Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/257

Rh She opened her left hand. The shilling was there in the middle of her palm, the same shilling that he had given to her that first day when he was going to buy the leather.

"Here," said she. "Put this away also." He took the shilling and put it away.

"Listen attentively now, Shiana," said the woman, "to what I have to say to you. When it is coming on toward midnight, to-morrow night, take the soogaun chair and place it exactly in the position in which it was that day it was stuck to the ground, and place that shilling on the ground, in under the centre of the chair, and cover it over so that it cannot be seen. Go then yourself and sit on your working-seat and be working as hard as you can. When the enemy comes do not pretend anything, but go on with the work. When he bids you go with him, tell him to wait until the time comes. If you succeed in making him sit in the chair you will have the upper hand of him. But remember this especially—whatever thing he may tell you to do, for your life do not do it. Do not do anything he tells you to do."

"I give—thanks—to the Eternal Father" While Shiana was saying those words, and failing to bring them out properly, she was moving away, moving away, moving away; and the light on her face was getting fainter, and fainter, and fainter. His eyelids were closing together, closing together, closing together. Before he could finish pronouncing the words she was gone, and he was sound asleep.