CHAPTER XIII.
GREEN JACKET.
"'It's Green Men, it's Green Men, All in the wood together; And, oh! we're feared o' the Green Men In all the sweet May weather,'--
"ON'Y I'm _not_ feared o' thim mesilf!" said Eileen, breaking off hersong with a little merry laugh. "Wouldn't I be plazed to meet wan o'thim this day, in the wud! Sure, it 'ud be the lookiest day o' meloife."
She parted the boughs, and entered the deep wood, where she was togather faggots for her mother. Holding up her blue apron carefully, thelittle girl stepped lightly here and there, picking up the dry brownsticks, and talking to herself all the while,--to keep herself company,as she thought.
"Thin I makes a low curchy," she was saying, "loike that wan Mother madeto the lord's lady yistherday, and the Green Man he gi'es me a nod,and--
"'What's yer name, me dear?' says he.
"'Eileen Macarthy, yer Honor's Riverence!' says I.--No! I mustn't say'Riverence,' bekase he's not a priest, ava'. 'Yer Honor's Grace' wud dobetter.
"'And what wud ye loike for a prisint, Eily?' says he.
"And thin I'd say--lit me see! what wud I have first? Oh, I know! I'dask him-- Och! what's that? A big green grasshopper, caught be his legin a spider's wib. Wait a bit, poor crathur, oi'll lit ye free agin."
Full of pity for the poor grasshopper, Eily stooped to lift it carefullyout of the treacherous net into which it had fallen. But what was heramazement on perceiving that the creature was not a grasshopper, but atiny man, clad from head to foot in light green, and with a scarlet capon his head. The little fellow was hopelessly entangled in the net, fromwhich he made desperate efforts to free himself, but the silken strandswere quite strong enough to hold him prisoner.
For a moment Eileen stood petrified with amazement, murmuring toherself, "Howly Saint Bridget! what will I do now at all? Sure, I niverthought I'd find wan really in loife!" but the next moment her kindnessof heart triumphed over her fear, and stooping once more she very gentlytook the little man up between her thumb and finger, pulled away theclinging web, and set him respectfully on the top of a large toadstoolwhich stood conveniently near.
The little Green Man shook himself, dusted his jacket with his red cap,and then looked up at Eileen with twinkling eyes.
"Thank ye, my maiden!" he said kindly. "Ye have saved my life, and yeshall not be the worse for it, if ye _did_ take me for a grasshopper."
Eily was rather abashed at this, but the little man looked very kind; soshe plucked up her courage, and when he asked, "What is yer name, mydear?" ("jist for all the wurrld the way I thought of," she said toherself) answered bravely, with a low courtesy, "Eileen Macarthy, yerHonor's Riverence--Grace, I mane!" and then she added, "They calls meEily, most times, at home."
"Well, Eily," said the Green Man, "I suppose ye know who I am?"
"A fairy, plaze yer Honor's Grace!" said Eily, with another courtesy."Sure, I've aften heerd av yer Honor's people, but I niver thought I'dsee wan of yez. It's rale plazed I am, sure enough. Manny's the timeDocthor O'Shaughnessy's tell't me there was no sich thing as yez; but Iniver belaved him, yer Honor!"
"That's right!" said the Green Man, heartily, "that's very right. Neverbelieve a word he says! And now, Eily, alanna, I'm going to do ye afairy's turn before I go. Ye shall have yer wish of whatever ye like inthe world. Take a minute to think about it, and then make up yer mind."
Eily fairly gasped for breath. Her dreams had then come true; she was tohave a fairy wish! Could it possibly be true? And what should she wishfor? The magic carpet? The goose that laid eggs of gold? The invisiblecloak? Eily had all the old fairy-stories at her tongue's end, for hermother told her one every night as she sat at her spinning. Jack and theBeanstalk, the Sleeping Beauty, the Seven Swans, the Elves that stoleBarney Maguire, the Brown Witch, and the Widdy Malone's Pig,--she knewthem all, and scores of others besides. Her mother always began thestories with, "Wanst upon a time, and a very good time it was;" or,"Long, long ago, whin King O'Toole was young, and the praties grew allready biled in the ground;" or, "Wan fine time, whin the fairies danced,and not a poor man lived in Ireland." In this way, the fairies seemedalways to be thrown far back into a remote past, which had nothing incommon with the real work-a-day world in which Eily lived. But now--oh,wonder of wonders!--now, here was a real fairy, alive and active, withas full power of blessing or banning as if the days of King O'Toole hadcome again,--and what was more, with good-will to grant to EileenMacarthy whatever in the wide world she might wish for! The child stoodquite still, with her hands clasped, thinking harder than she had everthought in all her life before; and the Green Man sat on the toadstooland watched her, with eyes which twinkled with some amusement, but nomalice.
"Take yer time, my dear," he said, "take yer time! Ye'll not meet aGreen Man every day, so make the best o' your chance!"
Suddenly Eily's face lighted up with a sudden inspiration. "Och!" shecried, "sure I have it, yer Riverence's Grace--Honor, I shud say! I haveit! it's the di'monds and pearrls I'll have, iv ye plaze!"
"Diamonds and pearls?" repeated the fairy, "what diamonds and pearls?There are a great many in the world. You don't want them _all_, surely?"
"Och, no, yer Honor!" said Eily. "Only wan of aich to dhrop out o' memouth ivery time I shpake, loike the girrl in the sthory, ye know.Whiniver she opened her lips to shpake, a di'mond an' a pearrl o' therichest beauty dhropped from her mouth. That's what I mane, plaze yerHonor's Grace. Och! wudn't it be beautiful, entirely?"
"Humph!" said the fairy, looking rather grave. "Are ye _quite_ sure thatthis is what you wish for most, Eileen? Don't decide hastily, or ye maybe sorry for it."
"Sorry!" cried Eileen, "what for wud I be sorry? Sure I'd be richer thanthe Countess o' Kilmoggen hersilf, let alone the Queen, be the time I'dtalked for an hour. An' I _loove_ to talk!" she added softly, half toherself.
The Green Man laughed outright at this. "Well, Eily," he said, "ye shallhave yer own way. Stoop down to me here!"
Eileen bent down, and he touched her lips three times with the scarlettassel of his cap. "Slanegher Banegher!" he said. "The charm is worked.Now go home, Eileen Macarthy, and the good wishes of the Green Men gowith ye. Ye will have yer own wish fulfilled as soon as ye cross thethreshold of yer home. But hark ye now!" he added, impressively. "A daymay come when ye will wish with all yer heart to have the charm takenaway. If that ever happens, come to this same place with a sprig ofholly in yer hand. Strike this toadstool three times, and say,'Slanegher Banegher, Skeen na Lane!' And now good-by to ye!" andclapping his scarlet cap on his head, the little man leaped from thetoadstool, and instantly disappeared from sight among the ferns andmosses.
Eileen stood still for some time, lost in a dream of wonder and delight.Finally rousing herself, she gave a long, happy sigh, and hastilyfilling her apron with sticks, turned her steps homeward.
The sun was sinking low when she came in sight of the little cabin, atthe door of which her mother was standing, looking anxiously in everydirection.
"Is it yersilf, Eily?" cried the good woman in a tone of relief, as shesaw the child approaching. "And where have ye been at all? It's a wildcolleen y'are, to be sprankin' about o' this way, and it nearly sundown.Where have ye been, I'm askin' ye?"
Eily held up her apronful of sticks with a beaming smile, but answerednever a word till she stood on the threshold of the cottage. ("Sure Imight lose some," she had been saying to herself, "and that 'ud niverdo.") But as soon as she had entered the little room which was kitchen,hall, dining-room, and drawing-room for the Macarthy family, she droppedher bundle of faggots, and clasping her hands together, cried, "Och,mother! what do ye think? Sure ye'll niver belave me whin I till ye--"
Here she suddenly stopped, for hop! pop! two round shining thingsdropped from her mouth, and rolled away over the floor of the cabin.
"Howly Michael be me guide!" cried Mrs. Macarthy; "phwhat's that?"
"It's marvels! [marbles]" shouted little Phelim, jumping up from hi
sseat by the fire and running to pick up the shining objects. "Eily'sgot her mouf full o' marvels! Hurroo!"
"They aren't marvels!" said Eily, indignantly. "Wait till I till ye,mother asthore! I wint to the forest as ye bade me, to gather shticks,an'--" hop! pop! out flew two more shining things from her mouth androlled away after the others.
Mrs. Macarthy uttered a piercing shriek, and clapped her hand overEileen's mouth. "She's bewitched!" she cried. "Me choild's bewitched,an' shpakin' buttons! Och, wirra! wirra! what'll I do at all? Run,Phelim," she added, "an' call yer father. He's in the praty-patch,loikely. An' ye kape shtill!" she said to Eily, who was strugglingvainly to free herself from her mother's powerful grasp. "Kape shtill,I'm tillin' ye, an' don't open yer lips! It's savin' yer body an' sowl Imay be this minute. Saint Bridget, Saint Michael, an' blissid SaintPatrick!" she ejaculated piously, "save me choild, an' I'll serve ye onme knees the rist o' me days."
Poor Eily! This was a sad beginning of all her glory. She trieddesperately to open her mouth, sure that in a moment she could make hermother understand the whole matter. But Honor Macarthy was a stalwartwoman, and Eily's slender fingers could not stir the massive hand whichwas pressed firmly upon her lips.
At this moment her father entered hastily, with Phelim panting behindhim.
"Phwhat's the matther, woman?" he asked anxiously. "Here's Phelim claneout o' his head, an' shcramin' about Eily, an' marvels an' buttons, an'I dunno what all. Phwhat ails the choild?" he added in a tone of greatalarm, as he saw Eileen in her mother's arms, flushed and disordered,the tears rolling down her cheeks.
"Och, Dinnis!" cried Honor, "it's bewitched she is,--clane bewitched outo' her sinses, an shpakes buttons out av her mouth wid ivery worrd shesiz. Och, me choild! me poor, misfortunate choild! Who wud do ye sich anill turn as this, whin ye niver harmed annybody since the day ye wereborn?"
"_Buttons!_" said Dennis Macarthy; "what do ye mane by buttons? How canshe shpake buttons, I'm askin' ye? Sure, ye're foolish yersilf, Honor,woman! Lit the colleen go, an' she'll till me phwhat 'tis all about."
"Och, av ye don't belave me!" cried Honor. "Show thim to yer father,Phelim! Look at two av thim there in the corner,--the dirrty things!"
Phelim took up the two shining objects cautiously in the corner of hispinafore and carried them to his father, who examined them long andcarefully. Finally he spoke, but in an altered voice.
"Lit the choild go, Honor," he said. "I want to shpake till her. Do as Ibid ye!" he added sternly; and very reluctantly his wife released poorEily, who stood pale and trembling, eager to explain, and yet afraid tospeak for fear of being again forcibly silenced.
"Eileen," said her father, "'tis plain to be seen that these things arenot buttons, but jew'ls."
"Jew'ls!" exclaimed Honor, aghast.
"Ay!" said Dennis; "jew'ls, or gims, whichiver ye plaze to call thim.Now, phwhat I want to know is, where did ye get thim?"
"Oh, Father!" cried Eily; "don't look at me that a-way! Sure, I've doneno harrum! I only--" hop! pop! another splendid diamond and anotherwhite, glistening pearl fell from her lips; but she hurried on, speakingas quickly as she could: "I wint to the forest to gather shticks, andthere I saw a little Grane Man, all the same loike a hoppergrass, caughtbe his lig in a spidher's wib; and whin I lit him free he gi' me a wish,to have whativer I loiked bist in the wurrld; an' so I wished, an' Isid--" but by this time the pearls and diamonds were hopping likehail-stones all over the cabin-floor; and with a look of deep anger andsorrow Dennis Macarthy motioned to his wife to close Eileen's mouthagain, which she eagerly did.
"To think," he said, "as iver a child o' mine shud shtale the Countess'sjew'ls, an' thin till me a pack o' lies about thim! Honor, thim is thebeads o' the Countess's nickluss that I was tillin' ye about, that I sawon her nick at the ball, whin I carried the washin' oop to the Castle.An' this misfortunate colleen has shwallied 'em."
"Shwallied 'em!" echoed Honor, incredulously. "How wud she shwally 'em,an' have 'em in her mouth all the toime? An' how wud she get thim toshwally, an' the Countess in Dublin these three weeks, an' her jew'lswid her? Shame an ye, Dinnis Macarthy! to suspict yer poor, dimintedchoild of shtalin'! It's bewitched she is, I till ye! Look at the faceav her this minute!"
Just at that moment the sound of wheels was heard; and Phelim, who wasstanding at the open door, exclaimed,--
"Father! here's Docthor O'Shaughnessy dhrivin' past. Will I shtop him?Maybe he wud know."
"Ay, shtop him! shtop him, lad!" cried both mother and father in abreath.
Phelim darted out, and soon returned, followed by the doctor,--a tall,thin man with a great hooked nose, on which was perched a pair of greenspectacles.
Eileen had never liked Dr. O'Shaughnessy; and now a cold shiver passedover her as he fixed his spectacled eyes on her and listened in silenceto the confused accounts which her father and mother poured into hisear.
"Humph!" he said at last. "Bewitched? 'tis very loikely. I've known manyso of late. Let me see the jew'ls, as ye call thim."
The pearls and diamonds were brought,--a whole handful of them,--andpoured into the doctor's hand, which closed suddenly over them, whilehis dull black eyes shot out a quick gleam under the shading spectacles.The next moment, however, he laughed good-humoredly and turned themcarelessly over one by one.
"Why, Dinnis," he said, "'tis aisy to see that ye've not had michexpeerunce o' jew'ls, me bye, or ye'd not mistake these bits o' glassan' sich fer thim. No! no! there's no jew'ls here, wheriver theCountess's are. An' these bits o' trash dhrop out o' the choild's mouth,ye till me, ivery toime she shpakes?"
"Ivery toime, yer Anner!" said Honor. "Out they dhrops, an' goes hoppin'an' leppin' about the room, loike they were aloive."
"I see!" said the doctor. "I understand. This is a very sirrious case,Misther Macarthy,--a very sirrious case _in_dade, sirr; an' I'll be freeto till ye that I know but _wan_ way av curin' it."
"Och, whirrasthru!" cried Mrs. Macarthy. "What is it at all, Docthoralanna? Is it a witch has overlooked her, or what is it? Och, me choild!me poor, diminted choild! will I lose ye this-a-way? Ochone! ochone!"and in her grief she loosed her hold of Eileen and clapped her hands toher own face, sobbing aloud. But before the child could open her lips tospeak, she found herself seized in another and no less powerful grasp,while another hand covered her mouth,--not warm and firm like hermother's, but cold, bony, and frog-like. Holding her as in a vice, Dr.O'Shaughnessy spoke once more to her parents.
"I'll save her loife," said he, "and mebbe her wits as well, av thething's poassible. But it's not here I can do ut at all. I'll take thechoild home wid me to me house, and Misthress O'Shaughnessy will tindher as if she wuz her own; and thin I will try th' ixpirimint which isthe ownly thing on airth can save her."
"Spirimint?" said Honor. "Sure, there's two, three kinds o' mint growin'here in oor own door-yard, but I dunno av there's anny o' that kind.Will ye make a tay av it, Docthor, or is it a poultuss ye'll be puttin'an her, to dhraw out the witchcraft, loike?"
"Whisht, whisht, woman!" said Dennis, impatiently. "Howld yer prate,can't ye, an' the docthor waitin'? Is there no way ye cud cure her, an'lave her at home thin, Docthor? Faith, I'd be loth to lave her go awayfrom uz loike this, let alone the throuble she'll be to yez!"
"No throuble at all!" said the doctor, briskly. "At laste," he addedmore gravely, "naw moor thin I'd gladly take for ye an' yer good woman,Dinnis! Come, help me wid the colleen, now. Aisy does it! Now, thin, oopwid ye, Eily!"
And the next moment Eileen found herself in the doctor's narrow gig,wedged tightly between him and the side of the vehicle.
"Ye can sind her bits o' clothes over by Phelim," said Dr.O'Shaughnessy, as he gathered up the reins, apparently in great haste."I'll not shtop now. Good-day t' ye, Dinnis! My respicts to ye,Misthress Macarthy. Ye'll hear av the choild in a day or two!" Andwhistling to his old pony, they started off at as brisk a trot as thelatter could produce on such short notice.
Poor Eileen! Was this the result o
f the fairy's gift? She sat still,half-paralyzed with grief and terror, for she made no doubt that thehated doctor was going to do something very, very dreadful to her.
Seeing that she made no effort to free herself, or to speak, her captorremoved his hand from her mouth; but not until they were well out ofsight and hearing of her parents.
"Now, Eileen," he said, not unkindly, "av ye'll be a good colleen, andnot shpake a wurrd, I'll lave yer mouth free. But av ye shpake, so muchas to say, 'Bliss ye!' I'll tie up yer jaw wid me pock'-handkercher, soas ye can't open ut at all. D' ye hear me, now?"
Eileen nodded silently. She had not the slightest desire to say "Blissye!" to Dr. O'Shaughnessy; nor did she care to fill his rusty old gig,or to sprinkle the high road, with diamonds and pearls.
"That's roight!" said the Doctor, "that's a sinsible gyurrl as ye are.See, now, what a foine bit o' sweet-cake Misthress O'Shaughnessy 'ull begivin' ye, whin we git home."
The poor child burst into tears, for the word 'home' made her realizemore fully that she was going every moment farther and farther away fromher own home,--from her kind father, her anxious and loving mother, anddear little Phelim. What would Phelim do at night, without her shoulderto curl up on and go to sleep, in the trundle-bed which they had sharedever since he was a tiny baby? Who would light her father's pipe, andsing him the little song he always liked to hear while he smoked itafter supper? These, and many other such thoughts, filled Eileen's mindas she sat weeping silently beside the green-spectacled doctor, whocared nothing about her crying, so long as she did not try to speak.
After a drive of some miles, they reached a tall, dark, gloomy-lookinghouse, which was not unlike the doctor himself, with its small greenishwindow-panes and its gaunt chimneys. Here the pony stopped, and thedoctor, lifting Eileen out of the gig, carried her into the house. Mrs.O'Shaughnessy came out of the kitchen, wiping her hands on her apron,and stared in amazement at the burden in her husband's arms.
"Honor Macarthy's Eily!" she exclaimed. "The Saints protict uz! Is shekilt, or what's the matther?"
"Open the door o' the best room!" said the doctor, briefly. "Open it,woman, I'm tillin' ye!" and entering a large bare room, he set Eileendown hastily on a stool, and then drew a long breath and wiped his brow."I've got ye!" he said. "Safe and sound I've got ye now, glory for ut!And ye'll not lave this room until ye've made me _King av Ireland_!"
Eileen stared at the man, thinking he had gone mad; for his face wasred, and his eyes, from which he had snatched the green spectacles,glittered with a strange light. The same idea flashed into his wife'smind, and she crossed herself devoutly, exclaiming,--
"Howly St. Pathrick, he's clane diminted. 'King,' indade! will ye hearum?"
The doctor turned on her sharply. "Diminted?" he said; "ye'll soon seeav I'm diminted. I till ye I'll be King av Ireland before the month'soot. Shpake, now, Eileen! Open yer mouth, alanna, and make yer mannersto Misthress O'Shaughnessy."
Thus adjured, Eileen dropped a courtesy, and said, timidly, "Good day t'ye, Ma'm! I houp ye're well!"
Hop! pop! down dropped a pearl and a diamond, and the doctor, pouncingon them, held them up in triumph before the eyes of his astonished wife.
"Div ye see that?" he cried. "That's a dimind! There's no sich in QueenVictory's crownd this day. And look a' that! That's a pearrl, an' as bigas a marrowfat pay. The loike of ut's not in Ireland, I till ye. Woman,there's a fortin' in ivery wurrd this colleen shpakes! And she's goin'to shpake," he added, grimly, "and to kape an shpakin', till MichaelO'Shaughnessy is rich enough to buy all Ireland,--ay, and England too,av he'd a mind to!"
"But--but," cried Mrs. O'Shaughnessy, utterly bewildered by herhusband's wild talk, and by the sight of the jewels, "what does it allmane? Has the choild swallied 'em? And won't she die av 'em, av it'sthat manny in her stumick?"
"Whisht wid yer foolery!" said her husband, contemptuously. "Swallied'em, indade! The gyurrl has met a Grane Man, that's the truth of ut; andhe's gi'n her a wish, and she's got ut,--and now I've got _her_." And hechuckled, and rubbed his bony hands together, while his eyes twinkledwith greed.
"A Grane Man! The saints be good to uz!" cried Mrs. O'Shaughnessy."Sure, ye always till't me there was no sich thing ava'."
"I lied, thin!" shouted the doctor. "I lied, an' that's all there is tosay about ut. Do ye think I'm obleeged to shpake the thruth ivery day inthe week to an ignor'nt crathur like yersilf? It's worn out I'd be, bodyand sowl, at that rate. Now, Eileen Macarthy," he continued, turning tohis unhappy little prisoner, "ye are to do as I till ye, an' noharrum'll coom to ye, an' maybe good. Ye are to sit in this room and_talk_; and ye'll kape an talkin' till the room is _full-up_! d'ye hearme, now?"
"Full-up?" exclaimed Eileen, faintly.
"Full-up!" repeated the doctor. "No less'll satisfy me, and it's thelaste ye can do for all the throuble I've taken forr ye. MisthressO'Shaughnessy an' mesilf 'ull take turns sittin' wid ye, so 'at ye'llhave some wan to talk to. Ye'll have plinty to ate an' to dhrink, an'that's more than manny people have in Ireland this day. So lit me hearno complainin'."
With this, the worthy man proceeded to give strict injunctions to hiswife to keep the child talking, and not to leave her alone for aninstant; and finally he departed, shutting the door behind him, andleaving the captive and her jailer alone together.
Mrs. O'Shaughnessy immediately poured forth a flood of questions, towhich Eileen replied by telling the whole pitiful story from beginningto end. It was a relief to be able to speak at last, and to rehearse thewhole matter to understanding, if not sympathetic, ears. Mrs.O'Shaughnessy listened and looked, looked and listened, with open mouthand staring eyes. With her eyes shut, she would not have believed herears; but the double evidence was too much for her.
The diamonds and pearls kept on falling, falling, fast and faster. Theyfilled Eileen's lap, they skipped away over the floor, while thedoctor's wife pursued them with frantic eagerness. Each diamond wasclear and radiant as a drop of dew, each pearl lustrous and perfect; butthey gave no pleasure now to the fairy-gifted child. She could onlythink of the task that lay before her,--to FILL this great, empty room;of the millions and millions, and yet again millions of gems that mustfall from her lips before the floor would be covered even a few inchesdeep; of the weeks and months,--perhaps the years,--that must elapsebefore she would see her parents and Phelim again. She remembered thewords of the fairy: "A day may come when you will wish with all yourheart to have the charm removed." And then, like a flash, came therecollection of those other words: "When that day comes, come here tothis spot," and do so and so.
In fancy, Eileen was transported again to the pleasant green forest; waslooking at the Green Man as he sat on the toadstool, and begging him totake away this fatal gift, which had already, in one day, brought her somuch misery. Harshly on her reverie broke in the voice of Mrs.O'Shaughnessy, asking,--
"And has yer father sold his pigs yit?"
She started, and came back to the doleful world of reality. But even asshe answered the woman's question, she made in her heart a firmresolve,--somehow or other, _somehow_, she would escape; she would getout of this hateful house, away from these greedy, grasping people; shewould manage somehow to find her way to the wood, and then--then forfreedom again! Cheered by her own resolution, she answered the womancomposedly, and went into a detailed account of the birth, rearing, andselling of the pigs, which so fascinated her auditor that she wassurprised, when the recital was over, to find that it was nearlysupper-time.
The doctor now entered, and taking his wife's place, began to ply Eilywith questions, each one artfully calculated to bring forth the longestpossible reply:--
"How is it yer mother is related to the Countess's auld housekeeper,avick; and why is it, that wid sich grand relations she niver got intothe castle at all?"
"Phwhat was that I h'ard the other day about the looky bargain yerfather--honest man!--made wid the one-eyed peddler from beyantInniskeen?" and--
"Is it thrue that yer mother makes all
her butther out av skim-milk justby making the sign of the cross--God bless it!--over the churn?"
Although she did not like the doctor, Eily did, as she had said to theGreen Man, "_loove_ to talk;" so she chattered away, explaining anddisclaiming, while the diamonds and pearls flew like hail-stones fromher lips, and her host and jailer sat watching them with looks of greedyrapture.
Eily paused, fairly out of breath, just as Mrs. O'Shaughnessy entered,bringing her rather scanty supper. There was quite a pile of jewels inher lap and about her feet, while a good many had rolled to a distance;but her heart sank within her as she compared the result of three hours'steady talking with the end to which the rapacious doctor aspired.
She was allowed to eat her supper in peace, but no sooner was itfinished than the questioning began again, and it was not until teno'clock had struck that the exhausted child was allowed to lay her headdown on the rude bed which Mrs. O'Shaughnessy had hastily made up forher.
The next day was a weary one for poor Eily. From morning till night shewas obliged to talk incessantly, with only a brief space allowed for hermeals. The doctor and his wife mounted guard by turns, each askingquestions, until to the child's fancy they seemed like nothing butliving interrogation points. All day long, no matter what she wastalking about,--the potato-crop, or the black hen that the fox stole, orPhelim's measles,--her mind was fixed on one idea, that of escaping fromher prison. If only some fortunate chance would call them both out ofthe room at once! But, alas! that never happened. There was always apair of greedy eyes fixed on her, and on the now hated jewels whichdropped in an endless stream from her lips; always a harsh voice in herears, rousing her, if she paused for an instant, by new questions asstupid as they were long.
Once, indeed, the child stopped short, and declared that she could notand would not talk any more; but she was speedily shown the end of abirch rod, with the hint that the doctor "would be loth to use the likesav it on Dinnis Macarthy's choild; but her parints had given him chargeto dhrive out the witchcraft be hook or be crook; and av a birch rodwasn't first cousin to a crook, what was it at all?" and Eily was forcedto find her powers of speech again.
By nightfall of this day the room was ankle-deep in pearls and diamonds.A wonderful sight it was, when the moon looked in at the window, andshone on the lustrous and glittering heaps which Mrs. O'Shaughnessypiled up with her broom. The woman was fairly frightened at the sight ofso much treasure, and she crossed herself many times as she lay down onthe mat beside Eileen's truckle-bed, muttering to herself, "Michaelknows bist, I suppose; but sorrow o' me if I can feel as if there was ablissing an it, ava'!"
The third day came, and was already half over, when an urgent summonscame for Doctor O'Shaughnessy. One of his richest patrons had fallenfrom his horse and broken his leg, and the doctor must come on theinstant. The doctor grumbled and swore, but there was no help for it; sohe departed, after making his wife vow by all the saints in turn, thatshe would not leave Eileen's side for an instant until he returned.
When Eily heard the rattle of the gig and the sound of the pony's feet,and knew that the most formidable of her jailers was actually _gone_,her heart beat so loud for joy that she feared its throbbing would beheard. Now, at last, a loop-hole seemed to open for her. She had a planalready in her head, and now there was a chance for her to carry it out.But an Irish girl of ten has shrewdness beyond her years, and no gleamof expression appeared in Eileen's face as she spoke to Mrs.O'Shaughnessy, who had been standing by the window to watch herhusband's departure, and who now returned to her seat.
"We'll be missin' the docthor this day, ma'm, won't we?" she said. "He'sso agrayable, ain't he, now?"
"He is that!" replied Mrs. O'Shaughnessy, with something of a sigh."He's rale agrayable, Michael is--whin he wants to be," she added. "Yis,I'll miss um more nor common to-day, for 'tis worn out I am intirelywid shlapin so little these two nights past. Sure, I _can't_ shlape, widthim things a-shparklin' an' a-glowerin' at me the way they do; and nowI'll not get me nap at all this afthernoon, bein' I must shtay here andkape ye talkin' till the docthor cooms back. Me hid aches, too, mortialbad!"
"Do it, now?" said Eily, soothingly. "Arrah, it's too bad, intirely!Will I till ye a little shtory that me grandmother hed for the hidache?"
"A shtory for the hidache?" said Mrs. O'Shaughnessy. "What do ye mane bythat, I'm askin' ye?"
"I dunno roightly how ut is," replied Eily, innocently, "but Granny usedto call this shtory a cure for the hidache, and mebbe ye'd find ut so.An' annyhow it 'ud kape me talkin'," she added meekly, "for 'tis mortiallong."
"Go an wid it, thin!" said Mrs. O'Shaughnessy, settling herself morecomfortably in her chair. "I loove a long shtory, to be sure. Go an,avick!"
And Eily began as follows, speaking in a clear, low monotone:--
"Wanst upon a toime there lived an owld, owld woman, an' her name wasMoira Magoyle; an' she lived in an owld, owld house, in an owld, owldlane that lid through an owld, owld wood be the side of an owld, owldshthrame that flowed through an owld, owld shthrate av an owld, owldtown in an owld, owld county. An' this owld, owld woman, sure enough,she had an owld, owld cat wid a white nose; an' she had an owld, owlddog wid a black tail, an' she had an owld, owld hin wid wan eye, an' shehad an owld, owld cock wid wan leg, an' she had--"
Mrs. O'Shaughnessy yawned, and stirred uneasily on her seat. "Seems tome there's moighty little goin' an in this shtory!" she said, taking upher knitting, which she had dropped in her lap. "I'd loike somethin' abit more loively, I'm thinkin', av I had me ch'ice."
"Jist wait, ma'm!" said Eily, with quiet confidence, "ownly wait till Icoom to the parrt about the two robbers an' the keg o' gunpowdther, an'its loively enough ye'll foind ut. But I must till ut the same way 'atGranny did, else it 'ull do no good, ava. Well, thin, I was sayin' toye, ma'm, this owld woman (Saint Bridget be good to her!) she had anowld, owld cow, an' she had an owld, owld shape, an' she had an owld,owld kitchen wid an owld, owld cheer an' an owld, owld table, an' anowld, owld panthry wid an owld, owld churn, an' an owld, owld sauce-pan,an' an owld, owld gridiron, an' an owld, owld--"
Mrs. O'Shaughnessy's knitting dropped again, and her head fell forwardon her breast. Eileen's voice grew lower and softer, but still she wenton,--rising at the same time, and moving quietly, stealthily, towardsthe door,--
"An' she had an owld, owld kittle, an' she had an owld, owld pot wid anowld, owld kiver; an' she had an owld, owld jug, an' an owld, owldplatther, an' an owld, owld tay-pot--"
Eily's hand was on the door, her eyes were fixed on the motionless formof her jailer; her voice went on and on, its soft monotone nowaccompanied by another sound,--that of a heavy, regular breathing whichwas fast deepening into a snore.
"An' she had an owld, owld shpoon, an' an owld, owld fork, an' an owld,owld knife, an' an owld, owld cup, an' an owld, owld bowl, an' an owld,owld, owld--"
The door is open! The story is done! Two little feet go speeding downthe long passage, across the empty kitchen, out at the back door, andaway, away! Wake, Mrs. O'Shaughnessy! wake! the story is done and thebird is flown!
Surely it was the next thing to flying, the way in which Eily spedacross the meadows, far from the hated scene of her imprisonment. Thebare brown feet seemed scarcely to touch the ground; the brown locksstreamed out on the wind; the little blue apron fluttered wildly, like abanner of victory. On! on! on! with panting bosom, with parted lips,with many a backward glance to see if any one were following; on wentthe little maid, over field and fell, through moss and through mire,till at last--oh, happy, blessed sight!--the dark forest rose beforeher, and she knew that she was saved.
Quite at the other end of the wood lay the spot she was seeking; but sheknew the way well, and on she went, but more carefully now,--parting thebranches so that she broke no living twig, and treading cautiously lestshe should crush the lady fern, which the Green Men love. How beautifulthe ferns were, uncurling their silver-green fronds and spreading theirslender arms abroad! How sweetly the birds were sing
ing! How pleasant,how kind, how friendly was everything in the sweet green wood!
And here at last was the oak-tree, and at the foot of it there stood theyellow toadstool, looking as if it did not care about anything oranybody, which in truth it did not: Breathless with haste and eagerness,Eileen tapped the toadstool three times with a bit of holly, sayingsoftly, "Slanegher Banegher! Skeen na lane!" And, lo! and, behold! theresat the Green Man, just as if he had been there all the time, fanninghimself with his scarlet cap, and looking at her with a comical twinklein his sharp little eyes.
"Well, Eily," he said, "is it back so soon ye are? Well, well, I'm notsurprised! And how do ye like yer gift?"
"Oh, yer Honor's Riverence--Grace, I mane!" cried poor Eily, burstinginto tears, "av ye'll plaze to take it away! Sure it's nearly kilt I amalong av it, an' no plazure or coomfort in ut at all at all! Take itaway, yer Honor, take it away, and I'll bliss ye all me days!" and, withmany sobs, she related the experiences of the past three days. As shespoke, diamonds and pearls still fell in showers from her lips, andhalf-unconsciously she held up her apron to catch them as they fell, sothat by the time she had finished her story she had more than a quart ofsplendid gems, each as big as the biggest kind of pea.
The Green Man smiled, but not unkindly, at the recital of Eileen'swoes. "Faith, it's a hard time ye've had, my maiden, and no mistake! Butnow 'tis all over. Hold fast the jewels ye have there, for they're thelast ye'll get." He touched her lips with his cap, and said, "Cabbalaku! the charm is off."
Eily drew a long breath of relief, and the fairy added,--
"The truth is, Eily, the times are past for fairy gifts of this kind.Few people believe in the Green Men now at all, and fewer still ever seethem. Why, ye are the first mortal child I've spoken to for a matter oftwo hundred years, and I think ye'll be the last I ever speak to. Fairygifts are very pretty things in a story, but they're not convenient atthe present time, as ye see for yourself. There's one thing I'd like tosay to ye, however," he added more seriously; "an' ye'll take it as alittle lesson-like, me dear, before we part. Ye asked me for diamondsand pearls, and I gave them to ye; and now ye've seen the worth of thatkind for yourself. But there's jewels and jewels in the world, and ifye choose, Eily, ye can still speak pearls and diamonds, and no harm toyourself or anybody."
"How was yer Honor maning?" asked Eily, wondering. "Sure, I don'tundershtand yer Honor at all."
"Likely not," said the little man, "but it's now I'm telling ye. Everygentle and loving word ye speak, child, is a pearl; and every kind deeddone to them as needs kindness, is a diamond brighter than all thoseshining stones in your apron. Ye'll grow up a rich woman, Eily, with thetreasure ye have there; but it might all as well be frogs and toads, ifwith it ye have not the loving heart and the helping hand that will makea good woman of ye, and happy folk of yer neighbors. And now good-by,mavourneen, and the blessing of the Green Men go with ye and stay withye, yer life long!"
"Good-by, yer Honor," cried Eily, gratefully. "The saints reward yerHonor's Grace for all yer kindness to a poor silly colleen like me! But,oh, wan minute, yer Honor!" she cried, as she saw the little man aboutto put on his cap. "Will Docthor O'Shaughnessy be King av Ireland? Sureit's the wicked king he'd make, intirely. Don't let him, plaze, yerHonor!"
Green Jacket laughed long and heartily. "Ho! ho! ho!" he cried. "_King_,is it? Nothing less would suit him, sure enough! Have no fears, Eily,alanna! Dr. O'Shaughnessy has come into his kingdom by this time, and Iwish him joy of it."
With these words he clapped his scarlet cap on his head, and vanishedlike the snuff of a candle.
* * * * *
Now, just about this time Dr. Michael O'Shaughnessy was dismounting fromhis gig at his own back door, after a long and weary drive. He thoughtlittle, however, about his bodily fatigue, for his heart was full of joyand triumph, his mind absorbed in dreams of glory. He could not evencontain his thoughts, but broke out into words, as he unharnessed therusty old pony.
"An' whin I coom to the palace, I'll knock three times wid the knocker;or maybe there'll be a bell, loike the sheriff's house (bad luck to um!)at Kilmagore. And the gossoon'll open the dure, and--
"'Phwhat's yer arrind?' says he.
"'It's Queen Victory I'm wantin',' says I. 'An' ye'll till her KingMichael av Ireland is askin' for her,' I says.
"Thin whin Victory hears that, she'll coom roonnin' down hersilf, to bidme welkim; an' she'll take me oop to the best room, an'--
"'Sit down an the throne, King Michael,' says she. 'The other cheersisn't good enough for the loikes of ye,' says she.
"'Afther ye, ma'm,' says I, moinding me manners.
"'An' is there annythin' I can du for ye, to-day, King Michael?' saysshe, whin we've sat down an the throne.
"An' I says, loight and aisy loike, all as if I didn't care, 'Nothin' inloife, ma'm, I'm obleeged to ye, widout ye'd lind me the loan o' yerSunday crownd,' says I, 'be way av a patthern,' says I.
"An' says she--"
But at this moment the royal meditations were rudely broken in upon by awild shriek which resounded from the house. The door was flung violentlyopen, and Mrs. O'Shaughnessy rushed out like a mad woman.
"She's gone!" she cried wildly. "The colleen's gone, an' me nivershtirrin' from her side! Och, wirra, wirra! what'll I do? It must be thewitches has taken her clane up chimley."
Dr. O'Shaughnessy stood for a moment transfixed, glaring with speechlessrage at the unhappy woman; then rushing suddenly at her, he seized andshook her till her teeth chattered together.
"Ye've been ashlape!" he yelled, beside himself with rage anddisappointment. "Ye've fell ashlape, an' laved her shlip out! Sorrowseize ye, ye're always the black bean in me porridge!" Then flinging herfrom him, he cried, "I don't care! I'll _be_ it! I'll be king widwhat's in there now!" and dashed into the house.
He paused before the door of the best room, lately poor Eily's prison,to draw breath and to collect his thoughts. The door was closed, andfrom within--hark! what was that sound? Something was stirring, surely.Oh, joy! was his wife mistaken? Waking suddenly from her nap, had shefailed to see the girl, who had perhaps been sleeping, too? At allevents the jewels were there, in shining heaps on the floor, as he hadlast seen them, with thousands more covering the floor in everydirection,--a king's ransom in half a handful of them. He would be kingyet, even if the girl were gone. Cautiously he opened the door andlooked in, his eyes glistening, his mouth fairly watering at the thoughtof all the splendor which would meet his glance.
What did Dr. O'Shaughnessy see? Oh, horror! Oh, dismay, terror, anguish!What did he see? Captive was there none, yet the room was not empty.Jewels were there none, yet the floor was covered; covered with livingcreatures,--toads, snakes, newts, all hideous and unclean reptiles thathop or creep or wriggle. And as the wretched man stared, with open mouthand glaring eye-balls, oh, horror! they were all hopping, creeping,wriggling towards the open door,--towards him! With a yell beside whichhis wife's had been a whisper, O'Shaughnessy turned and fled; but afterhim--through the door, down the passage and out of the house--camehopping, creeping, wriggling his myriad pursuers.
Fly, King Michael! stretch your long legs, and run like a hunted hareover hill and dale, over moss and moor. They are close behind you; theyare catching at your heels; they come from every side, surrounding you!Fly, King O'Shaughnessy! but you cannot escape. The Green Men arehunting you, if you could but know it, in sport and in revenge; andthree times they will chase you round County Kerry, for thrice threedays, till at last they suffer you to drop exhausted in a bog, andvanish from your sight.
And Eily? Eily went home with her apron full of pearls and diamonds, totell her story again, and this time to be believed. And she grew up agood woman and a rich woman; and she married the young Count ofKilmoggan, and spoke diamonds and pearls all her life long,--at leasther husband said she did, and he ought to know.
Toto's Merry Winter Page 13
