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036 - The Three Wishes Part 2 · Fairy and Folk Tales of the Irish Peasantry

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Speaker 1: Section thirty five of Fairy and Folk Tales of the
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Speaker 1: Irish Peasantry. This is a LibriVox recording. All LibriVox recordings
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Speaker 1: are in the public domain. For more information or to volunteer,
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Speaker 1: please visit LibriVox dot org. Varian Folktales of the Irish Peasantry,
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Speaker 1: edited and selected by W. B. Yates. Section thirty five,
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Speaker 1: The Three Wishes, Part two. At last the seven years
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Speaker 1: became expired. And Bill was one morning sitting in his forge,
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Speaker 1: sober and hungry, the wife cursing him, and the children squalling.
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Speaker 1: As before, he was thinking how he might defraud some
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Speaker 1: honest neighbor out of breakfast to stop their mouths, and
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Speaker 1: his own too. When who walks into him but old Nick,
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Speaker 1: to demand his bargain Morrow, Bill says he with a sneer.
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Speaker 1: The devil welcome you, says Bill, But you have a
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Speaker 1: fresh many. A Bargain's a bargain between two honest men
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Speaker 1: any day, say Satan. When I speak of for honest men,
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Speaker 1: I mean yourself and me, Bill, And he put his
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Speaker 1: tongue in his cheek to make game of the unfortunate
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Speaker 1: rogue he had come for Nick, my worthy fellow, said Bill,
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Speaker 1: have bowels. You wouldn't do a shabby thing. You wouldn't
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Speaker 1: disgrace your own character by putting more weight upon a
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Speaker 1: falling man. You know what it is to get a
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Speaker 1: come down yourself, my worthy, So just keep your toe
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Speaker 1: in your pump and walk off with yourself somewhere else.
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Speaker 1: A cool walk will serve you better than my company, Nicholas. Bill,
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Speaker 1: it's no use in shirking, said his friend. Your swindling
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Speaker 1: tricks may enable you to cheat others, but you won't
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Speaker 1: cheat me. I guess you want nothing to make you
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Speaker 1: perfect in your way, but to travel, and travel you
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Speaker 1: shall under my guidance. Billy, No, no, I'm not to
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Speaker 1: be swindled, my good fellow. I have rather a a
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Speaker 1: better opinion of myself, mister d than to think that
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Speaker 1: you could outwit one. Nicholas Clooty esquire. Ahem. You may sneer,
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Speaker 1: you sinner, replied Bill, But I tell you that I
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Speaker 1: have outwitted men who could buy and sell you to
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Speaker 1: your face. Despair, you villain, when I tell you that
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Speaker 1: no attorney could stand before me. Satan's countenance got blank
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Speaker 1: when he heard this. He wriggled and fidgeted about, and
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Speaker 1: appeared to be not quite comfortable in that case, then
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Speaker 1: says he, the sooner I deceive you, the better, So
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Speaker 1: turn out for the low countries. Is it come to
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Speaker 1: that in earnest, said Bill? And are you going to
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Speaker 1: act the rascal at the long run? Pon honor? Bill,
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Speaker 1: have patience, then, you sinner, till I finished this horseshoe.
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Speaker 1: It's the last of a set time finishing for one
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Speaker 1: of your friend the Attorney's horses. And here, Nick, I
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Speaker 1: hate I. You know it's the mother of mischief. Take
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Speaker 1: this sledgehammer and give a dozen strokes or so till
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Speaker 1: I get it out of hands. And then here's with you,
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Speaker 1: since it must be so. He then gave the bellows
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Speaker 1: a puff that blew half a peck of dust in
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Speaker 1: Clubfoot's face, whipped out the red hot iron, and set
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Speaker 1: Satan sledging away for bear life, faith, says Bill to him,
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Speaker 1: when the shoe was finished. It's a thousand pities. Ever
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Speaker 1: the sledge should be out of your hand. The great
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Speaker 1: Paragou was a child to you at sledging. You're such
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Speaker 1: an able tyke. Now just exercise yourself till I bid
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Speaker 1: the wife and children goodbye. And then I'm off out,
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Speaker 1: went Bill, of course, without the slightest notion of coming back,
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Speaker 1: no more than Nick had that he could not give
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Speaker 1: up the sledging, and indeed neither could he, but was
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Speaker 1: forced to work away as if he was sledging for
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Speaker 1: a wager. This was just what Bill wanted. He was
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Speaker 1: now compelled to sledge on until it was Bill's pleasure
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Speaker 1: to release him. And so we leave him very industriously employed,
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Speaker 1: while we look after the worthy who outwitted him. In
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Speaker 1: the meantime, Bill broke cover and tuck to the country
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Speaker 1: at large, wrought a little journey work wherever he could
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Speaker 1: get it, and in this way went from one place
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Speaker 1: to another, till in the course of a month he
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Speaker 1: walked back very coolly into his own forge to see
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Speaker 1: how things went on in his absence. There he found
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Speaker 1: Satan in a rage, the perspiration pouring from him in torrents,
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Speaker 1: hammering with might and main upon the naked anvil. Bill
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Speaker 1: calmly leaned his back against the wall, placed his hat
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Speaker 1: upon the side of his head, put his hands into
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Speaker 1: his breeches pockets, and began to whistle seorn Gow's hornpipe.
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Speaker 1: At length, he says, in a very quiet and good
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Speaker 1: humored way Morrow, Nick, Oh, says Nick, still hammering away. Oh,
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Speaker 1: you double distilled villain, Heck may the most refined, ornamental Heck,
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Speaker 1: double rectified, super extra and original heck collection of curses
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Speaker 1: that ever was gathered Heck into a single nosegate of
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Speaker 1: ill fortune. Heck, shine in a buttonhole of your conscience. Heck,
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Speaker 1: while your name is Bill Dawson, I denounce you Heck
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Speaker 1: as a double milled villain, a finished hot press knave,
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Speaker 1: Heck in comparison of whom all the other naves I
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Speaker 1: ever knew Heck attorneys included, are honest men. I brand
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Speaker 1: you Heck as the pearl of cheats, a tip top
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Speaker 1: taking Heck. I denounce you, I say again for the
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Speaker 1: villainous treatment Heck, I have received your hands in this
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Speaker 1: most untoward Heck and unfortunate transaction between us, for Heck,
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Speaker 1: unfortunate in every sense is he that has anything to
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Speaker 1: do with Heck such a prime and finished impostor You're
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Speaker 1: very warm, Nikki, says Bill. What puts you into a passion,
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Speaker 1: you old sinner? Sure if it's your own will and
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Speaker 1: pleasure to take exercise at my anvil, I'm not to
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Speaker 1: be abused for it upon my credit, Nikki, you ought
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Speaker 1: to blush for using such blackguard language so unbecoming your
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Speaker 1: grave character. You cannot say that it was I set
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Speaker 1: you a hammering at the empty anvil you profligate, However,
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Speaker 1: as you are so industrious, I simply say it would
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Speaker 1: be a thousand pities to take you from it. Nick
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Speaker 1: I love industry in my heart, and I always encourage it,
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Speaker 1: so work away. It's not often you spend your time
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Speaker 1: so creditably. I'm afraid if you weren't at that, you'd
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Speaker 1: be worse employed. Bill, have bow said the operative You
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Speaker 1: wouldn't go to lay more weight on a falling man.
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Speaker 1: You know, you wouldn't dis gracial character by such a
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Speaker 1: piece of iniquity as keeping an inoffensive gentleman advanced in
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Speaker 1: years at such an unbecoming, un rascally job as this.
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Speaker 1: Generosity is your top virtue. Bill, not but that you
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Speaker 1: have many other excellent ones as well as that, among which,
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Speaker 1: as you say yourself, I reckon industry. But still it
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Speaker 1: is in generosity you shine. Come Bill, honor bright and
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Speaker 1: release me. Name the terms you profligate. You're above terms, William,
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Speaker 1: A generous fellow like you never thinks of terms. Goodbye,
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Speaker 1: old gentlemen, said Bill, very coolly. I'll drop him to
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Speaker 1: see you once a month. No, no, Bill, you infern a,
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Speaker 1: you excellent, worthy, delightful fellow. Not so fast, not so fast.
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Speaker 1: Come name your terms, you slan, my dear Bill, name
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Speaker 1: your terms seven years more? I agree. But and the
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Speaker 1: same supply of cash as before. Down on the nail here,
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Speaker 1: Very good, very good. You're rather simple, Bill, rather soft,
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Speaker 1: I must confess. Well, no matter, I shall yet turn
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Speaker 1: the tab. You are exceedingly simple, fellow, Bill. Still there
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Speaker 1: will come a day, my dear Bill, there will come.
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Speaker 1: Do you grumble, you vagrant? Another word? And I double
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Speaker 1: the terms, Mum, William, Mum tastes Latin for a candle.
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Speaker 1: Seven years more of grace and the same measure of
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Speaker 1: the needful that I got before I or no of grace? Bill,
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Speaker 1: ay aye aye, there's the cash. I accept the terms,
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Speaker 1: Oh blood, the rascal of grace. Bill, Well, now drop
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Speaker 1: the hammer and vanish, says Billy. But what would you
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Speaker 1: think to take this sledge while you stay and give
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Speaker 1: me a eh? Why in such a hurry, he added,
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Speaker 1: seeing the satan withdrew in double quick time, hollow, Nicholas,
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Speaker 1: He shouted, come back, you forgot something, And when the
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Speaker 1: old gentlemen looked behind him, Billy shook the hammer at him,
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Speaker 1: on which he vanished altogether. Billy now got into his
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Speaker 1: old courses, and what shows the kind of people the
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Speaker 1: world is made of. He also took up with his
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Speaker 1: old company. When they saw that he had the money
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Speaker 1: once more and was sewing it about him in all directions,
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Speaker 1: they immediately began to find excuses for his former extravagance.
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Speaker 1: Say what you will, said one. Bill Dawson's a spirited
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Speaker 1: fellow and bleeds like a prince. He's a hospitable man
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Speaker 1: in his own house or out of it, as ever lived,
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Speaker 1: said another. His only fault is, observed a third, that
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Speaker 1: he is, if anything, too generous, and doesn't know the
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Speaker 1: value of money. His faults on the right side. However,
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Speaker 1: he has the spunk in him, said a fourth. Keeps
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Speaker 1: a capital table, prime wines, and a standing welcome for
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Speaker 1: his friends. Why, said a fifth. If he doesn't enjoy
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Speaker 1: his money while he lives, he won't when he's dead,
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Speaker 1: So more power to him, and a wider throat to
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Speaker 1: his purse. Indeed, the very persons who were cramming themselves
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Speaker 1: at his expense, despised him at heart. They knew very well, however,
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Speaker 1: how to take him on the weak side. Praise his generosity,
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Speaker 1: and he would do anything. Call him a man of spirit,
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Speaker 1: and you might fleece him to his face. Sometimes he
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Speaker 1: would toss a purse of guineas to this knave, another
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Speaker 1: to the flatterer, a third to a bully, and a
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Speaker 1: fourth to some broken down rake, and all to convince
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Speaker 1: them that he was a sterling friend, a man of
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Speaker 1: metal and liberality. But never was he known to help
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Speaker 1: a virtuous and struggling family, to assist the widow or
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Speaker 1: the fatherless, or to do any other act that was
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Speaker 1: truly useful. It is to be supposed the reason of
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Speaker 1: this was that, as he spent it, as most of
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Speaker 1: the world do, in the service of the devil by
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Speaker 1: whose aid he got it, he was prevented from turning
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Speaker 1: it to a good account. Between you and me, dear reader,
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Speaker 1: there are more persons acting after Bill's fashion in the
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Speaker 1: same world than new dream about. When his money was
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Speaker 1: out again, his friends played him the same rascally game
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Speaker 1: once more. No sooner did his poverty become plain than
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Speaker 1: the knaves began to be troubled with small fits of modesty,
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Speaker 1: such as an unwillingness to come to his place when
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Speaker 1: there was no longer anything to be got there. A
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Speaker 1: kind of virgin bashfulness prevented them from speaking to him
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Speaker 1: when they saw him getting out on the wrong side
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Speaker 1: of his clothes. Many of them would turn away from
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Speaker 1: him in the prettiest and most delicate manner when they
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Speaker 1: thought he wanted to borrow money from them, all for
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Speaker 1: fear of putting him to the blush by asking it.
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Speaker 1: Others again, when they saw him coming towards their houses
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Speaker 1: about dinner hour, would become so confused from mere gratitude
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Speaker 1: as to think themselves in another place, and their servants,
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Speaker 1: seized as it were, with the same feeling, would tell
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Speaker 1: Bill that their masters were not at home. At length.
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Speaker 1: After traveling the same villainous round as before, Bill was
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Speaker 1: compelled to betake himself as the last remedy to the forge.
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Speaker 1: In other words, he found that there is after all,
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Speaker 1: nothing in this will that a man can rely on
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Speaker 1: so firmly and surely as his own industry. Bill, however,
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Speaker 1: wanted the organ of common sense for his experience, and
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Speaker 1: it was sharp enough to leave an impression run off
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Speaker 1: him like water off a duck. He took to his
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Speaker 1: employment sorely against his grain, but he had now no choice.
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Speaker 1: He must either work or starve, and starvation is like
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Speaker 1: a great doctor. Nobody tries it till every other remedy
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Speaker 1: fails them. Bill had been twice rich, twice a gentleman
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Speaker 1: among blackguards, but always a blackguard among gentlemen, for no
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Speaker 1: wealth or acquaintance with decent society could rub the rust
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Speaker 1: of his native vulgaric off him. He was now a common,
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Speaker 1: blinking sot in his forge, a drunken bully in the
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Speaker 1: tap room, cursing and browbeating everyone as well as his wife,
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Speaker 1: boasting of how much money he had spent in his day,
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Speaker 1: swaggering about the high doings he carried on, telling stories
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Speaker 1: about himself and Lord This at the coura, the dinners
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Speaker 1: he gave, how much they cost him, and attempting to
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Speaker 1: extort credit upon the strength of his former wealth. He
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Speaker 1: was too ignorant, however, to know that he was publishing
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Speaker 1: his own disgrace, and that it was a mean spirited
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Speaker 1: thing to be proud of what ought to make him
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Speaker 1: blush through a deal board nine inches thick. He was
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Speaker 1: one morning industriously engaged in a quarrel with his wife, who,
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Speaker 1: with a three legged stool in her hand, appeared to
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Speaker 1: mistake his head for his own anvil. He, in the meantime,
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Speaker 1: paid his addresses to her with his leather apron When
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Speaker 1: who steps into to jog his memory about the little
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Speaker 1: agreement that was between them? But Old Nick, the wife,
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Speaker 1: it seems, in spite of all her exertions to the contrary,
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Speaker 1: was getting the worst of it. And Sir Nicholas, willing
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Speaker 1: to appear a gentleman of great gallantry, thought he could
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Speaker 1: not do less than take up the lady's quarrel, particularly
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Speaker 1: as Bill had laid her in a sleeping posture. Now
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Speaker 1: Satan thought this too bad, and as he felt himself
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Speaker 1: under many obligations to the sex, he determined to defend
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Speaker 1: one of them on the present occasion. So as Judy rose,
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Speaker 1: he turned upon the husband and floored him by a
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Speaker 1: clever facer. You unmanly villain, said he, is this the
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Speaker 1: way you treat your wife? Pon honor, Bill, I'll chastise
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Speaker 1: you on the spot. I could not stand by a
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Speaker 1: spectator of such ungentlemanly conduct, without giving up or claim
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Speaker 1: to gallant whack. The word was divided in his mouth
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Speaker 1: by the the blow of a churn staff from Judy,
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Speaker 1: who no sooner saw Bill struck than she nailed Satan,
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Speaker 1: who fell once more. What you villain, that's for striking
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Speaker 1: my husband like a murderer behind his back, said Judy,
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Speaker 1: and she suited the action to the word. That's for
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Speaker 1: interfering between man and wife? Would you murder the poor
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Speaker 1: man before my face? Eh? If he bakes me, you
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Speaker 1: shabby dog? You who has a better right? I'm sure
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Speaker 1: it's nothing out of your pocket? Must you have your
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Speaker 1: finger in every pie? This was anything but idle talk,
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Speaker 1: for at every word she gave him a remembrance hot
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Speaker 1: and heavy. Nicholas backed, danced, and hopped. She advanced, still,
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Speaker 1: drubbing him with great perseverance, till at length he fell
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Speaker 1: into the redoubtable armchair, which stood exactly behind him. Bill,
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Speaker 1: who had been putting in two blows for Judy's one,
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Speaker 1: seeing that his enemy was safe, now got between the
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Speaker 1: devil and his wife. I sit situation that few will
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Speaker 1: be disposed to envy him tenderness, Judy said the husband.
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Speaker 1: I hate cruelty. Go put the tongs in the fire
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Speaker 1: and make them red hot. Nicholas, you have a nose,
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Speaker 1: said he. Satan began to rise, but was rather surprised
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Speaker 1: to find that he could not budge. Nicholas says Bill,
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Speaker 1: how is your pulse? You don't look well, that is
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Speaker 1: to say, you look worse than usual. The other attempted
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Speaker 1: to rise, but found it a mistake. I'll thank you
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Speaker 1: to come along, said Bill. I have a fancy to
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Speaker 1: travel under your guidance, and we'll take the low countries
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Speaker 1: in our way. Won't we get to your legs, you sinner?
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Speaker 1: You know a Bargain's a bargain between two honest men, Nicholas,
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Speaker 1: meaning yourself and me, Judy. Are the tongs hot? Satan's
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Speaker 1: face was worth looking at as he turned his eyes
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Speaker 1: from the husband to the wife and then fasten them
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Speaker 1: on the tongs, now nearly at a furnace heat in
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Speaker 1: the fire, conscious at the same time that he could
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Speaker 1: not move out of the chair, Billy said he. You
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Speaker 1: won't forget that I rewarded your generosity the last time
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Speaker 1: I saw you in the way of business. Faith, Nicholas,
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Speaker 1: it fails me to remember any generosity I ever showed
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Speaker 1: you don't be womanish. I simply want to see what
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Speaker 1: kind of stuff your nose is made of, and whether
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Speaker 1: it will stretch like a rogue's conscience. If it does,
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Speaker 1: we will flatter it up the chimney with red hot tongs.
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Speaker 1: And when this old hat is fixed on top of it,
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Speaker 1: let us alone for a weathercock. Have a fellow feeling.
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Speaker 1: Mister Dawson, you know we ought not to dispute. Drop
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Speaker 1: the matter, and I give you the next seven years.
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Speaker 1: We know all that, says Billy, opening the red hot tongs.
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Speaker 1: Very coolly, mister Dawson said, Satan, if you cannot remember
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Speaker 1: my friendship to yourself, don't forget how often I stood
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Speaker 1: your father's friend, your grandfather's friend, and the friend of
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Speaker 1: all your relations up to the tenth generation. Ended also
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Speaker 1: to stand by your children after you, so long as
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Speaker 1: the name of Dawson, and a respectable one it is,
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Speaker 1: might last. Don't be blushing, Nick says Bill, you are
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Speaker 1: too modest. That was ever your failing. Hold up your head.
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Speaker 1: There's money bid for you. I'll give you such a nose,
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Speaker 1: my good friend, that you will have to keep an
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Speaker 1: outrider before you to carry the end of it on
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Speaker 1: his shoulder. Mister Dawson, I pledge my honor to raise
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Speaker 1: your children in the world as high as they can go,
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Speaker 1: no matter whether they desire it or not. That's very
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Speaker 1: kind of you, says the other. And I'll do as
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Speaker 1: much for your nose. He gripped it as he spoke,
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Speaker 1: and the old boy immediately sung out, bill pulled, and
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Speaker 1: the nose went with him like a piece of warm wax.
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Speaker 1: He then transferred the tongs to Judy, got a ladder,
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Speaker 1: resumed the tongs, ascended the chimney, and tugged stoutly at
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Speaker 1: the nose until he got it five feet above them.
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Speaker 1: He then fixed the hat upon the top of it
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Speaker 1: and came down. There's a weathercock, said Billy. I defy
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Speaker 1: Ireland to show such a beauty faith nick. It would
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Speaker 1: make the purtiest steeple for a church in all Europe.
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Speaker 1: And the old hat fits it to a shaving in
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Speaker 1: this state. With his nose twisted up the chimney, Satan
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Speaker 1: sat for some time, experiencing the novelty of what might
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Speaker 1: be termed a peculiar sensation. At last, the worthy husband
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Speaker 1: and wife began to relent. I think, said Bill, that
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Speaker 1: we have made the most of the nose as well
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Speaker 1: as the joke. I believe Judy, it's long enough. What
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Speaker 1: is says Judy? Why the joke, said the husband faith
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Speaker 1: And I think so is the nose, said Judy. What
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Speaker 1: do you say yourself, Satan? Said Bill, Nothing at all,
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Speaker 1: William said the other. But that tahar, it's a good joke,
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Speaker 1: an excellent joke, and a goodly nose too. As it stands,
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Speaker 1: you were always a gentlemanly man, Bill, and did things
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Speaker 1: with a grace. Still, if I might give an opinion
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Speaker 1: on such a trifle, it's no trifle at all, says Bill.
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Speaker 1: If you speak of the nose very well, it is not,
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Speaker 1: says the other. Still, I am decidedly of opinion that
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Speaker 1: if you could shorten both the joke and the nose
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Speaker 1: without further violence, you would lay me under very heavy obligations,
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Speaker 1: which I shall be ready to acknowledge and repay as
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Speaker 1: I ought. Come, said Bill, shell out once more, and
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Speaker 1: be off for seven years as much as you came
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Speaker 1: down with the last time, and vanish. The words were
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Speaker 1: scarcely spoken. When the money was at his feet and
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Speaker 1: Satan invisible, nothing could surpass the mirth of Bill and
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Speaker 1: his wife. At the result of this adventure, they laughed
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Speaker 1: till they fell down on the floor. It is useless
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Speaker 1: to go over the same ground again. Bill was still encouragible.
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Speaker 1: The money went as the devil's money always goes. Bill
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Speaker 1: caroused and squandered, but could never turn a penny of
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Speaker 1: it to a good play. In this way, year after
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Speaker 1: year went till the seventh was closed and Bill's hour came.
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Speaker 1: He was now, and had been for some time past,
21:09
Speaker 1: as miserable a k neighbor. As ever, not a shilling
21:12
Speaker 1: had he nor a shilling's worth, with the exception of
21:15
Speaker 1: his forge, his cabin, and a few articles of crazy furniture.
21:20
Speaker 1: In this state, he was standing in his forge as before,
21:23
Speaker 1: straining his ingenuity how to make out a breakfast. When
21:27
Speaker 1: Satan came to look after him, The old gentleman was
21:30
Speaker 1: sorely puzzled how to get at him. He kept skulking
21:34
Speaker 1: and sneaking about the forge for some time till he
21:36
Speaker 1: saw that Bill hadn't a cross to bless himself with.
21:39
Speaker 1: He immediately changed himself into a guinea and lay in
21:43
Speaker 1: an open place where he knew Bill would see him,
21:47
Speaker 1: if said he I, once get into his possession, I
21:51
Speaker 1: can manage him. The honest smith took the bait, for
21:54
Speaker 1: it was well gilded. He clutched the guinea, put it
21:57
Speaker 1: into his purse and closed it up. Ho Ho shouted,
22:01
Speaker 1: the devil out of the purse your court, Bill, I've
22:05
Speaker 1: secured you at last, you nave you. Why don't you despair,
22:09
Speaker 1: you villain when you think of what's before you? Why
22:11
Speaker 1: you unlucky old dog? Said Bill? Is it there you are?
22:15
Speaker 1: Will you always drive your head into every loophole that's
22:18
Speaker 1: set for you? Faith Nicko kaora, I never had you
22:22
Speaker 1: bag till now. Satan then began to tug and struggle
22:26
Speaker 1: with a view of getting out of the purse. But
22:28
Speaker 1: in vain mister Dawson said he we understand each other.
22:34
Speaker 1: I'll give the seven years additional and the cash on
22:36
Speaker 1: the nail. Be easy, Nicholas. You know the weight of
22:40
Speaker 1: the hammer. That's enough. It's not a whipping with feathers
22:43
Speaker 1: you're going to get anyhow. Just be easy, mister Dawson.
22:47
Speaker 1: I grant I'm not your match, Release me and I
22:50
Speaker 1: double the cash. I was merely trying your temper when
22:53
Speaker 1: I took the shape of a guinea faith, and I'll
22:56
Speaker 1: try yours before I leave it. I've a notion immediately
23:00
Speaker 1: commenced with the sledge, and Satan sang out with a
23:03
Speaker 1: considerable want of firmness. Am I heavy enough? Said Bill?
23:08
Speaker 1: Lighter lighter, William, if you love me, I haven't been
23:12
Speaker 1: well latterly, mister Dawson. I have been delicate. My health,
23:17
Speaker 1: in short, is in a very precarious state, mister Dawson.
23:21
Speaker 1: I can believe that, said Bill, And it will be
23:24
Speaker 1: more so before I have done with you. Am I
23:27
Speaker 1: doing it right? Bill? Said Nick? Is this gentlemanly treatment
23:31
Speaker 1: in your own respectable sharp? Do you think if you
23:34
Speaker 1: dropped into my little place that I'd at this rascally
23:38
Speaker 1: part towards you? Have you no compunction? I know? Replied Bill,
23:43
Speaker 1: sledging away with vehemence, that you're notorious for giving your
23:47
Speaker 1: friends a warm welcome, divil an old youth more so,
23:51
Speaker 1: But you must be dealing in bad coying, must you,
23:54
Speaker 1: however good or bad? You're in for a sweat now,
23:57
Speaker 1: you sinner. Am I doing it purty lovely? William? But
24:01
Speaker 1: if possible a little more delicate? Oh how delicate you are?
24:06
Speaker 1: Maybe a cup of tea will serve you, or a
24:08
Speaker 1: little small gruel to compose your stomach. Mister Dawson, said
24:13
Speaker 1: the gentleman in the purse. Hold your hand and let
24:16
Speaker 1: us understand one another. I have a proposal to make
24:20
Speaker 1: hear the sinner anyhow, said the wife. Name your own sun,
24:24
Speaker 1: said Satan, only set me free. No, the sorrow may
24:29
Speaker 1: take the toe. You'll budge till you let Bill off,
24:31
Speaker 1: said the wife. Hold him hard, Bill, baring he sets
24:35
Speaker 1: you clear of your engagement. There it is my posy,
24:39
Speaker 1: said Bill. That's the condition. If you don't give me up,
24:44
Speaker 1: here's at you once more, and you must double the
24:46
Speaker 1: cash you gave the last time too. So if you're
24:49
Speaker 1: of that opinion, say I leave the cash and be off.
24:53
Speaker 1: The money again appeared in a glittering heap before Bill,
24:57
Speaker 1: upon which he exclaimed, the eye has you dog, take
25:01
Speaker 1: to your pumps now, and fair weather after you, you vagrant.
25:05
Speaker 1: But Nicholas Nick hear hear. The other looked back and
25:10
Speaker 1: saw Bill with a broad grin upon him, shaking the
25:13
Speaker 1: purse at him. Nicholas come back, said he I'm sure
25:17
Speaker 1: to guinea. Nick shook his fist and disappeared, it would
25:21
Speaker 1: be useless to stop now merely to inform our readers
25:25
Speaker 1: that Bill was beyond improvement. In short, he once more
25:29
Speaker 1: took to his old habits and lived on exactly in
25:32
Speaker 1: the same manner as before. He had two sons, one
25:35
Speaker 1: as great a blackguard as himself, and who was also
25:39
Speaker 1: named after him. The other was a well conducted, virtuous
25:42
Speaker 1: young man called James, who left his father, and, having
25:46
Speaker 1: relied upon his own industry and on his perseverance in life,
25:51
Speaker 1: arrived afterwards to great wealth and built the town called
25:55
Speaker 1: Castle Dawson, which is so called from its founder until
25:58
Speaker 1: this day. Bill, at length, in spite of all his wealth,
26:02
Speaker 1: was obliged, as he himself said, to travel. In other words,
26:06
Speaker 1: he fell asleep one day and forgot to awaken, or,
26:10
Speaker 1: in still plainer terms, he died. Now. It is usual
26:14
Speaker 1: when a man dies to close the history of his
26:16
Speaker 1: life and adventures at once, but with our hero this
26:20
Speaker 1: cannot be the case. The moment Bill departed, he very
26:24
Speaker 1: naturally bent his steps towards the residence of Saint Moroky,
26:28
Speaker 1: as being in his opinion, likely to lead him towards
26:31
Speaker 1: the snuggish birth. He could readily make out on arriving,
26:36
Speaker 1: he gave a very humble kind of a knock, and
26:38
Speaker 1: Saint Moroky appeared. God save your reverence, said Bill, very submissively.
26:44
Speaker 1: Be off. There's no admittance here for so poor a
26:47
Speaker 1: youth as you are, said Saint Moroky. He was now
26:51
Speaker 1: so cold and fatigued that he cared little where he went,
26:55
Speaker 1: provided only, as he said himself, he could rest his
26:58
Speaker 1: bones and get an air of them. Accordingly, after arriving
27:02
Speaker 1: at a large black gate, he knocked as before, and
27:05
Speaker 1: was told he would get instant admittance the moment he
27:08
Speaker 1: gave his name, Billy Dawson, he replied off instantly, said
27:14
Speaker 1: the porter to his companions, and let his Majesty know
27:17
Speaker 1: that the rascal he dreads so much is here at
27:19
Speaker 1: the gate. Such a racket and tumult were never heard
27:23
Speaker 1: as the very mention of Billy Dawson created. In the meantime,
27:27
Speaker 1: his old acquaintance came running towards the gate with such
27:31
Speaker 1: haste and consternation that his tail was several times nearly
27:34
Speaker 1: tripping up his heels. Don't admit that rascal, he shouted,
27:39
Speaker 1: Bar the gate, Make every chain and lock and bolt fast.
27:43
Speaker 1: I won't be safe, and I won't stay here, nor
27:46
Speaker 1: none of us need stay here if he gets in.
27:49
Speaker 1: My bones are sore. Yet after him, no, no, begone,
27:53
Speaker 1: new villain. You'll get no entrance here. I know you
27:57
Speaker 1: too well. Bill could not help giving a broad, malicious
28:00
Speaker 1: grin at Satan, and putting his nose through the bars,
28:03
Speaker 1: He exclaimed, ha, you, old dog, I have you afraid
28:08
Speaker 1: of me? At last? Have I? He had scarcely uttered
28:11
Speaker 1: the words when his foe, who stood inside, instantly tweaked
28:15
Speaker 1: him by the nose, and Bill felt as if he
28:18
Speaker 1: had been gripped by the same red hot tongs with
28:21
Speaker 1: which he himself had formerly tweaked the nose of Nicholas.
28:24
Speaker 1: Bill then departed, but soon found that, in consequence of
28:28
Speaker 1: the inflammable materials which strong drink had thrown into his nose,
28:33
Speaker 1: that organ immediately took fire, and, indeed, to tell the truth,
28:38
Speaker 1: kept burning night and day, winter and summer, without ever
28:42
Speaker 1: once going out from that hour to this Such was
28:46
Speaker 1: the sad fate of Billy Dawson, who has been walking
28:49
Speaker 1: without stop or stay from place to place ever since.
28:52
Speaker 1: And in consequence of the flame on his nose and
28:56
Speaker 1: his beard being tangled like a wisp of hay. He
28:59
Speaker 1: has been christened by the country folk Willow the Wisp, While,
29:03
Speaker 1: as it were, to show the mischief of his disposition,
29:07
Speaker 1: the circulating knave, knowing that he must seek the coldest
29:11
Speaker 1: bogs and quagmires in order to cool his nose, seizes
29:14
Speaker 1: upon that opportunity of misleading the unthinking and tipsy night
29:19
Speaker 1: travelers from their way, just that he may have the
29:22
Speaker 1: satisfaction of still taking in as many as possible. End
29:28
Speaker 1: of Section thirty five.