Very well, ma'am. Mister M'Keown is your most obedient,--never say it
twice, honey; and isn't there as good fish, eh?--whoop!
'Oh! my heart is unazy.
My brain is run crazy,
Sure it 's often I wish I was dead;
'Tis your smile now so sweet!
Now your ankles and feet.
That 's walked into my heart, Molly Spread!
Tol de rol, de rol, oh!'
Whew! thttt 's rain, anyhow. I would n't mind it, bad as it is, if I
hadn't the side of a mountain before me; but sure it comes to the same
in the end. Catty Delany is a good warrant for a pleasant evening; and,
please God, I 'll be playing 'Baltiorum' beside the fire there before
this time to-night.
'She 'd a pig and boneens.
And a bed and a dresser.
And a nate little room
For the father confessor;
With a cupboard and curtains, and something, I 'm towld.
That his riv'rance liked when the weather was cowld.
And it 's hurroo, hurroo! Biddy O'Rafferty!'
After all, aix, the priest bates us out. There 's eight o'clock now, and
I'm not off; devil a one's stirring in the house either. Well, I believe
I may take my leave of it; sorrow many tunes of the pipes it's likely to
hear, with Tony Basset over it. And my heart 's low when I think of that
child there. Poor Tom! and it was you liked fun when you could have it.”
I wanted but the compassionate tone in which these few words were spoken
to decide me in a resolution that I had been for some time pondering
over. I knew that ere many hours Basset would come in search of me;
I felt that, once in his power, I had nothing to expect but the
long-promised payment of his old debt of hatred to me. In a few seconds
I ran over with myself the prospect of misery before me, and determined
at once, at every hazard, to make my escape. Darby seemed to afford me
the best possible opportunity for this purpose; and I dressed myself,
therefore, in the greatest haste, and throwing whatever I could find of
my wardrobe into my carpet-bag, I pocketed my little purse, with all
my worldly wealth,--some twelve or thirteen shillings,--and noiselessly
slipped downstairs to the room beneath. I reached the door at the very
moment Darby opened it to issue forth. He started back with fear, and
crossed himself twice.
“Don't be afraid. Darby,” said I, uneasy lest he should make any
noise that would alarm the others; “I want to know which road you are
travelling this morning.”
“The saints be about us, but you frightened me. Master Tommy; though,
intermediately, I may obsarve, I 'm by no ways timorous. I 'm going
within two miles of Athlone.”
“That's exactly where I want to go. Darby; will you take me with you?”
for at the instant Captain Bubbleton's address flashed on my mind, and I
resolved to seek him out and ask his advice in my difficulties.
Public-domain text, read in full here on John Shaqi.
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