motion of her walk--how are you coming on
at your task?' 'How am I coming on, is it? Och, thin,' says Jack, giving
a good-humored smile through the frown that was on his face, 'plase your
lady--a cushla machree--it's all over with me; for I've still the same
story to tell, and off goes my head, as sure as it's on my shoulders,
this blessed night.'

"'That would be a pity, Jack,' says she, 'for there are worse heads on
worse shoulders; but will you give me the shovel?' 'Will I give you
the shovel, is it?--Och thin, wouldn't I be a right big baste to do the
likes of that, any how?' says Jack; 'what! avourneen dheelish! to stand
up with myself, and let this hard shovel into them beautiful, soft,
white hands of your own! Faix, my jewel, if you knew but all, my
mother's son's not the man to do such a disgraceful turn, as to let a
lady like you take the shovel out of his hand, and he standing with his
mouth under his nose, looking at you--not myself auourneen! we have no
such ungenteel manners as that in our country.' 'Take my advice, Jack,'
says she, pleased in her heart at what Jack said, for all she didn't
purtend it--'give me the shovel, and depend upon it, I'll do more in a
short time to clear the stable than you would for years.' 'Why, thin,
avour-neen, it goes to my heart to refuse you; but, for all that, may
I never see yesterday, if a taste of it will go into your purty, white
fingers,' says the thief, praising her to her face all the time--'my
head may go off, any day, and welcome, but death before dishonor. Say no
more, darling; but tell your father I'll be to my dinner immediately.'

"Notwithstanding all this, by jingo, the lady would not be put off; like
a raal woman, she'd have her own way; so on telling Jack that she didn't
intend to work with the shovel, at all, at all, but only to take it for
a minute in her hand, at long last he gave it to her; she then struck
it three times on the threshel of the door, and, giving it back into his
hand, tould him to try what he could do. Well, sure enough, now there
was a change; for, instead of three shovelfuls coming in, as before,
when he threw one out, there went nine more along with it. Jack,
in coorse, couldn't do less than thank the lovely crathur for her
assistance; but when he raised his head to speak to her, she was gone.
I needn't say, howsomever, that he went in to his dinner with a light
heart and a murdhering appetite; and when the ould fellow axed him how
he