“As you please, sir,” replied my uncle, in a passion; “but you will oblige me by quitting this house immediately, and expect nothing more, either from the present or the future Lord Privilege, except that retaliation which your infamous conduct has deserved.”
I felt much irritated, and replied very sharply, “From the present Lord Privilege I certainly expect nothing more, neither do I from his successor;—but after your death, uncle, I expect that the person who succeeds to the title will do all he can for your humble servant. I wish you a good morning, uncle.”
My uncle’s eyes flashed fire as I finished my speech, which indeed was a very bold, and a very foolish one too, as it afterwards proved. I hastened out of the room, not only from the fear of being turned out of the house before all the servants, but also from the dread that my letter to the first Lord might be taken from me by force; but I never shall forget the scowl of vengeance which crossed my uncle’s brows as I turned round and looked at him as I shut the door. I found my way out without the assistance of the servants, and hastened home as fast as I could.
“O’Brien,” said I, on my return, “there is no time to be lost; the sooner you hasten to town with this letter of introduction, the better it will be, for depend upon it my uncle will do me all the harm that he can.” I then repeated to him all that had passed, and it was agreed, that O’Brien should take the letter, which having reference to the bearer, would do as well for him as for me; and, if O’Brien obtained on appointment, I was sure not only of being one of his lieutenants, but also of sailing with a dear friend. The next morning, O’Brien set off for London, and fortunately saw the First Lord the day after his arrival, which was a levée day. The First Lord received the letter from O’Brien, and requested him to sit down. He then read it, inquired after his lordship, asked whether his health was good, etc.
O’Brien replied that, “with the blessing of God, his lordship might live many years: that he had never heard him complain of ill health.” All which was not false, if not true. I could not help observing to O’Brien, when he returned home and told me what had passed, that “I thought, considering what he had expressed with respect to white lies and black lies, that he had not latterly adhered to his own creed.”
“That’s very true, Peter; and I’ve thought of it myself, but it is my creed nevertheless. We all know what’s right, but we don’t always follow it. The fact is, I begin to think that it is absolutely necessary to fight the world with it own weapons. I spoke to Father McGrath on the subject, and he replied, ‘That if any one, by doing wrong, necessitated another to do wrong to circumvent him, that the first party was answerable, not only for his own sin, but also for the sin committed in self-defence.’”
“But O’Brien, I do not fix my faith so implicitly upon Father McGrath; and I do not much admire many of his directions.”
“No more do I, Peter, when I think upon them; but how am I to puzzle my head upon these points? All I know is, that when you are divided between your inclination and your duty, it’s mighty convenient to have a priest like Father McGrath to decide for you, and to look after your soul into the bargain.”
It occurred to me, that I myself, when finding fault with O’Brien, had, in the instance of both the letters from Lord Privilege, been also guilty of deceit. I was therefore blaming him for the same fault committed by myself; and I am afraid that I was too ready in consoling myself with Father McGrath’s maxim, “That one might do evil, that good might come.” But to return to O’Brien’s interview.
After some little conversation, the First Lord said, “Captain O’Brien, I am always very ready to oblige Lord Privilege, and the more so as his recommendation is of an officer of your merit. In a day or two, if you will call at the Admiralty, you will hear further.” O’Brien wrote to us immediately, and we waited with impatience for his next letter; but instead of this letter, he made his appearance on the third day, and first hugging me in his arms, he then came to my sister, embraced her, and skipped and danced about the room.