“'I'll tell you two things that's the same,' he replied; 'and I'll tell you the man that has them both.'
“'Let me hear, Raymond.'
“'The devil's blessin' and God's curse;—sure they're the same—ha, ha—there now—that's one. You didn't know that—no, no: you didn't.'
“'And who is it that has them, Raymond?'
“'M'Clutchy—Val the Vulture; sure 'twas he did that all, and is doin' it still. Poor Mary!—Brian will never waken;—she'll never see his eyes again, 'tany rate—nor his white head—oh! his white head! God ought to kill Val, and I wondher he doesn't.'
“'Raymond, my good friend,' said I, 'if you travel at this rate, I must give up the journey altogether.'
“The fact is, that when excited, as he was now by the topic in question, he gets into what is termed a sling trot, which carries him on at about six miles an hour, without ever feeling fatigued. He immediately slackened his pace, and looked towards me, with a consciousness of having forgotten himself and acted wrongly.
“'Well, no,' said he, 'I won't; but sure I hate him.'
“'Hate whom?'
“'M'Clutchy—and that was it; for I always do it; but I won't again, for you couldn't keep up wid me if I spoke about him.'