Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/88

74 home now, and God give you more sense! You have escaped very well."

They parted.

"Well," said Michael to himself, "I was near playing the mischief. I wonder where in the world my mother spent the night?"

When Michael reached home his mother was there before him. Her face and eyes were swollen from weeping.

"Mother," said Michael, "where was the wake?"

"What has brought you home, Michael," said she.

"Why," said he, "I stayed to take care of Shiana's house last night, for he himself spent the night somewhere away from home, and then this morning he told me to go home and take a sleep; that I had earned this day's wages after the night."

"Well," said she, "and where have you spent the day since morning?"

"The day was fine," said he, "and I was neither tired nor sleepy, but indeed I am hungry now, I can tell you."

She gave him something to eat, and it was well bestowed upon him. He was not long in polishing off a good big dish. When he finished eating he began to talk.

"Mother," said he.

"Yes, Michael," said she.

"You haven't told me where the wake was," said he.

"What kept Shiana away from home all last night?" said she.

"It wasn't only all last night that he was out of home, but since yesterday morning. When you came out yesterday morning after you had been talking to