Extracted from Ormond by Maria Edgeworth, published by Appletree Press
Ormond
by Maria Edgeworth
Chapter One - part 3
Lady O'Shane was, soon after her arrival in Ireland, compelled to see her house as full of company as it could possibly hold; and her ladyship was condemned eternally to do the honours to successive troops of friends, of whom she knew nothing, and of whom she disliked all she saw or heard. Her dear Sir Ulick was, or seemed, so engrossed by the business of pleasure, so taken up with his guests, that but a few minutes in the day could she ever obtain of his company. She saw herself surrounded by the young, the fair, and the gay, to whom Sir Ulick devoted his assiduous and gallant attentions; and though his age, and his being a married man, seemed to preclude, in the opinion of the cool or indifferent spectator, all idea of any real cause for jealousy, yet it was not so with poor Lady O'Shane's magnifying imagination. The demon of jealousy tortured her; and to enhance her sufferings she was obliged to conceal them, lest they should become subjects of private mockery or public derision. It is the peculiar misfortune or punishment of misplaced, and yet more of unreasonable passions, that in their distresses they obtain no sympathy—and while the passion is in all its consequences tragic to the sufferer, in all its exhibitions it is ludicrous to the spectator. Lady O'Shane could not be young, and would not be old; so without the charm of youth, or the dignity of age, she could neither inspire love, nor command respect. Nor could she find fit occupation or amusement, or solace or refuge, in any combination of company, or class of society. Unluckily as her judgment, never discriminating, was now blinded by jealousy, the two persons, of all his family connexions, upon whom she pitched as the peculiar objects of her fear and hatred, were precisely those who were most disposed to pity and befriend her—to serve her in private with Sir Ulick, and to treat her with deference in public. These two persons were Lady Annaly and her daughter. Lady Annaly was a distant relation of Sir Ulick's first wife, during whose life some circumstances had occurred, which had excited her ladyship's indignation against him. For many years all commerce between them had ceased.
Lady Annaly was a woman of generous indignation, strong principles, and warm affections. Her rank, her high connexions, her high character, her having, from the time she was left a young and beautiful widow, devoted herself to the education and the interests of her children; her having persevered in her lofty course, superior to all the numerous temptations of love, vanity, or ambition, by which she was assailed: her long and able administration of a large property, during the minority of her son; her subsequent graceful resignation of power; his affection, gratitude, and deference for his mother, which now continued to prolong her influence, and exemplify her precepts in every act of his own; altogether placed this lady high in public consideration—high as any individual could stand in a country, where national enthusiastic attachment is ever excited by certain noble qualities, congenial to the Irish nature. Sir Ulick O'Shane, sensible of the disadvantage which it had been to him to have estranged such a family connexion, and fully capable of appreciating the value of her friendship, had of late years taken infinite pains to redeem himself in Lady Annaly's opinion. His consummate address, aided and abetted, and concealed as it was by his off-hand manner, would scarcely have succeeded, had it not been supported also by some substantial good qualities, especially by the natural candour and generosity of his disposition. In favour of the originally strong, and, through all his errors, wonderfully surviving taste for virtue, some of his manifold transgressions might be forgiven. There was much hope and promise of amendment. And, besides—to state things just as they were, he had propitiated the mother, irresistibly, by his enthusiastic admiration of the daughter—so that Lady Annaly had at last consented to re-visit Castle Hermitage. Her ladyship and her daughter were now on this reconciliation visit; Sir Ulick was extremely anxious to make it agreeable. Besides the credit of her friendship, he had other reasons for wishing to conciliate her. His son Marcus was just twenty-two years older than Miss Annaly—in course of time, Sir Ulick thought it might be a match—his son could not possibly make a better;—beauty, fortune, family connexions, every thing that the hearts of young and old desire.—Besides, (for in Sir Ulick's calculations besides was a word frequently occurring,) besides, Miss Annaly's brother was not as strong in body as in mind—in two illnesses his life had been despaired of—a third might carry him off—the estate would probably come to Miss Annaly.—Besides—be this hereafter as it might, there was at this present time being a considerable debt due by Sir Ulick to these Annalys, with accumulated interest, since the 'time of his first marriage; and this debt would be merged in Miss Annaly's portion, should she become his son's wife. All this was very well calculated; but, to say nothing of the character, or affections of the son Sir Ulick had omitted to consider Lady O'Shane, or he had taken it for granted, that her love for him would induce her at once to enter into and second his views. It did not so happen. On the contrary, thedislike which Lady O'Shane took at first to both the mother and daughter—to the daughter instinctively, at sight of her youth and beauty; to the mother reflectively, on account of her matronly dress and dignified deportment, in too striking contrast to her own frippery appearance, increased every day, and every hour, when she saw the attentions, the adoration, that Sir Ulick paid to Miss Annaly, and the deference and respect he shewed to Lady Annaly, all for qualities and accomplishments, in which Lady O'Shane was conscious that she was irremediably deficient.
The family history of Sir Ulick O'Shane continues:here
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