Page:Darby O'Gill and the Good People by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh (1903).djvu/215

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THE BANSHEE’S COMB

Not that she scolded, or anything so common as that, but she went on like an early Christian marthyer who was just goin’ to be inthrojuiced to the roaring loins.

Well, as you may aisy see, the poor man, her husband, hadn’t a chanst in the worruld afther that. Of course, to rightify himself, he’d face all the ghosts in Croaghmah. So, in a minute, he was standing in his greatcoat with his hand on the latch. There was a packet of tay in his pocket, an’ he was a subdued an’ conquered man.

He looked so woful that Bridget raypented an’ almost raylinted.

“Raymember,” he says, mournful, “if I’m caught this night be the Costa Bower, or be the banshee, take good care of the childher, an’ raymember what I say—I didn’t mane, Bridget, to hit ye with that sod of turf.”

“Oh, ain’t ye the foolish darlin’ to be afeared,” smiled Bridget back at him, but she was sayrious, too. “Don’t you know that when one goes on an errant of marcy a score of God’s white angels with swoords in their hands march before an’ beside an’ afther him, keeping his path free from danger?” With that she

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