The Irish Witch

'When I sailed for Spain’ I thought no more of her, but evidently she did of me and, with her mother and the witch, made her plans accordingly. That Katie has occult power I have no doubt. Foreseeing the fall of Napoleon - and that shortly after that I should return, they all came to Ireland ...'

'It was for quite a different reason that- the O'Brien woman left London’ Roger interrupted. 'But no matter. Continue.'

Charles shrugged. 'However that may be, it was on my account that Susan was invited to Dublin. In mid-March the witch must have learned from overlooking me that I was on my way back to England, so the time had come to spring their plot. When Susan had overstayed her visit, they forcibly detained her and brought her here. Meanwhile, Maureen Luggala had written her tissue of lies to my mother about the two girls having joined the witch's coven; knowing, of course, that directly I learned of it I would come over and attempt to get Susan back. I did, and fell into their clutches.'

Roger nodded. "Twas a devilish clever scheme, and I'm not surprised that it succeeded. So this jade is now determined to keep you a prisoner until you agree to wed her. To have gone to such lengths, she must be nigh desperate with love for you.'

'Maybe she is. At least she finds me physically attractive. But that is not her only motive. She is also mightily ambitious and would fain be the Countess of St. Ermins. Still further, she wants money, and part of the price of my freedom would be a marriage settlement in which I make over to her my eighty thousand acre estate around White Knights Park.'

'The wench is no fool, then,' Roger gave a bitter laugh. 'She has the sense to realise that, having forced you into wedding her does not bind you to share your life with her. But for some such settlement you could have cast her off without even paying her a pittance. By these means she will net a great fortune.'

'Nay. She says she would keep the house and a sufficient income to maintain it. But 'tis her intent to sell by far the greater part of the estate and use the money to help the rebellious Irish who wish to free their country from

British rule.'

'That fits with what I learned in London of her mother and the O'Brien woman. By rights, both of them should have been arrested, condemned as traitors and now be in prison. They were acting as French agents and collecting information of value to our enemies.'

'Indeed!' Charles exclaimed. ‘I had no idea of that, but since my converse with Jemima this past week or so I'm not surprised to hear it. She makes it no secret that she is rabid on this question of freeing Ireland, and would stop at nothing to help achieve it.'

'Then let us hope she over-reaches herself and ends up in gaol. Fortunately, these fanatics are only a small minority, but they cause us a mint of trouble.'

'I judge you wrong there, Uncle Roger, in believing them to be only a small minority. I do not believe Jemima lied to me on that. The ordinary Irish are a backward people, and live greatly in the past. Although my Lord Essex's conquest dates back to Queen Elizabeth's time, and Cromwell's brutalities took place near two hundred years ago, the Irish think of them as having occurred only yesterday. Besides, as she argued, I think with justification, the Irish are just as much a different race from the English as are the Norwegians or Danes, and ...'

'And so, for that matter, are the Scots, yet they have become willing subjects of the Crown.'

'Ah, but their case was very different. Our union with them came about by a Scottish king ascending the English throne. Here we occupy a land to which we have no right but conquest. To be fair, in this matter we must regard Jemima as a patriot.'

'There is much in what you say about Ireland,' Roger conceded. 'So one cannot hold it against Jemima that she wishes to have her countrymen rule themselves. But it has. naught to do with the matter that immediately concerns, us. Do you intend to give in to her ?'

'I fear I'll have to in the end. So far I have hedged, hoping that some turn of fortune might occur which would enable me to escape, make my way to Dublin and swiftly return with troops to free Susan. Your sudden appearance here was the type of miracle I have been praying for; but, alas, it has proved abortive.'

'When your mother realises that I, too, have disappeared, I doubt not that she will come to Dublin, see the Viceroy and have him order the military to search for us. She will also have Maureen Luggala questioned. As the result of my talk with her she believes herself liable to be arrested and imprisoned, so it is most probable that, hoping to save herself, she will tell your mother where we are.'

Charles's eyes brightened for a moment, then he said dubiously, 'But is it likely she will arrive in time? Some days must yet elapse before she becomes sufficiently concerned about receiving no letter from you to decide to act, and then she'll have to make the journey from London to Dublin.'

'True. We can hardly expect her in less than ten days. But does that matter? You have been down here a fortnight, and if they had intended to starve you into submission they would have attempted that already. To have to remain cooped up here in this uncomfortable hole for two or three weeks is plaguey annoying, but we must be as patient as we can until Georgina comes to our rescue.’

'But you don't understand,' Charles burst out. 'Or perhaps I failed to tell you. There is a deadline, a time limit beyond which I dare not procrastinate. The hour Jemima would have me wed her has already been fixed by she.

Tis midnight on the 30th—that is May Day Eve, or Walpurgisnacht as some call it. 'Tis one of the four great Satanic feasts of the year, and that is obviously why Katie O'Brien chose it.'

‘I see no reason why you should not refuse to marry her that night more than on any other.'

'But, Uncle Roger, unless help does come I must! I must, because of Susan.'

As Roger's mind grasped an awful possibility, he asked in an appalled whisper. 'You don't mean... ?'

‘I do.' Charles nodded miserably. 'After I'd been incarcerated here a week, the witch came to the manhole up there and, as I'd proved stubborn, gave me an ultimatum. On the night of the 30th, whatever happens they mean to celebrate a Black Mass. She would like it to form part of my marriage ceremony, with me taking the priest's place for the final act of copulating with Jemima on the altar. But if I refuse, it will be Susan on the altar, being deflowered by that filthy priest.'

'Oh, God, how frightful!' Roger groaned, burying his face in his hands.

'It won't come to that,' Charles strove to reassure him. 'I made up my mind days ago that the chances of my being rescued were almost non-existent, so I'd have to marry Jemima when the time comes.'

Roger looked up. 'We still have a fortnight. Two of us having now disappeared, there is a strong likelihood of Georgina coming over and demanding the Viceroy's help to find us before the end of the month.'

'That's true, and gives me a more realistic hope to cling to than I had before your coming. But, Uncle Roger, you're looking terribly fatigued. Had you not best now try to get some sleep ?'

'You're right,' Roger agreed. Firmly refusing Charles's offer of the palliasse, he rolled up his cloak for a pillow and lay down on the fourth wooden platform, which had nothing on it, then Charles blew out the candle.

Both of them lay long awake, so when they did drop off they slept late, and were aroused by a shaft of light from the ceiling, penetrating the stygian blackness of the dungeon. In the manhole above, the negro Aboe's head appeared and, having called down to them, he lowered a rope with a hook on the end, to which a bag was attached.