wild wales-第136节

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'You　might　as　well　have　left　it　behind　you；'　said　I；　'this　morning　
a　single　measure　of　meal　would　have　been　to　me　of　all　the　
assistance　in　the　world；　but　I　question　now　if　I　shall　ever　want　
meal　again。'　　They　asked　me　what　had　happened　to　me；　and　after　some　
time　I　told　them　how　a　monstrous　woman　had　been　to　me；　and　had　said　
an　evil　prayer　over　me；　because　having　no　meal　in　the　house　I　had　
not　given　her　an　alms。　　'Come；　mother；'　said　they；　'get　up　and　help　
us　to　unload！　never　mind　the　prayer　of　the　monstrous　woman　…　it　is　
all　nonsense。'　　Well；　I　got　up　and　helped　them　to　unload；　and　
cooked　them　a　bit；　and　sat　down　with　them；　and　tried　to　be　merry；　
but　felt　that　I　was　no　longer　the　woman　that　I　was。　　The　next　day　I　
didn't　seem　to　care　what　became　of　me；　or　how　matters　went　on；　and　
though　there　was　now　plenty　of　meal　in　the　house；　not　a　measure　did　
I　fill　with　it　to　give　away　in　the　shape　of　alms；　and　when　the　
bacahs　and　the　liprous　women；　and　the　dark　men；　and　the　other　
unfortunates　placed　themselves　at　the　side　of　the　door；　and　gave　me　
to　understand　that　they　wanted　alms；　each　in　his　or　her　particular　
manner；　divil　an　alms　did　I　give　them；　but　let　them　stand　and　took　
no　heed　of　them；　so　that　at　last　they　took　themselves　off；　
grumbling　and　cursing。　　And　little　did　I　care　for　their　grumblings　
and　cursings。　　Two　days　before　I　wouldn't　have　had　an　unfortunate　
grumble　at　me；　or　curse　me；　for　all　the　riches　below　the　sun；　but　
now　their　grumblings　and　curses　didn't　give　me　the　slightest　
unasiness；　for　I　had　an　evil　prayer　spoken　against　me　in　the　Shanna　
Gailey　by　the　monstrous　woman；　and　I　knew　that　I　was　blighted　in　
this　world　and　the　next。　　In　a　little　time　I　ceased　to　pay　any　heed　
to　the　farming　business；　or　to　the　affairs　of　the　house；　so　that　my　
sons　had　no　comfort　in　their　home。　　And　I　took　to　drink　and　induced　
my　eldest　son　to　take　to　drink　too　…　my　youngest　son；　however；　did　
not　take　to　drink；　but　conducted　himself　well；　and　toiled　and　
laboured　like　a　horse　and　often　begged　me　and　his　brother　to　
consider　what　we　were　about；　and　not　to　go　on　in　a　way　which　would　
bring　us　all　to　ruin；　but　I　paid　no　regard　to　what　he　said；　and　his　
brother　followed　my　example；　so　that　at　last　seeing　things　were　
getting　worse　every　day；　and　that　we　should　soon　be　turned　out　of　
house　and　home；　for　no　rint　was　paid；　every　penny　that　could　be　got　
being　consumed　in　waste；　he　bade　us　farewell　and　went　and　listed　
for　a　sodger。　　But　if　matters　were　bad　enough　before　he　went　away；　
they　became　much　worse　after；　for　now　when　the　unfortunates　came　to　
the　door　for　alms；　instead　of　letting　them　stand　in　pace　till　they　
were　tired；　and　took　themselves　off；　I　would　mock　them　and　point　at　
them；　and　twit　them　with　their　sores　and　other　misfortunes；　and　not　
unfrequently　I　would　fling　scalding　water　over　them；　which　would　
send　them　howling　and　honing　away；　till　at　last　there　was　not　an　
unfortunate　but　feared　to　come　within　a　mile　of　my　door。　　Moreover　
I　began　to　misconduct　myself　at　chapel；　more　especially　at　the　
Aifrionn　or　Mass；　for　no　sooner　was　the　bell　rung；　and　the　holy　
corpus　raised；　than　I　would　shout　and　hoorah；　and　go　tumbling　and　
toppling　along　the　floor　before　the　holy　body；　as　I　just　now　
tumbled　along　the　road　before　you；　so　that　the　people　were　
scandalized；　and　would　take　me　by　the　shoulders　and　turn　me　out　of　
doors；　and　began　to　talk　of　ducking　me　in　the　bog。　　The　priest　of　
the　parish；　however；　took　my　part；　saying　that　I　ought　not　to　be　
persecuted；　for　that　I　was　not　accountable　for　what　I　did；　being　a　
possessed　person；　and　under　the　influence　of　divils。　　'These；　
however；'　said　he；　'I'll　soon　cast　out　from　her；　and　then　the　woman　
will　be　a　holy　cratur；　much　better　than　she　ever　was　before。'　　A　
very　learned　man　was　Father　Hogan；　especially　in　casting　out　
divils；　and　a　portly；　good…looking　man　too；　only　he　had　a　large　
rubicon　nose；　which　people　said　he　got　by　making　over　free　with　the　
cratur　in　sacret。　　I　had　often　looked　at　the　nose；　when　the　divil　
was　upon　me；　and　felt　an　inclination　to　seize　hold　of　it；　just　to　
see　how　it　felt。　　Well；　he　had　me　to　his　house　several　times；　and　
there　he　put　holy　cloths　upon　me；　and　tied　holy　images　to　me；　and　
read　to　me　out　of　holy　books；　and　sprinkled　holy　water　over　me；　and　
put　questions　to　me；　and　at　last　was　so　plased　with　the　answers　I　
gave　him；　that　he　prached　a　sermon　about　me　in　the　chapel；　in　which　
he　said　that　he　had　cast　six　of　my　divils　out　of　me；　and　should　
cast　out　the　seventh；　which　was　the　last；　by　the　next　Sabbath；　and　
then　should　present　me　to　the　folks　in　the　chapel　as　pure　a　vessel　
as　the　blessed　Mary　herself　…　and　that　I　was　destined　to　accomplish　
great　things；　and　to　be　a　mighty　instrument　in　the　hands　of　the　
Holy　Church；　for　that　he　intended　to　write　a　book　about　me；　
describing　the　miracle　he　had　performed　in　casting　the　seven　divils　
out　of　me；　which　he　should　get　printed　at　the　printing…press　of　the　
blessed　Columba；　and　should　send　me　through　all　Ireland　to　sell　the　
copies；　the　profits　of　which　would　go　towards　the　support　of　the　
holy　society　for　casting　out　unclane　spirits；　to　which　he　himself　
belonged。　　Well；　the　people　showed　that　they　were　plased　by　a　loud　
shout；　and　went　away　longing　for　the　next　Sunday　when　I　was　to　be　
presented　to　them　without　a　divil　in　me。　　Five　times　the　next　week　
did　I　go　to　the　priest's　house；　to　be　read　to；　and　be　sprinkled；　
and　have　cloths　put　upon　me；　in　order　that　the　work　of　casting　out　
the　last　divil；　which　it　seems　was　stronger　than　all　the　rest；　
might　be　made　smooth　and　aisy；　and　on　the　Saturday　I　came　to　have　
the　last　divil　cast　out；　and　found　his　riverince　in　full　
canonicals；　seated　in　his　aisy　chair。　　'Daughter；'　said　he　when　he　
saw　me；　'the　work　is　nearly　over。　　Now　kneel　down　before　me；　and　I　
will　make　the　sign　of　the　cross　over　your　forehead；　and　then　you　
will　feel　the　last　and　strongest　of　the　divils；　which　have　so　long　
possessed　ye；　go　out　of　ye　through　your　eyes；　as　I　expect　you　will　
say　to　the　people　assembled　in　the　chapel　to…morrow。'　　So　I　put　
myself　on　my　knees　before　his　reverence；　who　after　muttering　
something　to　himself；　either　in　Latin　or　Shanna　Gailey　…　I　believe　
it　was　Latin；　said；　'Look　me　in　the　face；　daughter！'　　Well；　I　
looked　his　reverence　in　the　face；　and　there　I　saw　his　nose　looking　

so　large；　red；　and　inviting　that　I　could　not　resist　the　temptation；　
and　before　his　reverence　could　make　the　sign　of　the　cross；　which　
doubtless　would　have　driven　the　divil　out　of　me；　I　made　a　spring　at　
it；　and　seizing　hold　of　it　with　forefinger　and　thumb；　pulled　hard　
at　it。　　Hot　and　inctious　did　it　feel。　　Oh；　the　yell　that　his　
reverence　gave！　　However；　I　did　not　let　go　my　hold；　but　kept　
pulling　at　the　nose；　till　at　last　to　avoid　the　torment；　his　
reverence　came　tumbling　down　upon　me；　causing　me　by　his　weight　to　
fall　back　upon　the　floor。　　At　the　yell　which　he　gave；　and　at　the　
noise　of　the　fall；　in　came　rushing　his　reverence's　housekeeper　and　
stable…boy；　who　seeing　us　down　on　the　floor；　his　reverence　upon　me　
and　my　hand　holding　his　reverence's　nose；　for　I　felt　loth　to　let　it　
go；　they　remained　in　astonishment　and　suspense。　　When　his　
reverence；　however；　begged　them；　for　the　Virgin's　sake；　to　separate　
him　from　the　divil　of　a　woman；　they　ran　forward；　and　having　with　
some　difficulty　freed　his　reverence's　nose　from　my　hand；　they　
helped　him　up。　　The　first　thing　that　his　reverence　did；　on　being　
placed　on　his　legs；　was　to　make　for　a　horse…whip；　which　stood　in　
one　corner　of　the　room；　but　I　guessing　how　he　meant　to　use　it；　
sprang　up　from　the　floor；　and　before　he　could　make　a　cut　at　me；　ran　
out　of　the　room；　and　hasted　home。　　The　next　day；　when　all　the　
people　for　twenty　miles　round　met　in　the　chapel；　in　the　expectation　
of　seeing　me　presented　to　them　a　purified　and　holy　female；　and　
hearing　from　my　mouth　the　account　of　the　miracle　which　his　
reverence　had　performed；　his　reverence　made　his　appearance　in　the　
pulpit　with　a　dale　of　gould　bater's　leaf　on　his　nose；　and　from　the　
pulpit　he　told　the　people　how　I　had　used　him；　showing　them　the　
gould　bater's　leaf　on　his　feature；　as　testimony　of　the　truth　of　his　
words；　finishing　by　saying　that　if　at　first　there　were　seven　
devils；　there　were　now　seven　times　seven　within　me。　　Well；　when　the　
people　heard　the　story；　and　saw　his　nose　with　the　bater's　leaf　upon　
it；　they　at　first　began　to　laugh；　but　when　he　appealed　to　their　
consciences；　and　asked　them　if　such　was　fitting　tratement　for　a　
praist；　they　said　it　was　not；　and　that　if　he　would　only　but　curse　
me；　they　would　soon　do　him　justice　upon　me。　　His　reverence　then　
cursed　by　book；　bell；　and　candle；　and　the　people；　setting　off　from　
the　chapel；　came　in　a　crowd　to　the　house　where　I　lived；　to　wrake　
vengeance　upon　me。　　Overtaking　my　son　by　the　way；　who　was　coming　
home　in　a　state　of　intoxication；　they　bate　him　within　an　inch　of　
his　life；　and　left　him　senseless　on　the　ground；　and　no　doubt　would　
have　served　me　much　worse；　only　seeing　them　coming；　and　guessing　
what　they　came　about；　though　I　was　a　bit　intoxicated　myself；　I　
escaped　by　the　back　o