Note 1 — THE THREE GEESE.

Instead of making any answer, he walked over to her mother’s house, and brought her over, with two or three of her family; and they laid siege to the wife, but they might as well be preachin’ to a stone wall; and she almost persuaded them that her husband was to blame. “Now call him,” says she, “and I’ll insense you who is wrong. Darby, on the nick of your soul, and if you don’t intend to send me to my grave, speak the truth like a Christian, and don’t be heapin’ sins on your miserable head. I’ll leave you no back door, for I’ll only insist on three geese, though I’m sure there was six at the very least; wasn’t there three geese in the field when I called you out!” “Och, Judy asthore? never mind: let there be three-and-thirty if you like, but don’t let us be idlin’ and tormentin’ our people here. Get up in the name of goodness and eat a bit.” “But wasn’t there three geese there, I say, Darby?” “Ah, dickens a one but two if you go to that.” “Oh, Vuya, Vuya! isn’t this a purty story? Go home, go home, all of yez, and bid Tommy Mulligan prepare my coffin, and bring it over about sun-down, and just give me one night’s dacent waking:1 I won’t ax the two, for I don’t wish to give so much trouble to the neighbours, and indeed I think I couldn’t stand the ungratitude and conthrāriness of them that ought to know better, and feel for a body; and after all that I done and slaved for him, and gave up Neddy Brophy for him, that was six inches taller, and a carpenter besides.”