The hope was near dead in his heart and the sickness of grief was on him again when he came home to Ireland. Soon after he landed from the ship he chanced to come on a gentleman’s place, and it a fine big house he never had seen before. He went up and inquired of the servants if he would get leave to rest there. He was given a most honourable reception, and the master of the house was well pleased to be entertaining such an agreeable guest. Now himself happened to be a Jew, and that is the why he did not ask M’Carthy to eat at his table, but had his dinner set out for him in a separate room. The servants remarked on the small share of food he was using, it was scarcely what would keep the life in a young child; but he asked them not to make any observation of the sort. At first they obeyed him, yet when he used no meat at all on the third day, didn’t they speak with their master.
“What is the cause of it at all?” he says to M’Carthy. “Is the food in this place not to your liking? Let you name any dish you have a craving for, and the cook will prepare it.”
“There was never better refreshment set before an emperor,” says M’Carthy.
“It is civility makes you that flattering,” answers the Jew. “How would you be satisfied with the meat is set before you when you are not able to use any portion of it at all?”
“I doubt I have a sickness on me will be the means of my death,” says M’Carthy. “I had best be moving on from this place, the way I’ll not be rewarding your kindness with the botheration of a corpse.”
With that the master of the house began for to speak in praise of a doctor was in those parts.
“I see I must be telling you what is in it,” says M’Carthy. “Doctors have no relief for the sort of tribulation is destroying me.”
He brought out the statue, and he went over the whole story from start to finish. How he set off on his travels and was hopeful for awhile; and how despair got hold of him again.
“Let you be rejoicing now,” says the Jew, “for it is near that lady you are this day. She comes down to a stream is convenient to this place, and six waiting maids along with her, bringing a rod and line for to fish. And it is always at the one hour she is in it.”
Well, M’Carthy was lepping wild with delight to hear tell of the lady.