This Son of Vulcan, a Novel, by the Authors of 'Ready-Money Mortiboy'. Libr. Ed., by W. Besant and J. Rice (Paperback)

This historic book may have numerous typos and missing text. Purchasers can download a free scanned copy of the original book (without typos) from the publisher. Not indexed. Not illustrated. 1887. Excerpt: ... THIS SON OF VULCAN. PROLOGUE. I. THE place is Esbrough, a rising--not yet risen--town in the North of England. The time is eleven o'clock, on the last night of the year 1849. Myles Cnolahan, standing on the steps of the Packhorse and Talbot public-house, recognises his acquaintance, Mr. Paul Bayliss, who is passing down the High Street on his way home. Seizing him in a very friendly manner by the arm, he gives him " Good evening." "Ay, ay good-night, Myles; good-night," says Bayliss, trying to pass on, and with the roughness of one who does not wish to be stopped; but the strong fingers that clutch the sleeve of his rough pilot-coat hold him too tightly; he cannot slip from their grasp. "Yell not have the heart to say no to a glass of just whativer ye like best with Myles Cuolahan this night, Misther Bayliss; an' if ye do' I'll not belave ye, nor be the mane man to tak' ye at your word nayther. So there " he cries, making a move of a yard or so in the direction of mine host of the Packhorse's snug red-curtained parlour. There is a suspicion of mellowness in the tone of voice in which Bayliss's captor says this; and Bayliss replies--"But you must let me say no, and thank ye with it, Cuolahan, lad." "It's New Year's Eve," urges Myles, never relaxing his grip of Bayliss's coat sleeve, " an' divil's the bit o' luck ye'll have the year to come, Misther Bayliss, if ye don't have one glass of whisky wi' me on this present occasion." A shrewd observer, noting the look on the Englishman's face as the Irishman said this, would probably have inferred that the goddess Fortune could not well treat Paul Bayliss worse in the year to come than she had done in the year past. Which, indeed, was nearly true. "Ye'll come into the Packhorse?" said Myles. "No, no, Cuolahan," ...