“‘Your kindness is embarrassing,’ ses I. ‘Indeed I couldn’t think of accepting such hospitality.’
“‘Well, you can go to Belgium for all I care,’ ses the Devil. ‘But clear out of me sight, anyway, or I’ll hand you over to me friend Oliver.’ So with that they sat down on a ditch and commenced talking, and I stole up behind, and this is what I heard:
“‘I’m homesick,’ ses Cromwell.
“‘So am I,’ ses the Devil, ‘and disappointed too. Europe is in a bad way, God help us!’
“‘Indeed it is, and I don’t think we ought to tell Napoleon anything about what we saw.”
“‘’Twould only spoil his conceit to think that the world could be in such a condition and he not there to share in the glory.’
“‘’Tisn’t talking about Napoleon I’d be, if I were you. Sure it’s yourself has fallen on evil days. You thought that you could have a nice quiet holiday for yourself in Europe, but your nerves couldn’t stand all the horrors of the war, so you must needs hurry home to recuperate and look after your own people,’ ses Cromwell.
“‘I can stand as much as you at any time,’ ses the Devil.
“‘Well, you must not have read the history of Ireland,’ ses Cromwell.
“‘And if I didn’t, do you think I’d have you for a companion? I’m as good a man as you ever were,’ ses the Devil.