“‘You may be as good,’ ses Cromwell, ‘but I’ll acknowledge no superiority from you or any one else.’
“‘It don’t look well for us to be quarreling, Oliver,’ ses the Devil.
“‘That’s true. We should always be a source of comfort and consolation to each other. And we will, too. Indeed, it isn’t fair to us to have Ireland as she is these times.’
“‘What’s wrong now?’ ses the Devil.
“‘Wisha, nothing in particular,’ ses Cromwell.
“‘Ireland has always been a great bother to myself and England,’ ses the Devil.
“‘She has never helped us, more’s the pity,’ ses Cromwell.
“‘And ’tis yourself made a great impression on the minds of the Irish people,’ ses the Devil.
“‘Indeed and I did,’ ses Cromwell, ‘and on the English people too, and sure there’s no one better known at home than ourselves.’
“‘Well,’ ses the Devil, ‘’tis said that a man only gets as much as he deserves, except when he’s married. And no man is a prophet in his own country.’