Part 29 (2/2)

(_Drinks._)

Mr. SLICK (_drinks_)--A n.o.ble whisky, Mrs. Clancy. Many thanks. Now, Mrs. Clancy--

WIDOW--Take anodder wan! Take anodder wan! (_Fills his gla.s.s._)

Mr. SLICK (_impatiently_)--Yes, certainly, Mrs. Clancy, certainly. (_He drinks._) Now, could you tell me, Mrs. Clancy, where your late husband was--

WIDOW--Who--Moike? Oh, young mahn, yez can just say thot he was the foinest mahn livin' an' breathin', an' niver a wan in th' warrud was betther. Oh, but he had th' tindther heart for 'is fambly, he did. Don't I remimber win he clipped little Patsey wid th' bottle, an' didn't he buy th' big rockin'-horse th' minit he got sober? Sure he did. Pa.s.s th'

bottle, Mary Ann! (_Pours a beer-gla.s.s about half-full for her guest._)

Mr. SLICK (_taking a seat_)--True, Mr. Clancy was a fine man, Mrs.

Clancy--a _very_ fine man. Now, I--

WIDOW (_plaintively_)--An' don't yez loike th' rum? Dhrink th' rum, mahn! It was me own Moike's fav'rite bran'. Well I remimber win he fotched it home, an' half th' demijohn gone a'ready, an' him a-cursin'

up th' stairs as dhrunk as Gawd plazed. It was a--Dhrink th' rum, young mahn, dhrink th' rum! If he cud see yez now, Moike Clancy wud git up from 'is--

Mr. SLICK (_desperately_)--Very well, very well, Mrs. Clancy. Here's your good health. Now, can you tell me, Mrs. Clancy, when was Mr. Clancy born?

WIDOW--Win was he borrun. Sure, divil a bit do I care win he was borrun.

He was th' good mahn to me an' his childher; an' Gawd knows I don't care win he was borrun. Mary Ann, pa.s.s th' bottle! Wud yez kape th' gintlemin starvin' for a dhrink here in Moike Clancy's own house? Gawd save yez.

(_When the bottle appears she pours a huge quant.i.ty out for her guest_.)

Mr. SLICK--Well, then, Mrs. Clancy, _where_ was he born?

WIDOW (_staring_)--In Oirland, mahn, in Oirland! Where did yez t'ink?

(_Then, in sudden, wheedling tones._) An' ain't yez goin' to dhrink th'

rum? Are yez goin' to s.h.i.+rk th' good whisky what was th' pride of Moike's life, an' him gettin' full on it an' breakin' th' furnitir t'ree nights a week hard-runnin'? Shame an yez, an' Gawd save yer soul. Dhrink it oop now, there's a dear, dhrink it oop now, an' say: ”Moike Clancy, be all th' powers in th' shky, Hiven sind yez rist!”

Mr. SLICK--(_to himself_)--Holy smoke! (_He drinks, then regards the gla.s.s for a long time._) ... Well, now, Mrs. Clancy, give me your attention for a moment, please. When did--

WIDOW--An' oh, but he was a power in th' warrud! Divil a mahn cud vote right widout Moike Clancy at 'is elbow. An' in th' calkus, sure didn't Mulrooney git th' nominashun jes' by raison of Moike's atthackin' th'

opposashun wid th' shtove-poker. Mulrooney got it as aisy as dhirt, wid Moike rowlin' under th' tayble wid th' other candeedate. He was a good sit'zen, was Moike--divil a wan betther.

Mr. SLICK _spends some minutes in collecting his faculties_.

Mr. SLICK (_after he decides that he has them collected_)--Yes, yes, Mrs. Clancy, your husband's h-highly successful pol-pol-political career was w-well known to the public; but what I want to know is--what I want to know--(_Pauses to consider._)

WIDOW (_finally_)--Pa.s.s th' gla.s.ses, Mary Ann, yez lazy divil; give th'

gintlemin a dhrink! Here (_tendering him a gla.s.s_), take anodder wan to Moike Clancy, an' Gawd save yez for yer koindness to a poor widee woman!

Mr. SLICK (_after solemnly regarding the gla.s.s_)--Certainly, I--I'll take a drink. Certainly, M--Mish Clanshy. Yes, certainly, Mish Clanshy.

Now, Mish Clanshy, w-w-wash was Mr. Clanshy's n-name before he married you, Mish Clanshy?

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