Even my own cows have not escaped; and we who have suffered are
certainly determined, if possible, to ascertain those who have committed
the theft. I, for my part, have gone even beyond my ability in relieving
the wants of the poor, during this period of sickness and famine; I
therefore deserved this the less."
"By the powdbers, your honor, if any gintleman desarved to have his cows
_unmilked_, it's yourself. But, as I said this minute, there's no end to
the wickedness o' the people, so there's not, although the Catechiz is
against them; for, says it, 'there is but one Faith, one Church, an' one
Baptism.' Now, sir, isn't it quare that people, wid sich words in the
book afore them, won't be guided by it? I suppose they thought it only a
_white_ sin, sir, to take the milk, the thieves o' the world."
"Maybe, your honor," said another, "that it was only to keep the life in
some poor sick crathur that wanted it more nor you or the farmers, that
they did it. There's some o' the same farmers desarve worse, for they're
keepin' up the prices o' their male and praties upon the poor, an' did
so all along, that they might make money by our outlier destitution."
"That is no justification for theft," observed the graver of the two.
"Does any one among you suspect those who committed it in this instance?
If you do, I command you, as your Bishop, to mention them."
"How, for instance," added the other, "were you able to supply this sick
boy with whey during his illness?"
"Oh thin, gintlemen," replied Connor, dexterously parrying the question,
"but it's a mighty improvin' thing to see our own Bishop,--God spare
his Lordship to us!--an the Protestant minister o' the parish joinin'
together to relieve an' give good advice to the poor! Bedad, it's
settin' a fine example, so it is, to the Quality, if they'd take
patthern by it.
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