Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/173

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SHIANA
159

"Wait awhile," said Cormac. "No other purpose would take her from home but to hunt that fellow down and bring him to justice. I don't think that within living memory there has been anything done that was so hateful or so mean or so unjust as the act that he did against her and her father. She would rather be cut into small bits than let it go with him unpunished,—and small blame to her."

"Why, then, man alive, if you are so thoroughly convinced that she is gone off with that intention, why don't you rush off at once and follow her?" said the nurse.

"So I will, never you fear," said he. "I only wanted to know exactly in what direction she had gone. I suppose you will stay here until this man is recovering, or at least out of danger?"

"Yes," said she, "I will; the priest told me to stay."

"And you, Shiana," said he, "if you are not very busy would it not be as well for you to come with me?"

"It is not necessary," said Shiana. "There are enough of yourselves."

"I know," said Cormac, "that the King's men would like to make your acquaintance, and perhaps it might be easy there for you to find a way of living which would be more profitable than shoemaking."

"The shoemaking will do for another while," said Shiana.

"Well! God give you all a good day!" said Cormac. "I have a quick start of it again, without as much as taking the road-dust off my shoes. What a pity I have not all the rascally thieves in Ireland in one rope and on one gallows! What a squeeze I