Part 7 (1/2)

”I know that, Thady; and Misther O'Brien thinks, because he himself first pa.s.sed through that overgrown hedge-school wid slates upon the roof of it, called Thrinity College, and matriculated in Maynooth afther, that he has legal authority to recommend every young vagrant to the gratuitous benefits of legitimate cla.s.sicality. An' I suppose, that you are acting the Pathrun, too, Thady, and intind to take this young wild-goose under your protection?”

”Why, sir, isn't he a poor scholar? Sure he mustn't want his bit an'

sup, nor his night's lodgin', anyhow. You're to give him his larnin'

only, sir.”

”I suppose so, Mr. Thaddeus; but this is the penalty of celebrity. If I weren't so celebrated a man for cla.s.sics as I am, I would have none of this work. I tell you, Thady, if I had fifty sons I wouldn't make one o'

them celebrated.”

”Wait till you have one first, sir, and you may make him as great a numskull as you plase, Master.”

”But in the meantime, Thady, I'll have no dictation from you, as to whether I have one or fifty; or as to whether he'll be an a.s.s or a Newton. I say that a dearth of larnin' is like a year of famine in Ireland. When the people are hard pushed, they bleed the fattest bullocks, an' live on their blood; an' so it is wid us Academicians.

It's always he that has the most larned blood in his veins, and the greatest quant.i.ty of it that such hungry leeches fasten on.”

”Thrue for you, sir,” said the youth with a smile; ”but they say the bullocks always fatten the betther for it. I hope you'll bleed well now, sir.”

”Thady, I don't like, the curl of your nose; an', moreover, I have always found you p.r.o.ne to sedition. You remember your conduct at the 'Barring out.' I tell you it's well that your worthy father is a dacent wealthy man, or I'd be apt to give you a _memoria technica_ on the _subtratum_, Thady.”

”G.o.d be praised for my father's wealth, sir! But I'd never wish to have a good memory in the way you mention.”

”Faith, an' I'll be apt to add that to your other qualities, if you don't take care of yourself.”

”I want no such addition, Masther; if you do, you'll be apt to subtract yourself from this neighborhood, an', maybe, ther'e won't be more than a cipher gone out of it, afther all.”

”Thady, you're a wag,” exclaimed the crestfallen pedagogue; ”take the lad to your own sate, and show him his task. How! is your sister's sore throat, Thady?”

”Why, sir,” replied the benevolent young wit, ”she's betther than I am.

She can swallow more, sir.”

”Not of larnin', Thady; there you've the widest gullet in the parish.”

”My father's the richest man in it, Masther,” replied Thady. ”I think, sir, my! gullet and his purse are much about the same size--wid you.”

”Thady, you're first-rate at a reply;--but exceedingly deficient in the retort courteous. Take the lad to your sate, I say, and see how far he is advanced, and what he is fit for. I suppose, as you are so ginerous, you will volunteer to tache him yourself.”

”I'll do that wid pleasure, sir; but I'd like to know whether you intind to tache him or not.”

”An' I'd like to know, Thady, who's to pay me for it, if I do. A purty return Michael Rooney made me for making him such a linguist as he is.

'You're a tyrant,' said he, when he grew up, 'and instead of expecting me to thank you for your instructions, you ought to thank me for not preparing you for the county hospital, as a memento of the cruelty and brutality you made me feel, when I had the misfortune to be a poor scholar! under you.' And so, because he became curate of the parish, he showed me the outside of it.”

”But will you tache this poor young boy, sir?”

”Let me know who's to guarantee his payments.”

”I have money myself, sir, to pay you for two years,” replied Jemmy.

'They told me, sir, that you were a great scholar, an' I refused to stop in other schools by rason of the name you have for Latin and Greek.”

”Verb.u.m sat,” exclaimed the barefaced knave. ”Come here. Now, you see, I persave you have dacency. Here is your task; get that half page by heart. You have a cute look, an' I've no doubt but the stuff's in you.

Come to me afther dismiss, 'till we have a little talk together.”