The Purcell Papers — Volume 3Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan
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The Purcell Papers — Volume 3
Le Fanu, Joseph Sheridan
Fantasy fiction, English; Ireland -- Fiction
'"Who the divil would I be, but Terence Mooney," says he. "It's myself
that's in it, you unmerciful bliggards," says he, "let me out, or by
the holy, I'll get out in spite iv yes," says he, "an' by jaburs, I'll
wallop yes in arnest," says he.
'"It's ould Terence, sure enough," says Thady, "isn't it cute the fairy
docthor found him out," says he.
'"I'm an the pint iv snuffication," says Terence, "let me out, I tell
you, an' wait till I get at ye," says he, "for begorra, the divil a bone
in your body but I'll powdher," says he.
'An' wid that, he biginned kickin' and flingin' inside in the hamper,
and dhrivin his legs agin the sides iv it, that it was a wonder he did
not knock it to pieces.
'Well, as soon as the boys seen that, they skelped the ould horse into
a gallop as hard as he could peg towards the priest's house, through the
ruts, an' over the stones; an' you'd see the hamper fairly flyin' three
feet up in the air with the joultin'; glory be to God.
'So it was small wondher, by the time they got to his Raverince's door,
the breath was fairly knocked out of poor Terence, so that he was lyin'
speechless in the bottom iv the hamper.
'Well, whin his Raverince kem down, they up an' they tould him all
that happened, an' how they put the gandher into the hamper, an' how he
beginned to spake, an' how he confissed that he was ould Terence Mooney;
an' they axed his honour to advise them how to get rid iv the spirit for
good an' all.
'So says his Raverince, says he:
'"I'll take my booke," says he, "an' I'll read some rale sthrong holy
bits out iv it," says he, "an' do you get a rope and put it round the
hamper," says he, "an' let it swing over the runnin' wather at the
bridge," says he, "an' it's no matther if I don't make the spirit come
out iv it," says he.
'Well, wid that, the priest got his horse, and tuck his booke in undher
his arum, an' the boys follied his Raverince, ladin' the horse down to
the bridge, an' divil a word out iv Terence all the way, for he seen
it was no use spakin', an' he was afeard if he med any noise they might
thrait him to another gallop an finish him intirely.
'Well, as soon as they war all come to the bridge, the boys tuck the
rope they had with them, an' med it fast to the top iv the hamper an'
swung it fairly over the bridge, lettin' it hang in the air about twelve
feet out iv the wather.
'An' his Raverince rode down to the bank of the river, close by, an'
beginned to read mighty loud and bould intirely.
'An' when he was goin' on about five minutes, all at onst the bottom iv
the hamper kem out, an' down wint Terence, falling splash dash into the
water, an' the ould gandher a-top iv him. Down they both went to the
bottom, wid a souse you'd hear half a mile off.
'An' before they had time to rise agin, his Raverince, wid the fair
astonishment, giv his horse one dig iv the spurs, an' before he knew
where he was, in he went, horse an' all, a-top iv them, an' down to the
bottom.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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