United States or Afghanistan ? Vote for the TOP Country of the Week !
"Hadn't he a christening in his own house three weeks ago?" At this excursion into the family affairs of the interpreter the grin broke into a roar. "See now, we'll ask Mr. Byrne, the schoolmaster," went on Mr. Heraty with owl-like gravity. "Isn't that Mr. Byrne that I see back there in the coort? Come forward, Mr. Byrne!"
Heraty fixed his eyes in admirable passion whether genuine or not we are quite incapable of pronouncing upon Sweeny, who returned the gaze with all the gloom of an unfortunate but invincibly respectable man. Dr. Lyden once more pulled out his watch. "It might be as well for us," he said languidly, "to enter upon the inquiry as to the value of the sheep.
"No, but an ointment," said Sweeny stubbornly. "I seen her rubbing it to the eyes, an' she no more than thirty yards from me." "Will ye swear that?" thundered Mr. Heraty; "will you swear that at a distance of thirty yards you could tell what was between Darcy's mother's fingers and the sheep's eyes? No you will not! Nor no man could! William, is Darcy's mother in the coort?
"We may assume, then, that the children that set on the dog wor' of both sexes," proceeded Mr. Heraty. "Well, now, as to the dog William, ask Darcy what sort of dog was it." The monotonous and quiet Irish sentences followed one another again. "That'll do. Now, William " "He says, yer worship, that he was a big lump of a yalla dog, an' very cross, by reason of he r'arin' a pup."
The space above the dado of the partition became suddenly a tapestry of attentive faces, clear-eyed, all-comprehending. "This case," announced Mr. Heraty judicially yet not without a glance at the visitors, "is a demand for compensation in the matter of a sheep that was drowned. William" this to the interpreter "ask Darcy what he has to say for himself?"
Lyden, in his languid, subtle brogue, with a side-glance at that body, "it may be no harm to mention that the plaintiff is alluding to the Chairman's yearling calves and not to his costume." "Order now!" said Mr. Heraty severely. "An' he says," continued William, warily purging his frog-countenance of any hint of appreciation, "that Sweeny knew the ullán that was on her as well as himself did."
Heraty actually rose in his seat in his exquisite appreciation of the position, "on top of that, mind you, after he has the whole machinery of the law and the entire population of Letterbeg attending on him for a matter o' two hours, he informs us that we're wasting his valuable time!" Mr.
"She was blind enough to dhrown herself, or two like her!" he said angrily; "she was that owld and blind it was ayqual to her where she'd go!" "How d'ye know she was blind?" said Mr. Heraty quickly. "I thought the defence opened with the statement that it wasn't Darcy's sheep at all," put in Dr. Lyden, leaning back in his chair with his eyes fixed on the rafters. Sweeny firmly regarded Mr. Heraty.
"Now," said Mr. Heraty, in a conversational tone, "William, when ye employ the word 'gorsoon, do ye mean children of the male or female sex?" "Well, yer worship," replied William, who, it may incidentally be mentioned, was himself in need of either an interpreter or of a new and complete set of teeth, "I should considher he meant ayther the one or the other."
And I'm able to bring more than it, thanks be to God!" said Sweeny fiercely, with all the offended pride of his race. "I have two pounds here this minute " "If that's the way with ye, may be ye'd like us to put a bigger fine on ye!" broke in Mr. Heraty hotly, in instant response to Sweeny's show of temper. Dr. Lyden laughed for the first time. "Mr.
Word Of The Day