k cats on aitch side, an' the full av a
shkillet av sarpints a-shtewin' on the fire. He knew her well, fur she'd
done jobs fur him afore, so he made bowld to shtate his arriant widout so
much as sayin' good day to ye. The owld fagot made a charm to call her
masther, an' that minnit he was shtandin' be her side, bowin' an'
schrapin' an' shmilin' like a gintleman come to tay. He an' Lord Robert
fell to an' had a power av discoorse on the bargain, fur Robert was a
sharp wan an' wanted the conthract onsartain-like, hopin' to chate the
divil at the end, as we all do, be the help av God, while Satan thried to
make it shtronger than a tinant's lace. Afther a dale av palatherin', they
aggrade that the divil was to do all that Lord Robert axed him fur twinty
years, an' then to have him sowl an' body; but if he failed, there was an
end av the bargain. But there was a long face on the owld felly whin the
first thing he was bid to do was to bring Kathleen out o' the cave an'
carry her to the cassel.

"'By Jayminny,' says Satan, 'it's no aisey job fur to be takin' her from
the power av a great saint like him,' a-scratchin' his head. 'But come on,
we'll thry.'

[Illustration: "So the three av thim mounted the wan horse"]

"So the three av thim mounted on the wan horse, Lord Robert in the saddle,
the divil behind, an' the witch in front av him, an' away like the wind to
the cave. Whin they got to the turn o' the hill, they got aff an' hid in
the bushes bechune the cave an' the shpring, bekase, as Satan axplained to
Lord Robert, ivery night, just at midnight, the saint wint to get him a
dhrink av wather, bein' dhry wid the devotions, an' 'ud bring the full av
a bucket back wid him.

"'We'll shtop him be the shpring,' says the divil, 'wid the witch, an' you
an' me'ull shtale the girl while he's talkin'.

"So while the clock was shtrikin' fur twilve, out come the saint wid the
wather-bucket an' shtarted to the shpring. Whin he got there an' was
takin' his dhrink, up comes the witch an' begins tellin' him av a son she
had (she was purtindin', ye ondhershtand, an' lyin' to him) that was as
lazy as a car-horse an' as much in the way as a sore thumb, an' axin' the
saint's advice phat to do wid him, while Satan an' Lord Robert ran into
the cave. The divil picked up Kathleen in his arrums, but he darn't have
done that same, only she was on the other side av the cave an' away from
the althar, but Tim was shtandin' by it, an' shtarted