ould be.

THE LADY OF GOLLERUS

BY CROFTON CROKER

On the shore of Smerwick harbour, one fine summer's morning, just at
daybreak, stood Dick Fitzgerald 'shoghing the dudeen,' which may be
translated, smoking his pipe. The sun was gradually rising behind the
lofty Brandon, the dark sea was getting green in the light, and the
mists clearing away out of the valleys went rolling and curling like
the smoke from the corner of Dick's mouth.

''Tis just the pattern of a pretty morning,' said Dick, taking the
pipe from between his lips, and looking towards the distant ocean,
which lay as still and tranquil as a tomb of polished marble. 'Well,
to be sure,' continued he, after a pause, ''tis mighty lonesome to be
talking to one's self by way of company, and not to have another soul
to answer one--nothing but the child of one's own voice, the echo! I
know this, that if I had the luck, or may be the misfortune,' said
Dick, with a melancholy smile, 'to have the woman, it would not be
this way with me! and what in the wide world is a man without a wife?
He's no more surely than a bottle without a drop of drink in it, or
dancing without music, or the left leg of a scissors, or a
fishing-line without a hook, or any other matter that is no ways
complete. Is it not so?' said Dick Fitzgerald, casting his eyes
towards a rock upon the strand, which, though it could not speak,
stood up as firm and looked as bold as ever Kerry witness did.

But what was his astonishment at beholding, just at the foot of that
rock, a beautiful young creature combing her hair, which was of a
sea-green colour; and now the salt water shining on it appeared, in
the morning light, like melted butter upon cabbage.

Dick guessed at once that she was a Merrow,[5] although he had never
seen one before, for he spied the _cohuleen driuth_, or little
enchanted cap, which the sea people use for diving down into the
ocean, lying upon the strand near her; and he had heard that, if once
he could possess himself of the cap she would lose the power of going
away into the water: so he seized it with all speed, and she, hearing
the noise, turned her head about as natural as any Christian.

[Footnote 5: Sea fairy.]

When the Merrow saw that her little diving-cap was gone, the salt
tears--doubly salt, no doubt, from her--came trickling down her
cheeks, and she began a low mournful cry with just the tender voice
of a new-born infant. Dick, although he knew well enou