“I am glad to find that your sense of duty preserves you against such strong temptations.”
“Then, there's another set of men—these outlaws that do be robbin' rich people's houses, and they, too, try to tempt me.”
“Why should they tempt you?”
“Bekaise the people, now knowin' that they're abroad, keep watch-dogs, bloodhounds, and sich useful animals, that give the alarm at night, and the robbers wishin', you see, to get them out of the way, do be temptin' me about wishin' me to pison them.”
“Of course you resist them?”
“Well, I hope I do; but sometimes it's hard to get over them, especially when they plant a skean or a middogue to one's navel, and swear great oaths that they'll make a scabbard for it of my poor ould bulg (belly)—I say, when the thieves do the business that way, it requires a grate dale of the grace o' God to deny them. But what's any Chr'sthen 'idout the grace o' God? May we all have it! Amin, acheernah!”
“Well, when I marry, as I will soon, I'll call upon you; I dare say my wife will get jealous, for I love the ladies, if that's a fault.”
Another grin was his first reply to this, after which he said:
“Well, sir, if she does, come to me.”
“Where in Rathfillan do you live?”