Well, the poor colonel (God forgive him!) was grieved for the loss of his lady, and she had an _illigant berrin_--and they say that when the prayers was readin' over the dead, the owld colonel took it to heart like anything, and the word o' God kem home to his poor sinful sowl at last. Well, sir, to make a long story short, the ind of it was, that for the three days o' grace that was given to him the poor deluded owld sinner did nothin' at all but read the Bible from mornin' till night, and bit or sup didn't pass his lips all the time, he was so intint upon the Holy Book, but he sat up in an owld room in the far ind of the house, and bid no one disturb him an no account, and struv to make his heart bould with the words iv life; and sure it was somethin' strinthened him at last, though as the time drew nigh that the _inimy_ was to come, he didn't feel aisy, and no wondher; and, bedad the three days was past and gone in no time, and the story goes that at the dead hour o' the night, when the poor sinner was readin' away as fast as he could, my jew'l, his heart jumped up to his mouth at gettin' a tap on the shoulder. 'Oh, murther!' says he, 'who's there?' for he was afeard to look up. 'It's me,' says the _owld one_, and he stood right forninst him, and his eyes like coals o' fire, lookin' him through, and he said, with a voice that almost split his owld heart, 'Come!' says he. 'Another day!' cried out the poor colonel. 'Not another hour,' says Sat'n. 'Half an hour!' 'Not a quarther,' says the divil, grinnin' with a bitther laugh; 'give over your reading I bid you,' says he, 'and come away wid me.' 'Only gi' me a few minits,' says he. 'Lave aff your palaverin' you snakin' owld sinner,' says Sat'n; 'you know you're bought and sould to me, and a purty bargain I have o' you, you owld baste,' says he; 'so come along at wanst,' and he put out his claw to ketch him; but the colonel tuk a fast hould o' the Bible, and begged hard that he'd let him alone, and wouldn't harm him antil the bit o' candle that was just blinkin' in the socket before him was burned out. 'Well, have it so, you dirty coward,' says Owld Nick, and with that he spit an him.