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"Then, Captain Ussher, it's you'll be sorry for the day you were trating that way an innocent boy that knows nothing at all at all about it." "Do you mean to be threatening me, you ruffian?" "No, Captain Ussher, I doesn't threaten you, but there is them as does; and it's this day's work, or this night's that's all the same, will be the black night work to you.
Ussher was the only Protestant whom this poor man was in the habit of meeting, and he was continually attempting to convert him; in which pursuit Ussher rather encouraged him with the purpose of turning him into ridicule. Such were the spiritual guides of the inmates of Ballycloran and its neighbourhood.
If Captain Ussher manes to marry you, under all circumstances, I don't know you could do better. I don't like him, as how should I, for isn't he a Protestant, and a low-born, impudent ruffian? but you do like him, and I suppose, if he marries you, it's becase he likes you; if not, why should he do it?
"Why, then, I'd just ask him to speak a word to Thady just to propose himself in the regular way." "But Thady hates him so." "No; Thady don't hate him: he's only jealous lest Captain Ussher isn't treating you quite as he ought to do." "But Thady is so queer in his manners; and I know Myles wouldn't like to be asking leave and permission to be courting me."
The marriage ceremony took about five minutes; but during this time Father John found occasion to whisper Ussher to come up close to the bride; and then, after hurrying over a great part of the service almost under his breath, he pronounced the final words salute nostrâ in a loud voice, adding at the same time to Ussher, "Now, my boy!"
He told the jury that it was in his power to prove to them that the prisoner was one of an illegal society who had often threatened Ussher, and that he had but a day or two previous to the affray met a sworn portion of his own tenants for the purpose of planning the murder.
Ussher still stood up by the fireplace, with the same smile on his face. What he had told Feemy was all true; he had unexpectedly received an official letter that morning from the Dublin office, complimenting him on his services, informing him that he was to be moved to a higher grade, and that on his promotion he was to leave Mohill, and take charge of the men stationed at Cashel.
On the previous evening, when feigning to be asleep, he had managed to overhear a small portion of what had passed between Thady, Joe Reynolds, and the rest; but what he had overheard had reference solely to Keegan; for when they began to speak of Ussher, everything had been said in so low a voice, that he had been unable to comprehend a word.
"Prevent throubles," soliloquised Thady; "there is no way with me to prevent all manner of throuble I believe I'll go in and get a tumbler of punch;" and determined to adopt this mode of quieting troubles, if he could not prevent them, he followed Ussher.
But how came this about? why, the fact was, unpleasant as it was to avow, that I had leaned too much upon the assertions of Ussher, Jeremy Taylor, or Barrow, and had been deceived by them. Valeat quantum, it was all that could be said.
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