AND HOW I HAVE CAUGHT MY FISH 103 



Miss Boyle gave me a lovely cup of tea, and, 

 while I drank it, she chatted in such a taking way 

 that I could not refrain from hoping she would offer 

 me a second cup. This she did, but time was 

 valuable to her, and, having filled my cup, she 

 produced the identical piece of fine linen which the 

 Fates decided I was to purchase. The last sham- 

 rock was being worked into it, and I was inquiring 

 if it would be for sale, and what would be the price, 

 when the flapping of wings brought my eyes again 

 to the bedroom and the bright coverlet, and I saw, 

 at a glance, that there was a change in it, caused 

 by a Minorca hen which was seated in the centre. 

 She was looking at me first with one red-beaded 

 eye and then, turning her head, she looked at me 

 with the other. Miss Boyle had evidently not 

 kept her eyes on her work or she would not have 

 remarked, "It's a lucky egg she will be laying you 

 this day, with her eyes winking at you all the while." 



Very shortly afterwards the hen, with clamorous 

 clucking, flew from her comfortable nest, and again 

 the appearance of the coverlet was changed, for the 

 black hen had disappeared and a white egg formed 

 its centre. 



A lucky egg in Ireland is double-yolked, and 

 the egg contributed in so strange a fashion was 

 double-yolked, and brought luck to all concerned. 

 Miss Boyle has now more orders for her work than, 

 she can execute, although she has other clever 

 fingers to help her. 



