Page:The Celtic twilight. Men and women (IA celtictwilightme00yeat).pdf/61

 successful man, but rather one of those whose feet find no resting-place upon the earth, I recognized one of the children of revery, and said, 'You are doubtless of the stock of the old O'Donnells. I know well the hole in the river where their treasure lies buried under the guard of a serpent with many heads.' ' Yes, sur,' he replied, 'I am the last of a line of princes.'

We then fell to talking of many commonplace things, and my friend did not once toss his beard about with his left hand, but was very friendly. At last the gaunt old tax-gatherer got up to go, and my friend said, 'I hope we will have a glass together next year.' 'No, no,' was the answer, 'I shall be dead next year,' 'I too have lost sons,' said the other, in quite a gentle voice, 'But your sons were not like my son.' And then the