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Article THURLOGH, THE MILESIAN. ← Page 7 of 8 →
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Thurlogh, The Milesian.
that quality , in which an Irishman is seldom wanting—I mean " modest assurance "—be determines to exchange civilities , and , if he failed in eliciting any . verbal return , to console himself , at all events , by the expression of a look . In truth he did not know , nor allow himself time to analyse , what the prevailing ingredient was which influenced him in the resolution . But of this his conviction was complete , that it must have been something more than earthl
y , which , contrary to his usual habits , and the cool deliberativeness of his constitution , could so upset the mechanism of his " inner man , " as to render amiable in his eyes a step , which he could not before have so much as contemplated , without identifying it " with rashness , or a rude infringement upon the rules of society—It was love ! love , all-powerful !—all-transforming . ' Under the guidance of this divinity , as his left hand pushed open the gateway , and his right laid hold of one of the marble pillars to sustain his
stooping posture , he gazed for an instant in a reverie of admiration ; when rousing from his trance , at the sudden inclination of the young lady's head , he made a virtue of necessity , and in accounting for his intrusion , was furnished with a pretext for addressing her . " Madam , " says he , " may I , with submission , ask what is the distance from here to town ? I have strayed out from my hotel to take a mouthful of the country air before breakfast ; but so ignorant am I of these localities , that I fear , if I prolong my excursion , I shall not be back again in any reasonable time . "
" Three miles , sir , " replied the young lady , with an air which bespoke at once a conciliatory disposition , and an unaffected self-possession . Disappointed at this brevity , which , passing over all et ceteras , confined itself solely to the information which he sought , O'Neil could not dissemble an evidence of some embarrassment , at which the fair one feelingly touched , added— \ " As to the rest , sir . you must yourself be the best judge of your own convenience . Nor do I suppose you can be at any loss to decide whether
or not a continuation of your walk would interfere with other plans , as by a reference to your watch you may easily learn how long you have been coming out thus far . " " But what , if I should not have noted the hour at which I started?—or if , having done so there , I should have neglected it here ?—having become so absent on my approach as to lose sight of every thing except flowers , distracted in my admiration of Nature ' s work , seeing tbe loveliest of the animate ing homage to the loveliest of the inanimate creation . "
pay " You are from Ireland , I presume ?" " I have the honour to be from that country : —but depressed and now inconsiderable though she be as a nation , her sons are not insensible to the influences which taste imparts , nor deterred , by any misgivings of misinterpreted faith , from the avowal of those emotions which actuate their preference . " " Evidently . But these preferences would seem very hastily formed ?"
" And not the less correctly , I should hope , on that account , nor yet the less sincerely ? Our own existence in this world is at least veiy short ; and would it not be folly to waste years in deliberating as to the pursuit of that object upon which our affections may have been riveted , when a few lapses of duration may either remove us altogether from this stage , make the idol of our own longings cease any longer to be attractive—or incapacitate us for its relish , though all its charms may remain . " " Mremarksirwas not intended as sliht couutry
y , , any gupon your , which , however much it may be now deteriorated bypolitical considerations , stands high in the records of chivalry and of valour : but the strain in which you have indulged , to the purport of which I could but be sensible , recalled to my memory all I had heard and all I had read respecting the VOL . i . ' 3 B ,
Note: This text has been automatically extracted via Optical Character Recognition (OCR) software.
Thurlogh, The Milesian.
that quality , in which an Irishman is seldom wanting—I mean " modest assurance "—be determines to exchange civilities , and , if he failed in eliciting any . verbal return , to console himself , at all events , by the expression of a look . In truth he did not know , nor allow himself time to analyse , what the prevailing ingredient was which influenced him in the resolution . But of this his conviction was complete , that it must have been something more than earthl
y , which , contrary to his usual habits , and the cool deliberativeness of his constitution , could so upset the mechanism of his " inner man , " as to render amiable in his eyes a step , which he could not before have so much as contemplated , without identifying it " with rashness , or a rude infringement upon the rules of society—It was love ! love , all-powerful !—all-transforming . ' Under the guidance of this divinity , as his left hand pushed open the gateway , and his right laid hold of one of the marble pillars to sustain his
stooping posture , he gazed for an instant in a reverie of admiration ; when rousing from his trance , at the sudden inclination of the young lady's head , he made a virtue of necessity , and in accounting for his intrusion , was furnished with a pretext for addressing her . " Madam , " says he , " may I , with submission , ask what is the distance from here to town ? I have strayed out from my hotel to take a mouthful of the country air before breakfast ; but so ignorant am I of these localities , that I fear , if I prolong my excursion , I shall not be back again in any reasonable time . "
" Three miles , sir , " replied the young lady , with an air which bespoke at once a conciliatory disposition , and an unaffected self-possession . Disappointed at this brevity , which , passing over all et ceteras , confined itself solely to the information which he sought , O'Neil could not dissemble an evidence of some embarrassment , at which the fair one feelingly touched , added— \ " As to the rest , sir . you must yourself be the best judge of your own convenience . Nor do I suppose you can be at any loss to decide whether
or not a continuation of your walk would interfere with other plans , as by a reference to your watch you may easily learn how long you have been coming out thus far . " " But what , if I should not have noted the hour at which I started?—or if , having done so there , I should have neglected it here ?—having become so absent on my approach as to lose sight of every thing except flowers , distracted in my admiration of Nature ' s work , seeing tbe loveliest of the animate ing homage to the loveliest of the inanimate creation . "
pay " You are from Ireland , I presume ?" " I have the honour to be from that country : —but depressed and now inconsiderable though she be as a nation , her sons are not insensible to the influences which taste imparts , nor deterred , by any misgivings of misinterpreted faith , from the avowal of those emotions which actuate their preference . " " Evidently . But these preferences would seem very hastily formed ?"
" And not the less correctly , I should hope , on that account , nor yet the less sincerely ? Our own existence in this world is at least veiy short ; and would it not be folly to waste years in deliberating as to the pursuit of that object upon which our affections may have been riveted , when a few lapses of duration may either remove us altogether from this stage , make the idol of our own longings cease any longer to be attractive—or incapacitate us for its relish , though all its charms may remain . " " Mremarksirwas not intended as sliht couutry
y , , any gupon your , which , however much it may be now deteriorated bypolitical considerations , stands high in the records of chivalry and of valour : but the strain in which you have indulged , to the purport of which I could but be sensible , recalled to my memory all I had heard and all I had read respecting the VOL . i . ' 3 B ,