'They told me, sir, that you were a great scholar, an' I refused to stop
in other schools by rason of the name you have for Latin and Greek."
"Verbum sat," exclaimed the barefaced knave. "Come here. Now, you see,
I persave you have dacency. Here is your task; get that half page by
heart. You have a cute look, an' I've no doubt but the stuff's in you.
Come to me afther dismiss, 'till we have a little talk together."
He accordingly pointed out the task, after which he placed him at his
side, lest the inexperienced boy might be put on his guard by any of the
scholars. In this intention, however, he was frustrated by Thady, who,
as he thoroughly detested the knavish tyrant, resolved to caution
the poor scholar against his dishonesty. Thady, indeed most heartily
despised the mercenary pedagogue, not only for his obsequiousness to the
rich, but on account of his severity to the children of the poor. About
two o'clock the young wag went out for a few minutes, and immediately
returned in great haste to inform the master, that Mr. Delaney, the
parish priest, and two other gentlemen wished to see him over at the
Cross-Keys, an inn which was kept at a place called the Nine Mile
House, within a few perches of the school. The parish priest, though an
ignorant, insipid old man, was the master's patron, and his slightest
wish a divine law to him. The little despot, forgetting his prey,
instantly repaired to the Cross-Keys, and in his absence, Thady,
together with the larger boys of the school, made M'Evoy acquainted with
the fraud about to be practised on him.
Pages:
60
61
62
63
64
65
66
67
68
69
70
71
72
73
74
75
76
77
78
79
80
81
82
83
84