjokin’yeare,’saysJim,sorrowfulenough,forhewasmightypartialtohisuncleintirely。
  ’Oh,notinthesmallesttaste,’saysMicky;’thebreathwasjistoutivhim,’
  sayshe,’whenIleftthefarm。“An’,“sayshe,“taketheouldblackhorse,“sayshe,“forhe’sshure-footedfortheroad,“sayshe,“an’bring,JimSoolivanhere,“sayshe,“forIthinkI’ddieasyafIcouldseehimonst,’sayshe。’
  ’Well,’saysJim,’willIhavetime,’sayshe,’togobacktothehouse,foritwouldbeaconsolation,’sayshe,’totellthebadnewstothewoman?’sayshe。
  ’It’stoolateyouarealready,’saysMicky,’socomeupbehindme,forGod’ssake,’sayshe,’an’don’twastetime;’an’
  withthathebroughtthehorseupbesidetheditch,an’JimSoolivanmountedupbehindMicky,an’theyrodeoff;an’tingoodmilesitwasivaroad,an’attheothersideivKeeperintirely;an’itwassnowin’
  sofastthattheouldbastecouldhardlygoanatallatall,an’thetwobysanhisbackwasjistlikeasnowballallasone,an’
  almostfruzan’smotheredatthesametime,yourhonour;an’theyworbothmightysorrowfulintirely,an’theirtoesalmostdhroppin’affwidthecould。
  AndwhenJimgottothefarmhisunclewasgettin’anillegantly,an’hewassittin’
  upsthrongan’warminthebed,an’im-
  provin’everyminute,an’nosignsavdyin’
  anhimatallatall;sohehadallhisthroublefornothin’。
  Butthiswasn’tall,forthesnowkemsothickthatitwasimpassibletogetalongtheroadsatallatall;an’faix,insteadivgettin’betther,nextmornin’itwasonlytintimesworse;soJimhadjisttotakeitasy,an’staywidhisuncleantilsuchtimesasthesnowidmelt。
  Well,yourhonour,theevenin’JimSoolivanwintaway,whinthedarkwasclosin’
  in,NellGorman,hiswife,beginnedtogetmightyanasyinherselfwhinshedidn’tseehimcomin’backatall;an’shewasgettin’
  morean’morefrightfulinherselfeveryminutetillthedarkkeman,an’divilatasteivherhusbandwascomingatallatall。
  ’Oh!’saysshe,’there’snouseinpur-
  tendin’,Iknowhe’skilthimself;hehascommittedinfantycideanhimself,’saysshe,’likeadissipatedbliggardashealwayswas,’saysshe,’Godresthissoul。Oh,thin,isn’titmean’notyou,JimSoolivan,that’stheunforthunatewoman,’saysshe,’forain’tIcryin’here,an’isn’theinheaven,thebliggard,’saysshe。’Oh,voh,voh,it’snotathomecomfortablewithyourwifean’familythatyouare,JimSoolivan,’
  saysshe,’butintheotherworld,youaumathaun,inglorywidthesaintsIhope,’saysshe。’It’sIthat’stheunforthunatefamale,’
  saysshe,’an’notyourself,JimSoolivan,’
  saysshe。
  An’thiswayshekep’antillmornin’,cryin’andlamintin;an’widthefirstlightshecalledupallthesarvintbys,an’shetouldthemtogooutan’tosarcheveryinchivgroundtofindthecorpse,’forI’msure,’
  saysshe,’it’snottogohidehimselfhewould,’saysshe。
  Well,theywentaswellastheycould,rummagin’throughthesnow,antil,atlast,whatshouldtheycometo,sureenough,butthecorpseofapoorthravellingman,thatfelloverthequarrythenightbeforebyrasonofthesnowandsomeliquorhehad,maybe;but,atanyrate,hewasasdeadasaherrin’,an’hisfacewasknockedalltopiecesjistlikeanover-boiledpitaty,glorybetoGod;an’divilatasteivanoseorachin,orahillorahollowfromoneendavhisfacetotheotherbutwasallasflatasapancake。
  An’hewasaboutJimSoolivan’ssize,an’dhressedoutexactlythesame,widaridin’coatan’newcorderhoys;sotheycarriedhimhome,an’theywereallassureasdaylightitwasJimSoolivanhimself,an’
  theywerewondheringhe’ddosichadirtyturnastogokillhimselfforspite。
  Well,yourhonour,theywakedhimaswellastheycould,withwhatneighbourstheycouldgittogither,butbyrasonivthesnow,therewasn’tenoughgotheredtomakemuchdivarsion;howeveritwasaplisintwakeenough,an’thechurchyardan’thepriestbein’convanient,assoonastheyoungsthershadtheirbitivfunanddivarsionoutivthecorpse,theyburrieditwithoutagreatdaleivthrouble;an’aboutthreedaysafthertheberrin,ouldJimMallowney,fromth’othersideivthelittlehill,herowncousinbythemother’sside——hehadasnugbitivafarman’ahousecloseby,bythesametoken——kemwalkin’intoseehowshewasinherhealth,an’hedhrewachair,an’
  hesotdownan’beginnedtoconvarseheraboutonethingan’another,antilhegotherquitean’asyintomiddlin’goodhumour,an’assoonasheseenitwastime:
  ’I’mwondherin’,sayshe,’NellGorman,sichahandsome,likelygirl,idbethinkin’
  ivnothin’butlamintin’an’thelikes,’sayshe,’an’lingerin’awayherdayswithoutanyconsolation,orgettin’ahusband,’sayshe。
  ’Oh,’saysshe,’isn’titonlythreedayssinceIburriedthepoorman,’saysshe,’an’
  isn’titrathersoontobetalkinivmarryin’
  agin?’
  ’Divilataste,’sayshe,’threedaysisjistthetimetoaminuteforcryin’aftherahusband,an’there’snooccasioninlifetobekeepin’itup,’sayshe;’an’besidesallthat,’
  sayshe,’Shrovetideisalmostover,an’ifyoudon’tbesturrin’yourselfan’lookin’
  aboutyou,you’llbelate,’sayshe,’forthisyearatanyrate,an’that’stwelvemonthslost;an’who’stolookaftherthefarmallthattime,’sayshe,’an’tokeepthementotheirwork?’sayshe。
  ’It’sthrueforyou,JimMallowney,’saysshe,’butI’mafeardtheneighbourswillbealltalkin’aboutit,’saysshe。
  ’Divil’scuretotheword,’sayshe。
  ’An’whowouldyouadvise?’saysshe。
  ’YoungAndyCurtisistheboy,’sayshe。
  ’He’salikelyboyinhimself,’saysshe。
  ’An’ashandyagossoonasisout,’
  sayshe。
  ’Well,thin,JimMallowney,’saysshe,’here’smyhand,an’youmaybetalkin’
  toAndyCurtis,an’ifhe’swillin’I’magreeble——isthatenough?’saysshe。
  SowiththathemadeoffwithhimselfstraighttoAndyCurtis;an’beforethreedaysmorewaspast,theweddin’keman,an’
  NellGormanan’AndyCurtiswasmarriedascomplateaspossible;an’ifthewakewasplisinttheweddin’wastintimesasagreeble,an’alltheneighboursthatcouldmaketheirwaytoitwasthere,an’therewasthreefiddlersan’lotsivpipers,an’