“'Why, thin, Holy Mother!—Jack, a-hagur, is there anything the matther, for you look as if you had seen something?' *
* This phrase means—you look as if you had seen a
ghost; it is a very common one.
“'Nothing worse than myself, mother,' he replied; 'nor there's nothing the matther at all—only I have a few words to say to Mick here, that's all.'
“The mother accordingly removed herself out of hearing.
“'Mick,' says the boy, 'this is a bad business—I wish to God I was clear and clane out of it.'
“'What is it?' said Mick, alarmed. “' Murther, I'm afeard, if God doesn't turn it off of them, somehow.
“'What do you mane, man, at all?' said the invalid, raising himself, in deep emotion, on his elbow, from his poor straw bed.
“'Vengeance,' said he—'Vengeance, man—he's going to get it. I was out with the boys on Sunday evening, and at last it's agreed on to visit him to-morrow night. I'm sure and sartin he'll never escape, for there's more in for him than taking the farm, and daring them so often as he did—he shot two fingers off of a brother-in-law of Jem Reilly's one night that they war on for threshing him, and that's coming home to him along with the rest.'
“'In the name of God, Jack,' inquired Mick, 'what do they intend to do to him?'
“' Why,' replied Jack, 'it's agreed to put a coal in the thatch, in the first place; and although they were afeared to name what he's to get besides, I doubt they'll make a spatchcock of himself. They won't meddle with any other of the family, though—but he's down for it.'