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MAGUS

73 hungry-looking creatures with outward garments elaborately patched, yet notoriously ragged. Their voices were attuned to but one scale of notes and that was the counter-tenor they were wont to cry – “any water wanting”. The Complainant inveighed in loud and indignant, but not in classic terms, of the treachery of the boys in absconding from her service, without saying as much as “by y’re leave”, which fact she proved. Mr Verner – ‘Well, my lads, what do you say this charge?’ The latter of the boys looked at his worship, then at the proprietress of his favourite ass, sighed and proceeded – a tear in his eye and terror on his face – ‘Why, Sir, we were affeared to stay in the house for she could raise a ghost and kill us with fear.’ (Laughter). Mr Verner – ‘Did she ever raise a ghost?’ Boy – ‘She did and frightened me to death so that I could not rise out of bed all the next morning.’ (Laughter). Mr Verner – ‘What way did she take to raise the ghost?’ Boy, still greatly frightened – ‘When she wanted to raise him, she rattled the poker with a big noise between the bars of the grate and shouted in a quare long voice “Arthur-Arthur-Arthur- come-here.”’ (Loud laughter). Mr Verner – ‘And you say you saw a ghost? I wish you could show me one?’ Mr O’Rourke – ‘It must be the ghost of a magistrate your worship means. I say, my good woman, could you raise the ghost of a magistrate? If you could, you would make a fortune for we require a second one here every day.’ (Roars of laughter). Mr Collins to the boy – ‘Who was Arthur the ghost?’ Boy – ‘The master’. Mr Collins – ‘Was he very cross when he was here, that you are so much afraid of him, when he comes from the other world?’ Boy – ‘He was the divil of a fellow.’(Laughter). Mr Verner to Complainant – ‘I must dismiss this case because you threatened to bring Arthur.’ (Laughter) The boys brightened and left the court. St. John Seymour and Harry L. Nelligan, True Irish Ghost Stories (Dublin, 1914). (pp. 153-4) ‘We now come to the ordinary type, i.e. where a figure appears. The following tale illustrates a point we have already alluded to, namely, that the apparition is sometimes

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