Page:Darby O'Gill and the Good People by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh (1903).djvu/250

Rh earthly spirit he may daymand for pay the favours of three such wishes as the spirit has power to give. The worruld knows that. Now I’ll take three good wishes, such as the banshee can bestow, or else I’ll carry the goolden comb straight to Father Cassidy. The banshee hasn’t goold nor wor’ly goods, as the sayin’ is, but she has what suits me betther.”

This cleverness angered the fairy-woman so she set in to abuse and to frighten Darby. She ballyragged, she browbate, she trajooced, she threatened, but ’twas no use. The bould man hildt firm, till at last she promised him the favours of the three wishes.

“First an’ foremost,” says he, “I’ll want her never to put her spell on me or any of my kith an’ kin.”

“That wish she gives you, that wish she grants you, though it’ll go sore agin the grain,” snarled Sheelah.

“Then,” says Darby, “my second wish is that the black spell be taken from Eileen McCarthy.”

Sheelah flusthered about like an angry hin. “Wouldn’t something else do as well? " she says.

“I’m not here to argify,” says Darby, swingin’ back an’ forrud on his toes. Rh