The Life Of Charles Stewart Parnell Vol - I

^ET. 8-19] CHIPPING NORTON 39
came round to find himself back at Avondale free and among friends and favourites.
' I well remember/ says one who was at Chipping Norton with Parnell, ' the day the Parnells (for John accompanied Charles) came. Their mother brought them. She wore a green dress, and Wishaw came
to me and said: "I say, B-----, I have met one of
the most extraordinary women I have ever seen.—the mother of the Parnells. She is a regular rebel. I have never heard such treason in my life. Without a note of warning she opened fire on the British Government, and by Jove she did give it us hot. I have asked her to come for a drive, to show her the country, and you must come too for protection." So we went for a drive, but my presence did not prevent Mrs. Parnell from giving her views about the iniquities of the English Government in Ireland.'
My informant added : ' We liked John, who was a very good, genial fellow; but we did not like Charles. He was arrogant and aggressive; he tried to sit on us, and we tried to sit on him. That was about the state of the case.'
At this time, and for many years afterwards, he was subject to nervous attacks and would walk in his sleep. When the nervous attacks were on he never liked to be left alone, and would send for some person to remain with him. The feeling continued even when he had grown up to man's estate, and was, indeed, in Parliament.
One night, in the days when the British Ministers were at their wits' end to devise means for suppressing the terrible agitation, he was alone at Avondale. No one was in the house except the old housekeeper (who had been his nurse), her husband, and another servant. In