All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity, Chapters XXX-XXXVI [pp. 241-263]

All-IlalZow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity.
upon the mountain road in the county
Cavan, his own report that he had
gone to the north had done him no
service; for the addition which he
had tacked to it, about "going to get
married to a rich young lady," was not
believed by a single person for whose
deception it had been spread abroad.
That sort of thing had been so often
repeated without fulfilment that peo ple reversed the cry of the wolf upon
the subject.
There wits nothing now for it with
those to whom Tom was indebted but
to go to his father, in hopes of some
arrangement being made to even se cure them in their money. Several
bills of exchange-some overdue, and
some not yet at maturity-with his
name across them, were brought to
old Mick for sums varying from ten
to fifteen and twenty pounds. Old
Mick quietly pronounced them one
and all to be forgeries. Tom and he
had had some very sharp words be fore he went away. He had called
the poor old man a " —old nig gard" to his face, and he heard
the words " cannot last very
long," as Tom slapped the door behind him.
Old Mick would have only fretted
at all this had his son returned in a
reasonable time to his home, and, as
usual, made promises of amendment,
or had even written to him. It was
the first time that ever a forged acceptance had been presented to him
for payment, and Tom's prolonged absence without any preconcerted object
to account for it weighed heavily upon
the old man's heart as to his son's
real character. Tom was all this
time, as the reader is aware, planning
a bold stroke to secure Winny Cavana's fortune to pay off these
forgeries. But we have seen with
what a miserable result.
It was impossible to hide the glaring fact of Tom Murdock's apprehension and committal to jail upon the
dreadful charge of murder from his
father. It rang from one end of
the parish to the other. But instead of
vOL. III. 17
rushing to meet his son, clapping his
hands, and exclaiming, "Oh! wiris thrue, wiristhrue! what's this for?"
poor old 3Mick was completely pros trated by the news; and there be lay
in his bed, unable to move hand or
foot from the poignancy of his grief
and disgrace.
If Tom Murdock has broken his
poor old father's heart, and he never
rises from that bed, it is only an other item in hlis great account.
CHAPTER XXXV.
THE reader will recollect that the
incidents recorded in the two last
chapters took place toward the lat ter end of June. We will, there fore, have time, before the assizes
come on, to let him know how far
Winny's fancy map was perfected.
For herself, then, first. She had
determined to become a member of a
convent in the north of Ireland, giving
up the world with all its vanities-she
knew nothing of its pomps-and de voting her time, her talents, and
whatever money she mighF finally
possess, to religious and charitable
purposes. She had not delayed long
after the magistrate and " the chief"
had left, and she had experienced a
refreshing sleep, in taking her father into her confidence to the fullest
extent of her intentions, not only as
regarded herself, but with respect to
those friends whom she had set down
upon the map to be provided for.
"Father," she said, continuing a
conversation, "there is no use in your
moving such a thing to me. It is no
matter at what time you project it for
me; my mind is made up beyond
even the consideration of the question.
I will never marry. Do not, like a
dear good father that you have ever
been, move it to me any more."
"Indeed, Winny, I could not add a
word more than I have already sed;
an' if that fails to bring you round,
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