Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/171

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SHIANA
157
Peg.—In his own head, of course.
Kate.—Indeed, I saw our James in that same way long ago, when he had the sore finger. It was his left thumb that was sore. He was raving with the violence of the pain, and he used to be calling my mother and Nell, and asking them to "look after that little boy yonder in the corner, for that he had a very sore thumb."
Nora.—Well then, Peg.

Peg.—They remained a long time listening to him, but they failed to get any sensible talk out of him.

"What do you think of him, Mary?" said Shiana to the nurse.

"I don't think he is in danger," said she. "It is a good sign of the illness that the raving is so lively. I have not noticed any torpor upon him. He suffers from thirst, but not very much, and I am giving him good two-milks' whey."

They came out of the room.

"Is there any account of Sive," said Shiana, "or does anyone know in what direction she has gone?"

"No one but Poll, here, saw her going," said the nurse. "Poll was out at dawn on the morning after the fair. The conduct of the thieves and the contusion that followed it had given the poor woman a disturbed night. She was sitting outside the door of her cabin at the grey dawn. She saw a woman leave this house; she was bent forward; she had the hood of her cloak on her head. Where should she face but toward the cabin, not expecting that Poll would be up so early. She did not see Poll until she was close up to her. They looked at each other. Neither of them spoke. Poll seldom speaks unless she is spoken to, and she is not very quick at it even