The mystery of Killard Author:Richard Dowling Purchase of this book includes free trial access to www.million-books.com where you can read more than a million books for free. This is an OCR edition with typos. Excerpt from book: CHAPTER III. A TITLE DEED. When Tom the Fool had gone, the four people in the fisherman's cottage sat in the same order as before. There was much to talk o... more »ver—the man's dead brother, the fishing on both the eastern and western coasts, the tackle employed, the kinds, qualities, and value of the fish caught, the winds and currents, and the different sorts of boats used. On the east coast they fished in wooden boats and yawls ; on the west they had currachs of wicker, or slight lath frames, covered with tarred canvas. All this conversation passed between the two men. In a while the subject could yield no more matter for conversation, the traveller was worn out, and volunteered nothing. After a long silence the woman looked at her husband, and said, " 'Twasn't for nothing the Spirit of Tears was at the Bishop's to-night. It must have been because that heathen, David Lane, has left it to find a wife like his mother, instead of staying where he is by himself, and letting his bad name and race die out." "Hush!" returned the fisherman; "it isn't for us to judge. He may be better in the sight of Heaven than any one in Killard parish, big as it is. He doesn't do harm to anyone on that lonely island, and who'd grudge him his few hand-lines from therocks ? Not I! If I get my bread out of the sea, it isn't I fill the sea with fish, and everyone is free to come and take.rt This impartial speech of the man was uttered in a low voice, between whiffs of his pipe; but towards the end of it there was a twinkle in his blue-grey eye, as though he were talking for a purpose. His object appeared in the tone and purport of his wife's retort. " As good as any of us! Well, I like that! It's yourself all out to say so. My idea is that any one who could say such a thing is no better than...« less