第45章

observedmycomrade，pointingtowardsthedwellingwithhisthumb；’ashnugspot，andbelongstotheMooneysthislongtime。

’Tisanotedplaceforwhathappenedwidthefamousgandherthereinformertimes。’

’Andwhatwasthat？’inquiredI。

’Whatwasithappenedwidthegandher!’

ejaculatedmycompanioninatoneofindignantsurprise；’thegandherivBallymacrucker，thegandher!Yourraverancemustbeastrangerintheseparts。Sureeveryfoolknowsallaboutthegandher，andTerenceMooney，thatwas，resthissowl。Begorra，’tissurprisin’tomehowintheworldyoudidn’thearivthegandher；andmaybeit’sfunninmeyeare，yourraverance。’

Iassuredhimtothecontrary，andconjuredhimtonarratetomethefacts，anunacquaintancewithwhichwassufficientitappearedtostampmeasanignoramusofthefirstmagnitude。

Itdidnotrequiremuchentreatytoinducemycommunicativefriendtorelatethecircumstance，innearlythefollowingwords：

’TerenceMooneywasanhonestboyandwelltodo；an’herintedthebiggestfarmonthissideivtheGalties；an’bein’

mightycutean’asevareworker，itwassmallwonderheturnedagoodpennyeveryharvest。Butunluckilyhewasblessedwithanilegantlargefamilyivdaughters，an’ivcoorsehisheartwasallamostbruck，strivingtomakeupfortunesforthewholeofthem。An’therewasn’taconthrivanceivanysoartordescriptionformakin’moneyoutivthefarm，buthewasupto。

’Well，amongtheotherwayshehadivgettin’upintheworld，healwayskepapowerivturkeys，andallsoartsivpoul-

trey；an’hewasoutivallrasonpartialtogeese——an’smallblametohimforthatsame——fortwice’tayearyoucanpluckthemasbareasmyhand——an’getafinepriceforthefeathers，an’plentyofralesizableeggs——an’whentheyaretooouldtolayanymore，youcankillthem，an’sellthemtothegintlemenforgoslings，d’yesee，letalonethatagooseisthemostmanlybirdthatisout。

’Well，ithappenedinthecoorseivtimethatoneouldgandhertuckawondherfullikin’toTerence，an’divilaplacehecouldgoserenadin’aboutthefarm，orlookin’

aftherthemen，butthegandheridbeathisheels，an’rubbin’himselfaginhislegs，an’lookin’upinhisfacejistlikeanyotherChristianiddo；an’begorra，thelikesivitwasneverseen——TerenceMooneyan’thegandherworsogreat。

’An’atlastthebirdwassoengagin’

thatTerencewouldnotallowittobepluckedanymore，an’kepitfromthattimeoutforlovean’affection——justallasonelikeoneivhischilder。

’Buthappinessinperfectionneverlastslong，an’theneighboursbegin’dtosuspectthenathuran’intentionsivthegandher，an’someivthemsaiditwasthedivil，an’

moreivthemthatitwasafairy。

’Well，Terencecouldnotbuthearsomethingofwhatwassayin’，an’youmaybesurehewasnotaltogetherasyinhismindaboutit，an’fromonedaytoanotherhewasgettin’moreancomfortableinhimself，untilhedetarminedtosindforJerGarvan，thefairydocthorinGarryowen，an’it’shewastheileganthandatthebusiness，an’

divilasperitidsayacrasswordtohim，nomorenorapriest。An’moreoverhewasverygreatwidouldTerenceMooney——

thisman’sfatherthat’was。

’Sowithoutmoreaboutithewassintfor，an’sureenoughthedivilalonghewasaboutit，forhekembackthatveryevenin’alongwidtheboythatwassintforhim，an’assoonashewasthere，an’

tuckhissupper，an’wasdonetalkin’forawhile，hebeginedofcoorsetolookintothegandher。

’Well，heturneditthisawayan’thataway，totherightan’totheleft，an’

straight-waysan’upside-down，an’whenhewastiredhandlin’it，sayshetoTerenceMooney：

’“Terence，“sayshe，“youmustremovethebirdintothenextroom，“sayshe，“an’

putapetticoat，“sayshe，“orannyotherconvaynienceroundhishead，“sayshe。

’“An’whyso？“saysTerence。

’“Becase，“saysJer，sayshe。

’“Becasewhat？“saysTerence。

’“Becase，“saysJer，“ifitisn’tdoneyou’llneverbeasyagain，“sayshe，“orpusilanimousinyourmind，“says