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

CHAPTER XLVI

MURTAGH'S STORY CONTINUED--THE PRIEST, EXORCIST, AND THIMBLE-ENGRO--HOW
TO CHECK A REBELLION

'I was telling ye, Shorsha, when ye interrupted me, that I found the
Pope, the rector, the sub-rector and the almoner seated at the table, the
rector with my pack of cards in his hand, about to deal out to the Pope
and the rest, not forgetting himself, for whom he intended all the
trump-cards, no doubt. No sooner did they perceive me than they seemed
taken all aback; but the rector, suddenly starting up with the cards in
his hand, asked me what I did there, threatening to have me well
disciplined if I did not go about my business. "I am come for my pack,"
said I, "ye ould thaif, and to tell his Holiness how I have been treated
by ye." Then, going down on my knees before his Holiness, I said,
"Arrah, now, your Holiness! will ye not see justice done to a poor boy
who has been sadly misused? The pack of cards which that old ruffian has
in his hand are my cards, which he has taken from me in order to chate
with. Arrah! don't play with him, your Holiness, for he'll only chate
ye--there are dirty marks upon the cards which bear the trumps, put there
in order to know them by; and the ould thaif in daling out will give
himself all the good cards, and chate ye of the last farthing in your
pocket; so let them be taken from him, your Holiness, and given back to
me; and order him to lave the room, and then if yo