164 THE GARDEN OF A 



" Not a word was spoke the noight, but come All 

 Saints' mornin' I took up wid Mrs. Doolan goin' to 

 mass. 



" ' Mrs. Mullins,' says she, ' will yer belayve me, 

 Patsy's that fond o' me he can't think o' marriage, 

 and he's broke wid Dalia, but a nice farm he'll get 

 the day he does it, though he do claim the girl's not 

 born he'd look at along o' me. Yer might ha' heard 

 him swearin' it only lasht night.' 



" ' Bad cess but I didn't,' thought I ; but I said, 

 1 Sure the boy's but a lad,' to kape the peace, me pig- 

 sty a lappin' a bit on her land, the same convaynienc- 

 ing me greatly. 



" That night Patsy he come a-bawlin' and prayin' 

 to me to coax Dalia to see him, and a-sayin' he'd lave 

 the old woman if Dalia'd make up ; and I had fair to 

 trap her at our house, she was that contrary. 



" ' Dalia, darlint, whatever'll I do ? Have patience ! 

 the old woman won't last forever,' he playded, the 

 tears streamin' from him ; ' and if ye lave me, I'll go 

 drown for sure,' he begged on his two knees. 



" ' She's long outlasted my notion for you,' quoth 

 Dalia, ' and her dyin' would change nothin'. There's 

 two buried in your grave already, and she'd be over- 

 near the top for safety. I've got sense, thanks to 

 you, Patsy Doolan, which is what I lacked before.' 



