“You'll have a blacker an' a worse one on the day of judgment,” replied Nelly, taking up an old spade as she spoke, and proceeding to look for the Casharrawan (Dandelion) roots he wanted.
When she had gone, the prophet, assuming that peculiar sweetness of manner, for which he was so remarkable when it suited his purpose, turned to his daughter, and putting his hand into his waistcoat pocket, pulled out a tress of fair hair, whose shade and silky softness were exquisitely beautiful.
“Do you see that,” said he, “isn't that pretty?”
“Show,” she replied, and taking the tress into her hand, she looked at it.
“It is lovely; but isn't that aquil to it?” she continued, letting loose her own of raven black and equal gloss and softness—“what can it brag over that? eh,” and as she compared them her black eye flashed, and her cheek assumed a rich glow of pride and conscious beauty, that made her look just such a being as an old Grecian statuary would have wished to model from.
“It is aiquil to hers any day,” replied her father, softening into affection as he contemplated her; “and indeed, Sally, I think you're her match every way except—except—no matter, troth are you.”
“What are you going to do wid it?” she asked; “is it to the Grange it's goin'?”
“It is an' I want you to help me in what I mentioned to you. If I get what I'm promised, we'll lave the country, you and I, and as for that ould vagabond, we'll pitch her to ould Nick. She's talking about devotion and has nothing but Providence in her lips.”
“But isn't there a Providence?” asked his daughter, with a sparkling eye.
“Devil a much myself knows or cares,” he replied, with indifference, “whether there is or not.”