Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/209

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SHIANA
195

long, and the drops were all shivering and shining and sparkling in the sun with every movement of the coach. In the breast of the cloak, on her bosom, there was a golden button as big as a crown-piece. Down in front, along the edge of the cloak and all round the lower hem of it, there was a border of cloth-of-gold which was fully two inches in breadth, so splendid and bright that you would think it was a streak of flame, as it swayed about in the sunlight. She had the golden band that was on Sheeghy's head when he had his grey wig, wearing it on her own head to hold back her hair.

Cormac was there sitting beside her in the coach. He wore no ornaments, though, but was the same as he always was. He was the same bailiff. He had the same bullying mouth, and the cheeks, and the thick neck, and the grunting, just as he had that day he came to demand possession from the widow. If there was any change in him it was in the grunting. He was doing that more heavily than usual.

The coach stopped outside Grey Dermot's house. Dermot was standing between the two jambs of the door, with his shoulder to the doorpost. Sive jumped out of the coach, and ran over to him.

"Oh!" said she, "why, what has happened to you since?" putting her two arms round his neck and giving him a couple of kisses. "Why, dad," said she, "there is not a bit of flesh on you! What in the world has happened to you?"

"A little bit of a chill came upon me, my dear, and I think it stuck to me more than I would have expected."

"A little bit of a chill!" said she. "You have had some bad illness; if you hadn't, you wouldn't look as