ṫairis iad! . . . . ‘Ní’l an margaḋ ann fós,’ ar seisean. ‘Bíoḋ ’na ṁargaḋ,’ arsa mise. Ní ḃeiḋeaḋ sé sásta leis an méid sin. Níor ṁór do na greamana duḃa a ċur ann. ‘Dar ḃríġ na mionn!’ ar seisean. ‘Dar ḃríġ na mionn!’ arsa mise. Dúḃart é gan aṁras. Ní’l dul uaiḋ agam. Má ’seaḋ, ní déarfainn é mura mbeiḋeaḋ an ċuma i n‑ar ṁeall sé mé. Ní ḟeaca riaṁ im’ ṡúiliḃ cinn daṫ ba ḃreaġḋa ’ná an daṫ a ḃí ar an mám óir a ṫaisbeáin sé ḋom. Ṫáinig dúil ṁalluiġṫe agam ann. Tug sé céad punt dom mar ṁalairt ar aon sgilling aṁáin. ‘Ṫaḃarfainn,’ ar seisean, ‘⁊ seaċt gcéad, dá ḃféadainn a maiṫ sin do lot.’ D’adṁuiġ sé nár ḃ’ ḟéidir a maiṫ do lot, toisg[1] mé ḋá taḃairt uaim ar son an tSlánuiġṫeóra. . . . . A maiṫ do lot! Cad ċuige an lot? Cad ba ġáḋ é? Má ṫeip air maiṫ na sgillinge úd do lot, nár ċóir go ḃféadfainn tuilleaḋ maiṫeasa do ḋéanaṁ, go dteipfeaḋ a lot air? Tá an sparán agam. Baḋ ṁór an sult a ċuid airgid féin do ċur[2] ag déanaṁ staincín[3] air. Dar fiaḋ, ’sin mar ḋéanfad é! Ṫaḃarfaḋ sé seaċt gcéad púnt ar ṁaiṫ aon sgillinge aṁáin do lot. Tá deiċ mbliaḋna agam. Is iomḋa sgilling ⁊ pinginn ⁊ punt ḟéadfad do ṫaḃairt ar son an tSlánuiġṫeóra i gcaiṫeaṁ deiċ mbliaḋan. Beiḋ saoṫar air ag casaḋ le[4] lot na maiṫeasa go léir. Seaḋ! Tá an láṁ uaċtair agam air sa’ méid sin ar aon ċuma. Bainfead ceol as an sparán fós, bíoḋ a’s naċ ar an gcuma i n‑ar ċeapas ar dtúis é. An claḋaire biṫeaṁnaiġ!”
Do ḃí sé ag déanaṁ amaċ ar eadarṫra[5] um an dtaca go raiḃ a ṁaċtnaṁ críoċnuiġṫe ⁊ a aigneaḋ socair aige. Do eiriġ sé ’na ṡeasaṁ ⁊ d’ ḟeuċ sé ’na ṫímċeall ar an raḋairc breaġḋa.
“Tá deiċ mbliaḋna agam, pé i nÉirinn é,” ar seisean, ⁊ ṫug sé aġaiḋ ar an mbaile.
(Leanfar de seo.)
TRANSLATION.
(Continued.)
Peg. Whichever of them he preferred. Nora, I think he was himself sorry enough that he did not do as you would have done.
Nora. He did it in a most absurd and blundering way. It would not be easy for him to ask three wishes more useless than the three wishes he asked for. I don’t know in the world what came over him. Three wishes to be got by him in accord with his choice and with his judgment, they to be got by him without condition and without impediment, and he should go and trample them under foot, and then to accept a purse on the hardest condition that was ever put upon any human being. It was no wonder that the night's sleep was being taken off him, and that a sinister expression was coming in his eyes.
Sheila. And was it that that put the ugly look in his eyes? Oh! I understand it now. I would not be surprised that he would drown himself, and such a fatality to be on him.
Peg.—I don't say but that he would do something of the sort, but that he would not give the Black Man the satisfaction of it. He used often to say in his own mind: “The thirteen years are mine in spite of him, and I will spend them to the very end.”
Nora. It is a pity he did not remain as he was in the beginning, trusting to his apple tree and to his mallivogue and to his sugawn chair.
Gob. And sure if he had remained in that way, Nora, no lady would be looking after him.
Nora.—Wisha, perhaps it might be just as well for him. I myself don't see of gentility in many of them, but self-importance and repulsiveness and contempt.
Gob. Ah! Nora, I know what the cause of that is sometimes. When they see little girls who are not ladies, and who are more handsome than themselves, they do be jealous. I am afraid if I was a lady I should be jealous of you.
Nora. Aroo, why, Gobnet?
Gob. Ask Sheila why.
Sheila. She will not ask Sheila why. Let Gobnet herself tell it now since she has drawn the question on her.
Peg. Gobnet is a great woman for fun, Nora, but she has the right sometimes.
Kate. And sure it is not right for a girl who is a lady to be jealous or overbearing if it should please God to put the angelic form upon a little girl who is lowly.
Sheila. I don't know. Peg, the people who are ugly in this world, will they be beautiful in heaven?
Peg. Oh! Sheila, my darling, there will be no person ugly in heaven, but everyone more beautiful and more handsome than the most beautiful person that a human eye ever saw in this world.
Sheila. They need not be jealous nor overbearing in that case.
Peg. There won't be jealousy nor overbearing conduct there, but as little as any other ugly thing.
Sheila. Is it not a pity Seadna did not take the angel’s advice instead of being thinhing of his mallivogue and of his sugawn chair and of his apple tree, and of the dalteens that used to be playing tricks upon him?
Peg. See yourself he did not. But I suppose if he got the second chance he would. He did not get the second chance. He made his bargain. He made it under the virtue of the holy things, and he had to stand by it. He knew right well that as soon as the last day of the thirteen years would come, the claimant would come, and that there would he no possibility of hiding from him.
