Hark!

Tolv two elf kater ten (it can't be) sax.

Hork!

Pedwar pemp foify tray (it must be) twelve!

And low stole o'er the stillness the heartbeats of sleep.

Methought as I was dropping asleep somepart in nonland of where's please I heard at zero hour as 'twere the peal of vixen's laughter among midnight's chimes from out the belfry of the cute old speckled church tolling so faint a goodmantrue as nighthood's unseen violet rendered all animated greatbritish and Irish objects nonviewable to human watchers save 'twere perchance anon some glistery
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gleam darkling adown surface of affluvial flowandflow as again might seem garments of laundry reposing a leasward close at hand in full expectation. And as I was jogging along in a dream as dozing I was dawdling, arrah, methought broadtone was heard and ^|8the creepersº ^|aof and and^a| the ^|awoods gliders^a| and all theº flivvers of the earthbreathº and all the dancetongues of the woodfires and the hummers in their ground^8| all vociferated, echoating: Shaun! Shaun! Post the post! with a high voice and, O, the higher on high the deeper and low. I
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heard him so. And lo, meseemed somewhat came of the noise and somewho might amove among allmurk. Now 'twas as clump, now mayhap. When look was light and now 'twas as flasher, now more as the glow. Ah, in unlitness 'twas in ^|8verity very similitude^8|, bless me, 'twas his belted lamp! Ay, he who so swayed a will of a wisp before me, dressed like an earl in just the correct wear, in a classy mac Frieze o'coat of far ^|8''superior suparior^8''| ruggedness, indigo braw, tracked and tramped, freeswinging from his shoulthern, ^|8'and an Irish ferrier collar,º^8'| and thick welted brogues on him hammered to suit the scotsmost public and climate, iron heels and sparable soles, and his jacket of providence wellprovided woollies with a softrolling lisp of a lapel to it and great sealingwax buttons and his invulnerable burlap whiskcoat ^|8and his popular choker, Tamagnum sette-and-forte,º and his loudboheem toyº^8| and the damasker's overshirt he sported inside, a starspangled zephyr with a decidedly surpliced ^|8'crinklydoodle^8'| front with his motto through dear life embrothered over it in peas, rice and yeggyolk, R for royal, M for Mail, R.M.D. hard cash on the nail, and the most successfully carried ^|8gigot^8| trousers now you ever breaking over the ankle and hugging the shoeheel, everything the best, was none other from (Ah, then, may the turtle's blessings of God and Mary and Haggispatrick and Huggisbrigid be souptumbling all over him!) other than (and may his hundred thousand welcome stewed
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letters multiply, ay, faith, and plultiply!) Shaun himself.

Had I the concordant wiseheads of Messrs Gregory and Lyons alongside of Dr Tarpey's and the reverend Mr MacDougall's, but I, poor ass, am but as their fourpart tinckler's ^|8''ass dunkey^8''|. Yet methought Shaun (holy messenger angels be uninterruptedly nudging him among and along the winding ways of random ever!) Shaun in proper person (now may all the bluebacksliding constellations continue to shape his changeable timetable!) stood before me. And I pledge you my ^|8'agricultural^8'| word^|8', byº the hundred and sixty odds rods and conesº of h this even's vision,º^8'| that young fellow looked the stuff, ^|8'the Bel of Beaus' Walk,^8'| a prime card if ever was! ^|8'Pep?^8'| Now without deceit it is hardly too much to say he was looking grand, so fired smart, in much more than his usual health. No mistaking that beamish brow^|8, those jehovial oyeglances^8|! The heart of the roll! He was immense, topping swell, for he was after having a great time of it in a porterhouse if you want to know, Saint Lawzenge of Toole's, ^|8'|aleave your clubs in the hallº^a| (the house the ^|aonce^a| queen ^|aof Bristol^{a|8'| |8}and Balrothery^{8| |8'|a}twice^a| admired^{8'| |8}because her frumped door looked up Dacent Street),º^8| where ^|8'in the sighed of lovely eyes,º while his knives of hearts made havoc,º^8'| he had recruited his strength by means of ^|8'mounds of spadefuls of mounded^8'| food constituting his three principal meals plus a collation, his breakfast of, first, a bless us O blood and thirsthy orange, next, the half of a pound of bacon with ^|8''newlaid newled^8''| googs and a rice ^|8plummyº^8| pudding and some cold ^(8'forsaken^8') steak from ^|8'yesternight the batblack night o'erflown^8'|, then
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came along ^|8merendally^8| his dinner of a half a pound of round steak very rare, with a side of riceypeasy alla mellonge and bacon with a pair of chops and thrown in from the silver grid by the proprietoress of the roastery who lives on a hill and gravy and a bulby onion and as well ^|8with second course^8| and then finally^|8, after his ^|afive lunch^a| o'clockº snack of saddlebag steak and ^|aold^a| phoenix porter , andº praties sweet and Irish too,º^8| to his regret his supper ^|8cum ^|aavec avic^a|8| nightcap, vitellusit, ^|8a carusal consistent with second course andº^8| bacon with broad beans and steak ^|8|~not forgoing a slice off turkey-in-julef with fixins^{~|8| |8'}and pepper,º the diamondº bone,º^8'| and while 'twas after that he scoffed a drakeling snuggily stuffed following cold loin of veal more cabbage and, in their green free state, ^|8a clister of^8| peas, ^|8|~suppositarily suppositorilyº^~| petty,^8| last. Drily thankful. Bread and ^|8'dulse and typureely jam^8'|, ^|8'all^8'| free of charge ^|8and^8|. And the best of wine ^|8and avec^8|. ^|8|a|bWhile the loaves are aflowering and the ^|~nightingale nachtingale^~| jugs.^b| All St Jilian'sº of Berry, hurrah there for tobies!º^{a| |a}Brown sherry Mavrodaphneº^a|, ^|~Brown the brown^~| prideº of ^|~Custardhouse our custard house^~| quay, amiable ^|aand with^a| repastful, ^|acheer us, graciouslyº cheer us!^{a|8| |8'}While ever of Thee, Anne Lynch, he'sº deeply draiming! Houseanna. ^|aTay Tea^a| is ^|aThe highest the Highest^a|! For ^|aold auld lang^a| Ayternitay!^8'| Thus thicker will he grow now, ^|8'grow grew^8'|
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now. ^|8'And better and better on butter and butter.^8'| At the sign of Mesthress Vanhungrig. Mind you, I don't mean to say for the moment that he was ^|8gluttonous guilbey or gluttonous^8| as regards chewable ^|8edibles ^|aswallowables swallowbobbles^a|8| but ^|8upon the whole^8| he grubbed his tuck all right every time he felt like a bottle of porter alongwith a tart or. And he was so ^|8'jarvey^8'| jaunty with a romp of a schoolgirl's ^|8'complexion completion^8'| sitting pretty over his ^|8'Oyster Monday^8'| printface and he was plainly out on the ^|8'ramp and^8'| mash^|8', asº you might say,^8'| for he sproke.

When lo meheard ^|8'through deafths of durkness^8'| I saw the ^|8numerose^8| voice of Shaun ^|8'(and^|a,º sure,^a| what more ^|amelodeoned melodeontoned^a| Italicussº ever ^|asucked rawsuckedº^a| egg uova in urinal?) ^8'| from Inchigeela call the way how so it sighed ^|8(morepork! morepork!º)^8| to scented nightlife as softly as the loftly marconimasts from Clifden sigh open tireless secrets ^|8(mauveport! mauveport!º)^8| to Nova Scotia's listing sisterpoles.

— Alo, alass, aladdin, amobus! Shaun yawned (that was previousday's ^|8pork pigeonpie^{8| |8'}pluzz the shampain in his head ^8'|), addressing himself ex alto and complaining it was so close as of the fact of him ^|8'to dye his paddycoats to morn his hesternmost,º^8'|
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earning his board in the ^|8'sweat swealth^8'| of his ^|8'feet fate^8'| as, having moistened his ^|8'mouth mandibles^8'| upon the quiet and scooping
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molars and grinders clean with his two forefingers, he sank down at once, ^|8'it was all he could doº^8'| (disgusted with himself that the combined weight was too much for him), upon the native heath he loved, covered kneehigh with virgin ^|8''bush. bush, for who th who e'er trod sod of Erin could ever sleep off the turf.^8''| Well, I'm literally ^|8'shot dished^8'| seeing myself in this trim! ^|8He looks rather thin. I'm very fond of that other of mine. But he's looking frightfully thin!^8| How all too unwordy am I, a mere mailman of peace, a poor hastehater of the first degree, for such eminence, or unpro promenade rather, to be much more exact, as to be the bearer extraordinary of these missive on his majesty's service. ^|8'It should h of been my other ^|afor he's the head and I'm an ^|beverdevoted everdevoting^b| fiend of his^a|. ^|aWe shared the same chamber and we winked on the one wench and what he sobs todie I'll sing tomorry.,º for 'twill be, I have hopes of, Sam Dizzier's day.^{a|8'| |8|x}Fish hands!º^{x|8| |8'}Ear! Ear! Not aye!º Eye! Eye! For I'm at the heart of it. Yetº^8'| I cannot on my solemn merits recollect ever having done of anything of the kind to deserve of such. Saint Anthony Guide!

— But have we until now ever besought you, dear Shaun, we remembered, who it was, to begin with, who gave you the permit?
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— Goodbye, Shaun replied^|8, withº a tug at his cocomoss candylock^8|. Everybody. ^|8Greet thee Good!º^8| My heaviest crux ^|8'and dairy lot^8'| it is. I have it from ^|8Saint Hagios^8| Columbkiller's prophecies.

— Then, we explained, you possibly might be so by order?

— Forgive me, Shaun repeated from his liquid lipes, it was condemned on me primatially ^|8by Hireark ^|aBox Books^a| and Chiefoverseer ^|aCox Cooks,º^a|8| and there does be a power coming
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over me that is put upon me from on high and so as it is becoming hairydittary I have nothing in view to look forward at unless it is Swann and beating the blindquarters out of my oldfellow's orologium oloss olorium. Almost might I say ^|8of myself^8| I am now becoming about fed up be going ^|8about ^|~about circulating circulating about^~|8| and that is why I was ^|8'utterly veribally^{8'| |8''}complexed complussed^8''| by thinking of the ^|8'Dublin^8'| river as a way out or bury meself deep in my wineupon pontoon as ^|8'it is a tithe fish so it is and where on dearth to turn since it came into my hands^8'| I am hopeless to be doing anything concerning.

— Honest Shaun, we agreed, a whisper reaches us that in the end it may well turn
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out to be you who will bear these open letter.

— As, Shaun replied patly, to that I have the ^|8'power gumpower^8'| and that has a ^|8'lot lock^8'| to say with everything.

— Would you mind telling us, Shaun honey, we proposed to such a dear youth, where mostly are you able to work? ^|8'Whimper and we shall.^8'|

— ^|8'I, Here!^8'| Shaun replied while he was fondling one of his cowheel cuffs, ^|8'I^8'| mostly am able to walk, being too soft for work proper. I am always telling them how
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it was foretold for me by brevet, while possessing stout legs, to be disbarred after holy orders from unnecessary servile work of all sorts for the relics of my time, for otherwise I would get into a blame there where thieves fall out. Excelsior tips the best. ^|8Go thou this island, one housesleep there, then go thou other island, two housesleep there, then catch one nightmaze, ^|~after return thy dear ones then home to dearies^~|. Never ^|afight for back^a| a woman you defend,º never ^|adesert get quit of^a| a friend on whom you depend, never ^|~face make face to^~| a foe till he's ^|~ripe rife^~|,º and never get stuck to another man's ^|~pipe pfife^~|.^8| His hungry will be done! But, believe me, in my simplicity I am awful good, I believe, so I am, at the root of me. And I can now truthfully ^|8declare declaret ^|abefore my Pantokreator ^a|8| with my fleshfettered palums on the epizzles that I do my reasonabler's best to recite my grocery beans for mummy ^|8and cum^8| dummy regular, genuflections enclosed. In fact, always have, I believe. ^|8Amen!, ptah!º^8|

— Yet one minute's observation, dear dogmestic Shaun, as we point out how you have while away painted our town a wearing ^|8'green greenridinghued^8'|.

— O murder mere, how did you hear? Shaun replied, smiling the oily way up his lampsleeve, so shy of light was he then. Well, so be it! The gloom hath rays, her lamp is love. And I will confess to have, yes. And I am afraid it wouldn't
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be my first coat's wasting like the regular redshank I am. Somebody may perhaps ^|8'say hint at^8'| I was wrong. No such a thing! You never made a more fruitful mistake^|8', excuse yourself^8'|! But it is grandiose, by my ways of thinking, from the prophecies. New worlds for all! And they were scotographically arranged for gentlemen only by a scripchewer in Whofoundland who finds he is a relative. And it was with my extravert davy, ^|8'like glue, be true,^8'| moyhard's daynoight, tomthumb.

— Do you mean, we gathered substantively, whether ^|8'varnish furniture^8'| would or verdure ^|8'dyes varnish^8'|?

— It is a confoundyous injective so to say, Shaun, the fiery boy, shouted, naturally incensed, as he shook the red pepper out of his auricles. And another time please confine your glaring intinuations to some other mordant body. What on the physiog of this ^|8'furnished furnaced^8'| planet would I be doing besides your verjuice? That is more than I can fix anyway. So let I and you now kindly drop that, angryman! Understand me when I tell you that under the past purcell's office, so deeply deplored by my erstwhile elder friend, Miss ^|8'Sanders Anders Enders^8'|, poachmistress ^|8'and gay receiver ever for^8'| in particular to the Scotic Poor Men's Cow Society ^|8'(I was thinking of her in sthore)^8'|, allbethey blessed with twentytwo thousand sorters out of a biggest poss of twentytwo thousand, mine's won, too much privet stationery ^|8and safty quipu^8| was ate up larchly by those nettlesome goats out of pension greed. It is also one of my avowal's intentions at some time, pease Pod, when I am not prepaid to say, to comprose quite the makings of a verdigrease savingsbook surrounding this matter ^|8'for my publickers,º ^|aNolano Nolaner^a| and Browno, Nickil Hopstout, Christcross,º^8'| so long as,
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thanks to force of destiny, ^|8'I am my selary is as a paykelt ^8'| propaired ^|8'andº there is a peg under me and there is a tum till me^8'|.

— Otherwise, frank Shaun, we pursued, what would be the autobiography of your softbodied ^|8''funiform fumiform^8''|?

— ^|8Hooraymost!^8| None whomsoever, Shaun replied (he had intended and was peering now rather close to the paste of his ^|8rubiny^8| winklering), though it ought to be more or less ^|8rococo ^|~rawcawaw rawcawcaw^~|8| romantical. All of it, I might say, pay and perks
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^|8(some rhino, ^|~rhino, rhine, O^~| joyoust rhine!)^8|, was handled over spondaneously by me ^|8'(and bundle ^|aend to^a| Miss ^|aEnders Anders^a|! she woor her wraith of ruins the night she lost I left)^8'| in the name of Mr van Howten ^|8'of ^|aTredcastles,^a| Clowntalkin ^8'| among my prodigits nabobs and navious of every subscription, entitled our evicted ^|8'tenants ^|atenements tenemants^a|8'|. What I say is (and I am noen roehorn ^|8'or culkilt^8'|, permit me to tell you, if uninformed), I never spont it. Nor have I the ghost of a nation on me the way to. It went anyway like hot ^|8'pappadums pottagebake^8'|. ^|8'And this brings me to my ^|afresh^a| point. Therefore Quoniamº^8'| I am as plain as portable enveloped, inhowmuch you will shortly receive, care of one of Mooseyears Guinness's registered barrels. ^|8'Quick take um whiffat andrainit.^8'|