Lucinda Sly Read Online Free PDF Page A

the sin of the weighing is the most common sin on shopkeepers’ souls when they go before God.’
    ‘Tell me about the sin of the weighing,’ the shopkeeper replied, ‘because the priest in the church were I go said that the worst sin is for a man to chase a family from their holding and then to grab it for himself.’
    It was said that Walter Sly had chased a family from their holding which was bounding his because he was given a claim to it by the Crown as he was a Protestant.
    ‘Put the butter back on the scales,’ Sly ordered him, ignoring the hint the shopkeeper threw in his direction.
    This Cooney did, placing weights measuring seventeen pounds on the other side of the scales. The butter raised the seventeen pounds in weights.
    ‘Put another pound weight on the scales,’ Sly said triumphantly , ‘and that will level the scales.’
    The shopkeeper did as he was told. Then the weights went down slowly.
    ‘What did I tell you?’ said the shopkeeper. ‘There are too many weights on the scales now.’
    ‘Try the half pound weight,’ Sly demanded with rancour in his voice.
    ‘I will not,’ Cooney countered. ‘Your horse will have eaten itsvalue in hay before you take him from my stable this evening.’
    The shopkeeper made up the price of the butter and extended it to Sly.
    ‘I have more important things to be doing than listening to the prattling of a gombeen on the side of the street,’ was all Sly said.
    He turned on his heel and dashed out the door leaving the shopkeeper with a satisfied grin on his face.
    The main street was crammed from top to bottom with stalls full of goods expertly laid out by housewives with a view to attracting the eye of prospective buyers: some of them selling their butter , others selling potatoes, cabbage and vegetables; three or four more standing by the rails of their horse carts with every screech coming from the bonhams inside the rails.
    ‘Nora, where is Jack?’ Sly inquired of a woman who was standing by a rail of bonhams.
    ‘He is in the place you usually are,’ she replied sourly, ‘throwing back the drink.’
    Sly cast his eye on the litter of bonhams.
    ‘They are at least three months old,’ he observed judging their age.
    ‘Put another fortnight with it,’ Nora answered. ‘I’d prefer to be rid of them. We have only two pits of potatoes left and two sows to feed for the winter … My soul to the devil, Walter, you’re all dressed up today. If I didn’t know you as well as I do, I’d say you were on the lookout for a wife. But I think you’re past it. Ha! Ha!’
    When he heard that, he turned his back on Nora and faced up the street on his mission.
    He wasn’t long walking when he saw Lucinda Singleton in a convenient patch across the street. This is the woman who had distracted his senses all week. His eyes were wide open this time as he hadn’t put a drink to his lips for four days. Sly walked slowly towards Lucinda pretending to examine the loaves of bread and the bowl of butter in front of her. She looked carefully at this well-dressed man who was standing before her.
    ‘I’ll take two loaves of bread,’ Sly said steadily. ‘I heard that you sell the best bread in town.’
    ‘Don’t mind your soft talk because you won’t get it a penny cheaper. Three pence ha’penny to you and to everyone else,’ Lucinda replied.
    She wrapped paper around the two loaves and gave them to him.
    ‘Three pence ha’penny apiece – that’s seven pence,’ she said curtly.
    ‘And they’re worth a lot more,’ Sly replied gently. Lucinda stared at him.
    ‘Do I know you, or have I seen you before?’ she demanded.
    Sly smiled.
    ‘Do you remember last Thursday, the in-calf heifer sale?’
    Lucinda’s eyes jumped in her head when she heard this.
    ‘You,’ was all she could say. ‘The rogue with the cattle! I can tell you that you had enough to drink that evening.’
    ‘To tell you the truth, Lucinda … that’s your name, isn’t it? I had enough, all