Page 152 - The snake's pass

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140 — THE SNAKE'S PASS.
"Oh ! my but that's a good wan. Be the hokey, a
girrul can be dark enough fur any man widout bein'
a nagur. Glory be to God, but I niver seen a faymale
naygur meself, but I suppose there's such things ; God's
very good to all his craythurs ! But, barrin' naygurs,
"
must she be all dark ?
" Well not of necessity, but I certainly prefer what
we call a brunette."
"A bru-net. What's that now; I've heerd a wheen
o' quare things in me time, but I niver heerd a woman
called that before."
I tried to explain the term; he seemed to understand,
but his only comment was:
" Well, God is very good," and then went on with
his queries.
"How might she be dressed?" he looked very sly as
he asked the question.
" Simply The not
! dress is particular—that can
easily be altered. For myself, just at present, I should
like her in the dress they all wear here, some pretty
kind of body and a red petticoat."
" Thrue for ye!" said Andy. Then he went ©ver the
list ticking off the items on his fingers as he went
along :
"A long, dark girrul, like belly bakin, but not a
naygur, some kind iv a net, an' wid a rid petticoat,
an* a quare kind iv an eye ! Is that the kind iv a
girrul that yer 'an'r wants to set yer eyes on?"
" Well," said I, " item by item, as you explaim them,