The Project Gutenberg EBook of Fardorougha, The Miser, by William Carleton

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Title: Fardorougha, The Miser
The Works of William Carleton, Volume One

Author: William Carleton

Illustrator: M. L. Flanery

Release Date: June 7, 2005 [EBook #16002]

Language: English

Character set encoding: ASCII

*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK FARDOROUGHA, THE MISER ***

Produced by David Widger

FARDOROUGHA, THE MISER.

By William Carleton

CONTENTS

Part I.
Part II.
Part III.
Part IV.
Part V.
Part VI.
Part VII.
Part VIII.

PART I.

Fardorougha, the Miser.

It was on one of those nights in August, when the moon and stars shine
through an atmosphere clear and cloudless, with a mildness of lustre
almost continental, that a horseman, advancing at a rapid pace, turned
off a remote branch of road up a narrow lane, and, dismounting before a
neat whitewashed cottage, gave a quick and impatient knock at the door.
Almost instantly, out of a small window that opened on hinges, was
protruded a broad female face, surrounded, by way of nightcap, with
several folds of flannel, that had originally been white.

"Is Mary Moan at home?" said the horseman.

"For a miricle-ay!" replied the female; "who's _down_, in the name o'
goodness?"

"Why, thin, I'm thinkin' you'll be smilin' whin you hear it," replied
the messenger. "The sorra one else than Honor Donovan, that's now marrid
upon Fardorougha Donovan to the tune of thirteen years. Bedad, time for
her, anyhow,--but, sure it'll be good whin it comes, we're thinkin'."

"Well, betther late than never--the Lord be praised for all His gifts,
anyhow. Put your horse down to the mountin'-stone, and I'll be wid you
in half a jiffy, acushla."

She immediately drew in her head, and ere the messenger had well placed
his horse at the aforesaid stirrup, or mounting-stone, which is an
indispensable adjunct to the midwife's cottage, she issued out, cloaked
and bonneted; for, in point of fact, her practice was so extensive, and
the demands upon her attendance so incessant, that she seldom, if ever,
slept or went to bed, unless partially dressed. And such was