[ 35 ]Nuair airiġ Seaḋna an méid sin, do ḋruid sé i leaṫtaoiḃ. Do ṡleaṁnuiġ sé láṁ leis síos ’n-a ṗóca. Ambasa ḃí sé folaṁ! Ċuarduiġ sé a ṗóca eile—folaṁ ċoṁ maiṫ! Ċuir se láṁ isteaċ ’n-a ḃrollaċ, ag lorg an sporáin: ní raiḃ a ṫuairisg ann. Tug sé strac-ḟeuċaint ar ḟear na méaracán; ḃí sé i ḃfeiġil a ġnóṫa[1] féin, gan aon tsuim aige i Seaḋna aċt coṁ beag ⁊ naċ ḃfeicfeaḋ sé riaṁ é.
[ 36 ]When Seadhna heard that much, he moved to one side. He slipped a hand of his down into his pocket. By the law, it was empty! He searched another pocket—empty also! He put a hand into his bosom, looking for the purse. There was no sign of it there! He gave a side look at the man of the thimble. That man was minding his own business, and not taking any notice of Seadhna, but as little as if he had never seen him.
[ 35 ]“Seaḋ!” arsa Seaḋna leis féin, “tá deire leis an musdar. Is fusaide é ó baineaḋ an easgaine do’n ṁealḃóig ⁊ do’n ċaṫaoir ⁊ do’n ċrann. Ní dóċa gur ḃ’ḟéidir í ḃeiṫ curṫa suas arís. Pé i nÉirinn é, ní’l agam le déanaṁ anois aċt dul ⁊ feuċaint an ḃfeudfainn raint leaṫair do ċeannaċ ⁊ dul ⁊ claoiḋ[2] leis an ngnó is feárr atá ar eolus agam. Má’s bréan-ḃróga iad, ní ḃfaiġid na daoine a ċaṫeann iad aon loċt orra. Is mairg naċ bíonn sásda le n-a ċuid féin, dá luiġead é. Dá mbeiḋeaḋ mo ṫrí sgillinge agam anois do ḋéanfaidís mo ġnó coṁ maiṫ leis na céadtaiḃ go léir. Aċt tá go maiṫ; ní feárr ḃeiṫ ag caint air[3] mar sgeul. Raċad ag triall ar Ḋiarmuid Liaṫ, ⁊ b’ḟéidir go dtiuḃraḋ sé raint leaṫair ar ċáirde ḋom, ċum go dtiocfaḋ airgiod na mbróg isteaċ. Ṫug sé cáirde ċeana ḋom, ⁊ ḋílas é go cruinn ⁊ go macánta.”
[ 36 ]“Then!” said Seadhna to himself, “there is an end to the ambitious projects! It is well that the curse has been taken off the mallivogue, and off the chair and off the tree. I suppose it could not be possible that it would be put on again! At all events, I have nothing to do
[ 37 ]now but to go and see whether I could buy some leather, and go and stick to the business I understand best. If they are strong-smelling shoes, the people who wear them don't find any fault with them. It is a bad thing for a man not to be satisfied with his own, though little it be. If I had my three shillings now, they would do my business as well as all the hundreds. But all right. It is better not to be talking about it for a story. I shall go to Dermott Liah, and perhaps he would lend me some leather until the money for the shoes would come in. He gave me credit on another occasion, and I paid him exactly and honestly.”
[ 35 ]Um an daca go raiḃ an méid-sin maċtnaiġṫe aige, ḃí sé ag déanaṁ, ceann ar aġaiḋ, ar ḋoras Ḋiarmuda. Ḃí Diarmuid féin ’n-a ṡeasaṁ ’dir ḋá líġ an doruis.[4]
[ 37 ]By the time he had that much reflection made, he was making straight way for Dermott's door. Dermott himself was standing between the two posts of the door.
“Is me ċeana,”[5] arsa Seaḋna: “an ḃfuilir go láidir a Ḋiarmuid?”
[ 37 ]“Aroo, Seadhna, is that you?” said Dermott. “It is, indeed,” said Seadhna. “Are you very strong, Dermott?”
[ 35 ]“Tá an tsláinte againn, molaḋ le Dia ḋá ċionn—aċt cad é seo d’imṫiġ ort-sa fé ḋéiḋionaiġe? Táir i mbeul gaċ aoinne, ⁊
[ 36 ]ní mar a ċéile aon dá sgeul ná aon dá ṫuairisg ort. Deir duine go ḃfeacaiḋis spioraid; deir duine eile gur ṫuit an tiġ ort; deir duine eile gur ṁairḃ splannc ṫu; deir an ceaṫraṁaḋ duine go ḃfuarais airgiod ag dul i muġa. Agus mar sin dóiḃ, gaċ aoinne’ ⁊ a ṡocruġaḋ féin aige ort. Cad a rinnis, no cad tá ar siuḃal agat nó cad fé ndeara an obair-seo go léir?”
[ 37 ]“We have the health, praise to God on account of it! But what is this that has happened to you lately? You are in every person’s mouth, and not like each other are any two stories or any two accounts of you. One person says that you saw a ghost. Another person says that the house fell on you. Another person says that a flash of lightning killed you. The fourth person says that you got stray money. And so on of the rest—every person—and he having his own conclusion about you. What did you do? Or what have you going on? Or what is the cause of all this work?”
[ 36 ]“Ní ḟeadar an (= ḋo’n) tsaoġal, a Ḋiarmuid. Aċt dar liom-sa, tá aon níḋ aṁáin soiléir go leór, is é sin naċ ḃfuaras airgiod ag dul i muġa. Is dóċa ḋá ḃfuiġinn naċ mbeinn ag teaċt annso anois ag braṫ air[6] go ḃfuiġinn raint leaṫair uait-se ar ċáirde mar fuaras ċeana.”
[ 37 ]“I don't know in the world, Dermott. But it is my opinion that there is one matter plain enough. That is, that I did not get any stray money. I dare say if I did, I would not be coming here now, expecting to get some leather on credit as I got before.”
[ 36 ]“Ṁaise andaiġ féin ġeóḃair ⁊ fáilte. An mór atá uait?”
[ 37 ]“Wisha, upon my own word you will. How much do you require?”
[ 36 ]“Dá mbeiḋeaḋ oiread agam ⁊ ḋéanfaḋ bróga do ḃeirt, níor ḃeag liom é an turus so; ⁊ nuair ḃeidis sin díolta ⁊ an t-airgiod agam, ḋíolfainn tusa ⁊ ṫógfainn tuille.”
“Tá sé coṁ maiṫ agat an tuille do ḃreiṫ leat anois d’aon iarraċt. Beir leat luaċ puint.”
[ 37 ]If I had as much as would make shoes for two, I would not think it too little this time, and when they should be sold, and I should have the money, I would pay you and take more.” “You may as well carry the more with you now at one carrying. Take a pound’s worth.”
[ 36 ]Gob. Feuċ naċ aṁlaiḋ do ḋein licíniḋe slinne de’n[7] airgiod, már ḋein d’airgiod Ṁiċíl Réamoinn.
[ 37 ]Gob. See, was it not that the money turned into little slate flags, as the money of Michael Redmond did.
[ 36 ]Peg. Ní hé aduḃrais ċeana, aċt gur ḋein Míċeál airgiod do na licíniḃ slinne.
[ 37 ]Peg. That is not what you said before, Gobnet, but that Michael made money out of the little slate flags.
[ 36 ]Gob. Sdó’ do ḋein leis, aċt má ’seaḋ do ḋein licíniḋe slinne do’n airgiod arís.
[ 37 ]Gob. And so he did, too; but even so, the money turned into little slate flags again.
[ 36 ]Nóra. ’Gcloistí![8] naċ cuiṁin le n-ár gcluasaiḃ tu dá ráḋ linn go dtug se an t-airgiod isteaċ ċum na mná ⁊ gur ḟeuċ sí air ⁊ gur ċeap sí gur ḃ’airgiod dleaġṫaċ é, ⁊ dá ċóṁarṫa san féin,[9] go dtug sí do an hata.
[ 37 ]Nora. Do ye hear! Do not our ears remember you to say that he brought the money in to the woman, and that she looked at it, and that she considered it was genuine money, and, by the same token, that she gave the hat to him
[ 36 ]Gob. Sdó’ do ċeap, leis, ⁊ do ṫug. Aċt is ’n-a ḋiaiḋ sin do ḋein licíniḋe slinne arís de’n airgiod.
[ 37 ]Gob. But she did consider so, and she did give it, but it was afterwards that the money turned again into little slate flags.
[ 36 ]Nóra. Agus cionnus ḟéadfaḋ licíniḋe slinne ḋéanaṁ arís ḋe, muna mbainfeaḋ Miċeál féin an diabluiḋeaċt de?
[ 37 ]Nora. And how could it turn back again into little slate flags, unless Michael himself would take the witchcraft off it?
[ 36 ]Nóra. Duḃairt sí gur imṫiġ sé air aḃaile, nuair fuair se an hata.
[ 37 ]Nora. She said he went away home when he got the hat.
[ 36 ]Gob. Má ’seaḋ, ḃí sé i Sráid an Ṁuilinn arís seaċtṁuin ’n-a ḋiaiḋ sin, é féin ⁊ Taḋg na n-Uḃ, ⁊ ċuadar isteaċ sa’ tiġ ċeudna ⁊ do ġlaoiḋ Miċeál ar[11] an mnaoi i leaṫtaoiḃ. “Tá a dó ⁊ dá ṫiosdún agat orm,” ar seision; “seo ḋuit é.” “Ní’l aon dó ⁊ ḋá ṫiosdún agam-sa ort,” ar sise. “Tá go macánta,” ar seision, “seo ḋuit é.” “’Sdó deirim-se naċ ḃfuil,” ar sise. “Naċ cuiṁin leat,” ar sise, “go raḃais ag coimeád do hata ⁊ gur ṡoláṫruiġis an t-airgiod i mball éigin ⁊ go dtugais dom é?” “Cad do rinnis leis?” arsa Miċeál. “Ní rinneas aon rud leis,” ar sise. “Tá sé annso sa’ ḃosca fós agam.” “Ba ṁaiṫ liom é ḟeicsint,” arsa Míċeál. “Tá sé annsúd” ar sise, “sgilling ⁊ dá reul ⁊ dá ṫiosdún. Tair i leíṫ,” ar sise, “go ḃfeicir féin arís iad.” Do ċuadar anonn go dtí an bosca ⁊ d’osgail sí é, ⁊ nuair ḟeuċ sí isteaċ ann ⁊ ċonnaic sí na licíniḋe slinne, d’iompauiġ sí ar Ṁíċeál ⁊ d’ḟeuċ sí air mar ḟeuċḟaḋ sí ar ṁadraḋ uilc. “Seo,” arsa Míċeál, ag síneaḋ an airgid ċúiċe. “Coimeád é,” ar sise, “agus fág mo ṫiġ” Tá an Mac Mallaċtan ann ⁊ ionnt-sa coṁ maiṫ. Sgrios!” Geallaim-se ḋuit gur imṫiġ an ḃeirt ⁊ deiṫnios orra.
(Leanfar de seo.)
[ 37 ]Gob. But, then, he was in Millstreet again a week afterwards, himself and Thade of the Eggs, and they went into the same house, and Michael called the woman aside. “I owe you two and eight pence,” said he. “Here it is for you.” “You do not owe me any two and eight pence,” said she. “I do honestly,” said he. “Here it is for you.” “But I say you do not,” said she. “Don't you remember,” said she, “that I was keeping your hat, and that you provided the money in some place, and that you gave it to me?” “What did you do with it?” said Michael. “I did not do anything with it,” said she. “I have it here in the box yet.” “I should like to see it,” said Michael. “It is there,” said she; “a shilling and two sixpences and two fourpences. Come hither,” said she, “so that you yourself may see them again.” They went over to the box, and she opened it, and when she looked into it and saw the little slate flags, she turned upon Michael and looked at him as she would look at a mad dog. “Here,” said Michael, reaching the money to her. “Keep it!” said she, “and leave my house! The Son of Malediction is in it and in you as well! Off!!” I promise you they both went off in all haste.
↑ag braṫ air go ⁊c.: the prep. air should not be omitted; ag braṫ, judging, spying into; ag braṫ ar, expecting or writing for.
↑do ḋein licíniḋe slinne de, it became little slate flags. ḋein is used for became or turned into. ḋein muc de, he became a pig; déanfaiḋ cloċ de, it will turn into stone. The following ought also to be carefully noted: déanfad gaḃar de, I will make a goat of him; ḋéanfar gaḃar de, he will be made a goat of; déanfaiḋ gaḃar de, he will become a goat. Again, ḋein se fíon de’n uisge, he made wine of the water; ḋeineaḋ fíon de’n uisge, wine was made of the water; ḋein fíon de’n uisge, the water became wine.
↑’gcloisti, this exclamation is a contracted form of an gcloistí? “Do you hear?” or “Listen to this.”
↑Air is used when the call is addressed to the person, not when the call is merely a proclamation of the man’s name: glaoḋaḋ ort, you were called; glaoḋaḋ ṫu, your name was publicly called out.