CHAPTER VIII. ABOUT TO JOIN THE ENEMY.

New Zealand Tablet, Volume III, Issue 123, 3 September 1875, Page 6

CHAPTER VIII. ABOUT TO JOIN THE ENEMY.

" Ybs, it is quite true that the king's troops are in so miserable a condition, that one-third of them could not be relied upon, if Tyrconnell upon his arrival were to give them a pistole each," said a fine looking young man in military uniform, in answer to the remarka of a brother officer, who had but recently joined William's forces in Ireland. " I am surprised to hear there is such an amount of disaffection," replied our old acquaintance, Sir Reginald, "or that party feeling runs so high in favor of James, even in Ireland, but really I am getting disgusted at the paltry means that are being resorted to, to strengthen the hands of the king's government; from all qua-rters the same tales are rife ; the most nefarious subterfuges are used to bring over wavering adherents of the Stuart race." "Why, St. John," exclaimed his companion, in a tone of unfeigned surprise, " I should have thought you the last man on I earth to be very particular as to hoiv the party, whose interests you espouse, should prosper, when we' remember certain doings at Limerick." The hot blood rushed to the temples of St. John, and with his hand on tho hilt of his sword, he replied : " 'Sdeath, sir ! what do you mean by such a remark ? Whatdo I either know or care what is going on in Limerick ? I, who this night, for the first time in my life, have seen this place; and have but within these short two hours arrived from Kinsale." - "My dear St. John," replied the young officer, placing his hand in an irritating manner on his friend's shoulder. " can you for one moment attempt to lead me to suppose that you are ignorant of all the fine things' that have lately been done in your name to the unspeakable annoyance of Miss O'Neiirs relations in Limerick ? Own the truth," continued Seymour, the once sworn friend of Sir Reginald, " and say that you have forsworn the beautiful papist, Morence O'Neill, whose heart is even now with the Jacobite crew at St. Geruaains, for the godly William of Orange, who has come to save our lives, and Protestant faith, and • liberties, and from pure disinterestedness has taken hia father-in-law's crown for himself."

" Have done with your taunting 1 gibes, Seymour, and come to the point at once ; explain in what way my my name has been •used, and tell me who has dared say anything against my betrothal ■with the lady Florence." " You have an intimate friend named Benson, St. John, a canting old knave, forgive the expression, and — " Ah, Benson, what about him, he left me some two months since, to make a journey into Wales, to visit some relations ; he has not been to Ireland for many years." " Indeed," said Seymour, vainly attempting to suppress another burst of laughter, "really now this is too ridiculous. Do you J mean to deny, St. John, that you do not know that he offered himself to the military authorities of this town as a spy on General Sarsfield's movements; that you. even deputed him to be the means of conveying the intelligence to the family of Miss O Neill, that your opinions and feelings were so wedded to the cause of William of Orange that you had both agreed to break the chains which had hitherto subsisted between you ? To sum all up in a few words : you are said, by him, to have led Von Keppel to write to Benson in your name, requesting him to further the good cause by every means in his power, to gain admission to the maternal j *unt of Florence O'Neill, resident at Limerick, and through her to | become a spy on the actions of the general and his party, avowing also that your regret that you had suffered the charms of her beautiful face to draw you aside from the allegiance you owe to William and Mary. Moreover, you express an eager desire to redeem past errors, by offering your services as speedily as possible to our commanding officers in this place, and, my dear fellow," \ added Seymour, " to corroborate all, here you are in your own person ; but forgive my ill-timed merriment, for I see that an ill use has been made of your name. But really, wheu. I remember the finale, and Benson's exit from the house of Misr, O'Neill, which set all LimeriGk in an uproar, it is exceedingly hard to repress another burst of Laughter." j " For heaven's sake, Seymour, be quiet," said St. John, " and i tell me the whole truth." • ! Seymour then narrated in his own way those circumstances with which the reader is already acquainted, relative to the capture of Benson, or Layton, as for the sake of disguise, he had chosen to call himself, together with an account of the summary punishment iaflcted on him. at the hands of the mob. It were, of course, vain to attempt to describe the wounded ' Sride, mortification and anger with which St. John listened to all ] c had to say, or his pleasure on hearing of the punishment of his Tillainous ex-preceptor Benson. For a few moments he was silent, then he said : " Farewell, Seymour, for awhile, before an hour is over I shall be on my way to Limerick." - '■ To Limerick !" ejaculated his friend, " why, it is the headquarters of General Sarsfield." " Exactly bo, and also the dwelling place of thw General's cousin. Miss O'Neill." " And in your present mood, I shall not' be surprised to hear of a defection, for it is not unlikely you may find your way to Sarsfield himself," said Seymour, with a significant glanco at St. John's dejected countenance. " Keep your Burmises to yourself Seymour, I have been foully wronged, as you well know, and " '• True enough," was the reply, " and as I am your sworn friend, I say nothing, and keep my thoughts locked within my oira breast ; but I tell you, Reginald, I am morally certain that a very short time hence King William will hear that the cousin of tlo jged.St. John, the supporter of the commonwealth, hitherto so devoted to his interests, has paßted over with many others to the rauka of the exiled James."