134 THE SILVER FOX 



feet. 'Twas you refused him the money 

 back and dhrew the curse on him till ye 

 had him wandhering the counthry night and 

 day like a wild goose. Couldn't annyone 

 know the crayture's heart was broke whin 

 he threw the scafflin' off him and left it 

 on the stone by the brink ? Oh, God and 

 His Mother ! He knew he couldn't dhrown 

 if that was on him" — she held up the 

 scapulary that Quin, like most Irish Roman 

 Catholics, wore round his neck, and shook 

 it in Glasgow's face — '' and you to come 

 walkin' through the woods with yer lover, 

 so quiet ! That yersel may be lookin' for 

 a place to die and be threw in a grave that 

 won't be blessed ! " 



There was a general stifled exclamation, 

 and a man said audibly — 



" The Cross of Christ be between us and 

 harm ! " One of the French's Court work- 

 men caught at Maria Quin's arm as if to 

 silence her; another pulled him away, tell- 

 ing him in Irish that the curse might fall 

 on any one who interfered with her. 



