Mrs. Murphy

“ My dear Murphy, I am very sorry that Madame d'Harville should have formed any acquaintance with this Sarah. So young and charming a woman must suffer by the contact with such an infernal—"
"Talking of infernal creatures," said Murphy, "here is a communication relative to Cecily, the unworthy spouse of the excellent David."
"Between ourselves, my dear Murphy, this audacious métisse [9] well deserves the terrible punishment that her husband, our dear black doctor, has inflicted on the Schoolmaster by monseigneur's order. She has also shed blood, and her unblushing infamy is astounding." ”

“ The teacher thereupon shook hands with Patrick. Mrs. Murphy continued: [Pg 71]
"My first husband were a Young, my second a Thompson, my third a Wigger, my fourth a Black, and my fifth a Murphy."
"I wonders who the nixt wan will be," said Patrick, grinning from ear to ear. "My woman lived wid the Mormons."
Mrs. Murphy's eyes looked daggers. He continued:
"An' she thought if it were good fur wan man to marry many women, it were equally good fur wan woman ter have many husbands, even if she didn't have all of thim ter onct." He chuckled.
"Mind y'r bizness!" snapped the irate Mrs. Murphy. ”

“ But a voice his attention that moment arrested—
'Tis a subject, perchance, in which he's interested.
So once more his gaze pierced the keyhole right through,
Where he had of the table an excellent view.
"How are you, my angel? Much pleasure it gives
Me to see you! For your sake alone Murphy lives.
Though your beautiful charms all his brains are fast stealing,
And his heart it would break did you hurt but a feeling. ”

“ Murphy remarked as they neared the campus.
“No, I’m from Wyoming. It’s a long way from here.”
“You’re sure—I’m afraid—the ladies at your cottage mightn’t like Mary and me coming this way.”
“Please don’t think that, Mrs. Murphy,” Virginia reassured her. “We’re always allowed to invite guests to supper. It’s quite all right, truly.”
But Mrs. Murphy in her secret heart was not assured. She looked really frightened as they neared The Hermitage; but Virginia, talking with Mary, did not notice, nor did she heed the astonished and somewhat amused looks of the girls whom they passed. ”

“ Mrs. Murphy has a hard time getting on with her family. We all like to give her a hand when we can. Many’s the string of fish I’ve left at her door, even when I had to go home without any myself. But, then, I’m not very fond of bass for eating, much as I love to feel them pull at the end of my line.”
“What was that you were saying about our going in to town tomorrow, Ralph?” asked Sim, when they were well on their way home. ”

“ Pretty well, Miss Mary, but 'tis aisy does it wid that woman, Mrs. Murphy. She's a great ould gossip of a woman; 'tis no wonder Tim an' the childher are the shows of the place. I was hard put to it to shut her mouth—her tongue's longer thin my arm—an' get her to the master's studio before he came home. ”

“ And a priest walked inside who had listening been.
How the widow's heart beat as he stept up to greet her!
He was very much like, still he was not old Peter.
"Sure I'm in for it now," Murphy inwardly thought;
"I would fly, but must own I've been quite fairly caught.
No I aint!—'tis but Pat, though in clever disguise;
He may cheat his old Mother's, but not these young eyes.
But I'll not spoil the fun; I'm reprieved by his aid.
Ah! his voice, as I feared, has the secret betrayed;
And the good little dame appears quite in a pet.
P'rhaps she'll wait longer still for a young bridegroom yet! ”

“ You should have seen Murphy’s face! A strange silence like a pall settled over the table; to me the news seemed to creep round those silent walls which had reflected Adeline’s shadow so often. It was the effect of Murphy’s frozen expression.
But a man cannot live with a dead woman, especially when she belonged to someone else. I touched Carrie’s foot under the table. She was too young and pretty for a fossil like Murphy. ”

“ Murphy kept a sharp look-out on Jenny, with whom the boatswain soon fell in love, and he tried to find opportunities of being alone with her to press his suit, or in plain language, to get a fuck out of her.
Mrs. Murphy had at times to be in her husband's cabin to give him medicine or attend to his wants, so she told Nina in her absence never to leave Jenny alone with the boatswain. Nina faithfully promised and kept her word in the following manner. ”

“ Murphy had been right when she said the ladies of The Hermitage mightn’t like to have her and Mary coming this way. She could not understand it. At home in Wyoming the stranger was always made a friend, and the unfortunate a guest. Hospitality was the unwritten law of the land.
She was rather glad when supper was over. The girls immediately went up-stairs, only Mary, Anne, and Priscilla lingering to say good-night to her guests. Virginia stayed upon Miss King’s invitation, for she and Miss Wallace were to talk with Mrs. Murphy concerning work at St. Helen’s. ”

“ On the abnormal thing beginning to move forward, the spell that bound Mrs. Murphy to the floor was broken, and, with a cry of horror, she fled to the bed and awoke her husband.
The head was by this time close to them, and had not Mrs. Murphy dragged her husband forcibly out of its way, it would have touched him.
His terror was even greater than hers; but for the moment neither could speak. They stood clutching one another in an awful silence. Mrs. Murphy at length gasped out, "Pray, John, pray! Command the thing in the name of God to depart." Mr. ”

“ Shyly, but with determination, she expressed her desire to go there with her aunt. Well-pleased, Mrs. Murphy consented to take her, inwardly gloating over her good luck, for she saw that Eily was neat and handy, and had the "makings" of a good servant. It would enable her to save the wages of her present drudge, and a girl who had no friends near to "mither" her could be made to perform wonders in the way of work. ”

“ When my wife was a little girl with braids down her back, Murphy used to see her in the excited crowd in front of the neighbor's door, as he toted a grand piano to the waiting van. Many a time Murphy has started to give that little girl a penny because she was so cute. Many a time he has reconsidered and kept the penny himself!
It was Murphy who moved us. He is anywhere from seventy to ninety years old now—a stalwart, [Pg 19] steel-muscled young fellow who runs his own wagon and lifts his end of the heaviest burden with a heart as light as his chest is deep and his back broad. ”

“ Murphy came to Cecil county, and for ten years resided near the head of Bohemia river; subsequently she has resided in Middletown, Delaware, in Chester county, Pennsylvania, and for the last ten years in Philadelphia. Mr. and Mrs. Murphy are the parents of eight children, four of whom are now living.
From early childhood Mrs. Murphy has shown a remarkable aptitude for literary work, and when quite a little girl at school, frequently took the highest average for composition. ”

“ Simpleton! it's this way every day, only worse, because this is early morning, and there's only a few about yet;" and Mrs. Murphy's eyes closed again.
The cab rattled along, the streets became narrow and unsavoury, but Eily knew no difference; it was all grand to her unsophisticated eyes; the little shops, with lights that flared dismally in their untidy windows, caused her much excitement and speculation.
At last the cab drew up, and her aunt awoke from her nap in a bad temper.
"Get my things together, quick, and don't dawdle; we're at home now, and you will have to set about your work!" ”

“ Con Murphy. You see, I won't be far from you girls if you want me any time," he pursued.
"You are going to live with Mr. Murphy?"
"Yes. He's got a spare room—and it's very neat and clean. There's a woman comes in and 'does' for him, as he calls it. He needs a chap like me to give him a hand now and then—taking care of the pig and his garden, you know."
"Not in the winter, Neale," said Ruth, gently. "I hope you are not leaving us for any foolish reason. You are perfectly welcome to stay. You ought to know that." ”

“ Margaret, who lived with him happily for nearly thirty years, had no reason to regret the hour when she forded Schoharie creek in search of her tardy lover.
Despite of the eventful perils into which he was always flinging himself, Murphy lived to see years of peace, dying of cancer in the throat, in 1818, at the age of sixty-eight. He was an uneducated man; but, possessed of a strong will and an amiable disposition, he exerted an unbounded influence over the minds of a certain class of men, who, like himself, were schooled in trial. ”

“ I nodded to Elerson, who drew the noose tight; the prisoner's knees gave way, and he screamed; but Mount and Murphy jerked him up, and the rope strangled the screech in his throat.
Sickened, I bent my head, striving to count the seconds as he hung twisting and quivering under the maple limb.
Would he never die? Would those spasms never end?
"Shtep back, sorr, if ye plaze, sorr," said Murphy, gently. "Sure, sorr, ye're as white as a sheet. Walk away quiet-like; ye're not used to such things, sorr."
I was not, indeed; I had never seen a man done to death in cold blood. ”

“ Murphy's right and left. Nine pairs of elbows were resting upon the table. Nine pairs of eyes were fixed longingly upon the platter of chicken. Suddenly, as the parental nudge passed along, [Pg 127] nine pairs of elbows moved off the table, and nine figures sat erect.
The family had been instructed to observe the teacher's manners at table, "fur," observed Mrs. Murphy, "there is no better way fur yer to learn eatin' manners than to notice how folks does. Ef she sets up straight-like, yer kin do the same. Jest watch her. Ef she takes her chicken bone in her hand, y' kin ”

“ Oliver L. Murphy had returned from the front office.
“Pretty well, Mr Murphy.”
“Had quite a session with Mr Golden.”
“I bet,” said Caroline with sympathy. “I’ll bet he was something.”
“Well, I handled him O.K. today. He’s not so hard to get along with. Of course, he’s got some queer ideas. Those people often have.”
“Isn’t that the truth.” Caroline arranged the paper in her typewriter. Mr Murphy leaned over and smelled the carnation in the imitation silver vase.
“Smells nice, don’t it?”
“It certainly does, Mr Murphy.” She smiled. Mr Murphy went back to his desk and Caroline typed. ”

“ Then, composing herself, she added, "My lord, some one comes; it is your child."
"Oh! do not refuse me," cried Rudolph, in a supplicating voice; "in the name of my love, say our child."
"Our child," murmured Clémence; at the same moment Murphy opened the door, leading in Fleur-de-Marie.
The girl, descending from the carriage, had crossed an ante-chamber, filled with footmen in full livery; a waiting-room, where valets attended; then the ushers' saloon; and, finally, the waiting-rooms, occupied by a chamberlain and the aides of the prince in full uniform. ”

“ Carrie was sixteen, a little girl in a sweet shop—one of those shops where they put nothing but billows of silk and fondants in the window.
Murphy was middle-aged—with a wide margin. I should have said fifty-five, but he only owned up to forty. That was one of his contemptible tricks; [85] he was just like a woman. The things we love and look for in a woman are contemptible in a man. He was what I should call a pretty chap—all regular features, pink cheeks, and pouting lip. Men disliked him, but he was a tremendous favorite with women. ”

“ Rudolph, after having beheld the death of Jacques Ferrand, so terribly punished for his crime, had returned home in a state of deep dejection. After a long and sleepless night, he had sent for Sir Walter Murphy, to confide to this old and faithful friend the heartrending discovery concerning Fleur-de-Marie that he had made the previous evening. The worthy Englishman was overwhelmed; better than any other person, he could comprehend and partake of the profound grief of the prince. The latter, pale, prostrated, his eyes red from weeping, had just made Murphy this painful revelation. ”

“ Rudolph could not comprehend how Madame George had, without advising him, sent or brought Fleur-de-Marie to Paris; he returned home, to send an express to the farm at Bouqueval. The moment he entered the Rue de Plumet, he saw a postchaise stop before the door of the hotel; it was Murphy, who had just returned from Normandy. The squire had gone there, as we have stated, to unmask the sinister projects of the step-mother of Madame d'Harville, and Bradamanti, her accomplice.
CHAPTER XL. MURPHY AND POLIDORI. Radiant with joy was the face of Sir Walter Murphy. ”

“ There was renewed life in this invigorating air, and Murphy spurred forward, his companion pressing steadily after. They were but two flitting shadows amid that vast desolation of plain and mountain, their horses' hoofs barely audible. What imaginings of evil, what visions of the past, may have filled the half-crazed brain of the leading horseman is unknowable. He rode steadily against the black night wall, as though unconscious of his actions, yet forgetting no trick, no skill of the plains. ”

“ Even the rollicking Murphy's eyes were moist as he recited this anecdote; and as for Father Phil, he was quite melted, ejaculating in an under tone, “Oh, my poor fellow! my poor fellow!”
“So there,” said Murphy, “is an example of a man, with revenge in his heart, and his right arm tired with slaughter, suddenly melted into gentleness by a resemblance to his child.”
“'T is very touching, but very sad,” said the Squire.
“My dear sir,” said the doctor, with his peculiar dryness, “sadness is the principal fruit which warfare must ever produce. ”