prayer over me for
not giving her an alms, which prayer I have at my tongue's end, and
unless I get my alms will say over you. So for your own sake, honey,
give me my alms, and let me go on my way."

"Oh, I am not to be frightened by evil prayers! I shall give you nothing
till I hear all about you."

"If I tell ye all about me will ye give me an alms?"

"Well, I have no objection to give you something if you tell me your
story."

"Will ye give me a dacent alms?"

"Oh, you must leave the amount to my free will and pleasure. I shall
give you what I think fit."

"Well, so ye shall, honey; and I make no doubt ye will give me a dacent
alms, for I like the look of ye, and knew ye to be an Irishman half a
mile off. Only four years ago, instead of being a bedivilled woman,
tumbling about the world, I was as quiet and respectable a widow as could
be found in the county of Limerick. I had a nice little farm at an aisy
rint, horses, cows, pigs, and servants, and, what was better than all, a
couple of fine sons, who were a help and comfort to me. But my black day
was not far off. I was a mighty charitable woman, and always willing to
give to the bacahs and other beggars that came about. Every morning,
before I opened my door, I got ready the alms which I intended to give
away in the course of the day to those that should ask for them, and I
made so good a preparation that, though plenty of cripples and other
unfortunates wandering through the world came to me every day, part of
the alms was sure to remain upon my hands every night when I closed my
door. The alms which I gave away consisted of meal; and I had always a
number of small measures of meal standing ready on a board, one of which
I used to empty into the poke of every bacah or other unfortunate who
used to place himself at the side of my door and cry out 'Ave Maria!' or
'In the name of God!' Well, one morning I sat within my door spinning,
with a little bit of colleen beside me who waited upon me as servant. My
measures of meal were all ready for the unfortunates who should come,
filled with all the meal in the house; for there was no meal in the house
save what was in those measures--divil a particle, the whole stock being
exhausted; though by evening I expected plenty more, my two sons being
gone to the ballybetagh, which was seven miles distant, for a fresh
supply, and for other things. Well, I sat within my door, spinning, with
my servant by my side