Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/24

 10 "And," said Shiana, "what need is there to spoil the good? May you not as well leave alone the good that was done by that shilling?"

"You talk too much; too much altogether. I told you to shut your mouth. Here! There is the whole purse for you," said the Black Man.

"I suppose there is no fear, sir," said Shiana, "that there wouldn't be enough in it to last the time? There is many a day in thirteen years. A man would have made many a shoe during that length of time, and there's many a way in which he would need a shilling."

"Don't be uneasy," said the Black Man, giving a little laugh. "Draw out of it as hard as ever you can. It will be as plump the last day as it is to-day. After that you won't have much use for it."

Shiana was satisfied.

"Thirteen years!" he said to himself. "And power to draw out of it as hard as I can. He made me swear by the virtue of the Holy Things, but I swear by every oath and vow to you, little purse, that you will be made to play music!—Good-bye to you," said he to the Black Man.

He turned on his heel to go home, but when he turned, on went the Black Man beside him. He quickened his pace. The other quickened his too.

"What shall I do?" said Shiana to himself. "The neighbours will see him."

"Never fear," said the Black Man. "Nobody will see me but yourself. I must escort you home, and learn the way there, and get a look at that soogaun chair of yours, and at the malvogue and at the apples."

"Bad luck to them for a chair and a malvogue and