Page:West Irish folk-tales and romances - William Larminie.djvu/151

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The Servant of Poverty.
119

deal of money. He came home then. She came to him. He asked her would she give him leave to set up a shop in the town. He was afraid he would be killed for his money. She said she would give him leave. He set up a shop then and he laid in a stock. He was selling as much as any two in the city.

The king was dealing with a merchant from London. He came to Dublin to settle with the king. They went to settle. They could not agree. They got a couple of clerks to settle between them. The clerks could not settle it all. They were three days sitting at the settling. They failed. The king came home at night. His daughter came to him.

“How are you and the London man getting on?”

“They have failed to settle it,” said the king.

“Did you try the shopman?” said she. “They say he has good learning.”

“We did not try,” said he.

“Try him to-morrow,” said she.

He went on the morning of the morrow. They sat down to the settling again. They sent word for the shopman. He came. He began to look into the books. He made it up in a moment between the king and the man from London. The king was satisfied then. He went home. His daughter asked him how he got on. The