The Evil Eye; Or, The Black Spector: The Works of William Carleton, Volume OneCarleton, William
General
The Evil Eye; Or, The Black Spector: The Works of William Carleton, Volume One
Carleton, William
Ireland -- Social life and customs -- Fiction
“Well, I think so, too. I am not in the habit of walking blindfold into
any adventure, especially one so important as this. Trust to my address,
my dear fellow,” he added, with a confident smile, “and, believe me, you
shall soon see her your sister-in-law.”
“And I shall be delighted at it, Harry,” said his sister; “so go on and
prosper. If you get her you will get a treasure, setting her property
out of the question.”
“Her property!” ejaculated Mrs. Lindsay; “but no matter; we shall see. I
can speak sweetly enough when I wish.”
“I wish to God you would try it oftener, then,” said her husband; “but
I trust that during this visit of yours you will not give way to your
precious temper and insult them at the outset. Don't tie a knot with
your tongue that you can't unravel with your teeth. Be quiet, now;
I didn't speak to raise the devil and draw on a tempest--only let us
have a glass of punch, till Charley and I drink success to Harry.”
The next day Mrs. Lindsay ordered the car, and proceeded to pay her
intended visit to the Goodwins. She had arrived pretty near the house,
when two of Goodwin's men, who were driving his cows to a grazing field
on the other side of the road by which she was approaching, having
noticed and recognized her, immediately turned them back and drove them
into a paddock enclosed by trees, where they were completely out of her
sight.
“Devil blow her, east and west!” said one of them. “What brings her
across us now that we have the cattle wid us? and doesn't all the world
know that she'd lave them sick and sore wid one glance of her unlucky
eye. I hope in God she didn't see them, the thief o' the devil that she
is.”
“She can't see them now, the cratures,” replied the other; “and may the
devil knock the light out of her eyes at any rate,” he added, “for sure,
they say it's the light of hell that's in them.”
“Well, when she goes there she'll be able to see her way, and sure
that'll be one comfort,” replied his companion; “but in the mane time,
if anything happens the cows--poor bastes--we'll know the rason of it.”
“She must dale wid the devil,” said the other, “and I hope she'll be
burned for a witch yet; but whisht, here she comes, and may the devil
roast her on his toastin' iron the first time he wants a male!”
“Troth, an' he'd find her tough feedin',” said his comrade; “and.
barrin' he has strong tusks, as I suppose he has, he'd find it no
every-day male wid him.”
As they spoke, the object of their animadversion appeared, and turned
upon them, so naturally, a sinister and sharp look, that it seemed to
the men as if she had suspected the subject of their conversation.
“You are Mr. Goodwin's laborers, are you not?”
“We are, ma'am,” replied one of them, without, as usual, touching his
hat however.
“You ill-mannered boor,” she said, “why do you not touch your hat to a
lady, when she condescends to speak to you?”
“I always touch my hat to a lady, ma'am,” replied the man sharply.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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