back my pack again. So the day of the visit
came, and his Holiness made his appearance with his attendants, and,
having looked over the religious house, he went into the rector's room
with the rector, the sub-rector, and the almoner. I intended to have
waited until his Holiness came out, but finding he stayed a long time, I
thought I would e'en go in to him, so I went up to the door without
anybody observing me--his attendants being walking about the corridor--and
opening it I slipped in, and there what do you think I saw? Why, his
Holiness the Pope, and his reverence the rector, and the sub-rector, and
the almoner seated at cards; and the ould thaif of a rector was dealing
out the cards which ye had given me, Shorsha, to his Holiness the Pope,
the sub-rector, the almoner, and himself."

In this part of his history I interrupted Murtagh, saying that I was
afraid he was telling untruths, and that it was highly improbable that
the Pope would leave the Vatican to play cards with Irish at their
religious house, and that I was sure if on his, Murtagh's authority, I
were to tell the world so, the world would never believe it.

"Then the world, Shorsha, would be a fool, even as you were just now
saying you had frequently believed it to be; the grand thing, Shorsha, is
to be able to believe oneself; if ye can do that, it matters very little
whether the world believes ye or no. But a purty thing for you and the
world to stickle at the Pope's playing at cards at a religious house of
Irish; och! if I were to tell you, and the world, what the Pope has been
sometimes at, at the religious house of English thaives, I would excuse
you and the world for turning up your eyes. However, I wish to say
nothing against the Pope. I am a son of the Church, and if the Pope
don't interfere with my cards, divil a bit will I have to say against
him; but I saw the Pope playing, or about to play, with the pack which
had been taken from me, and when I told the Pope, the Pope did not . . .
ye had better let me go on with my history, Shorsha; whither you or the
world believe it or not, I am sure it is quite as true as your tale of
the snake, or saying that Finn got his burnt finger from the thaives of
Loughlin; and whatever you may say, I am sure the world will think so
too."

I apologised to Murtagh for interrupting him, and telling him that his
history, whether true or not, was infinitely diverting, begged him to
continue it.

CHAPTER