‘The book you asked the librarian for is still unopened and you are preparing to leave. You are wearing two half-pairs of white, knitted socks. It is not the same woman who knitted both because the stitches in the new sock on your left foot are more regular than the stitches in the other which are full of missed stitches. You wouldn’t wear odd socks unless you were odd. My friend, Dr. Watson, would say that you have worn odd socks without knowing it to draw attention to a problem that is worrying you.’

‘Stocai bána ar fad atá agam. Ní choinnim ina bpéiri iad ach an dá cheann is congaraí a tharraingt orm. Agus té an leabhar sin ar mo chrinlín mar go bhfuil sé ag teastáil ó P.J. Mac Oireachtaigh agus táim á choinneáil uaidh mar gur sciob sé mo chathaoir.’

ather Patrick laughed heartily.

‘All my socks are white. I don’t keep them in pairs but draw the two nearest to me. And that book on my desk because P.J. Mac Garety needs it and I am keeping it from him because he snatched my chair.

‘Candúint Londan, íseal uasalaicmeach, seinnteoir fidile …’

‘Is mise Searbhlach de Hoilm, lorgaire, ar thór an té is diobhálaí ar domhan, Professor Moriarty. Scaoil dom na nathanna in ainm Dé.

‘It’s hard to read a person’s character if they don’t care about their socks being odd,’ said the other man coldly. ‘Is it possible that you don’t recognize me?’

‘London accent, low class, fiddle player..’
‘You noticed the track under my chin where the violin rests…’

‘I recognize the state of understanding [????] that you haven’t played in a while…’

‘I am Sherlock Holmes, detective, in search of the most harmful person in the world, Professor Moriarty. Reveal the phrases to me in the name of God.’

‘Ní hea. Dúnmharú, cíos dubh, gadaíocht agus rudaí níos measa fós. Conas mar a thomhais tú, anois beag, cé bhí á lorg agam? Cén léamh atá agat ar na habairtí mallaithe seo atá ag teacht idir mé agus codladh na hoiche?’

‘Not political crimes, as an Englishman would understand them, were committed by this particular Moriarty.’

‘No. Murder, extortion, theft and worse things. How did you guess, just now, who I was looking for? What is your reading of these cursed sentences that are coming between me and the night’s sleep?’

‘Gheibhim tinneas cinn lá gaoithe mura gcoinním na cluasa teolaí’, arsa an fear ard. ‘Maithfidh tú dom a bheith ag siúl taobh leat sa chathair, gan feisteas cathrach orm.’

They went out through the twisted gates [turnstyle?] and took their hats. A top hat of black silk, a type that has long gone out of fashion, was worn by the priest. The other man had a ‘Deerstalker’ type hat.

‘I get a headache on a windy day if I don’t keep my ears warm,’ said the tall man. ‘You will forgive me for walking beside you in the city without my city attire.’

‘Téimis isteach anseo, tigh Seárlaí, agus bíodh gloine an duine againn. Ansin cuirfidh mé comhairle do leasa ort.

‘The elegance of two is in my own hat,’ said Father Pádraig as he put on a black coat, gray with age.

‘Let’s go in here, Charles’ house, and have a glass each. Then I will give you good advice.’

Nuair a bhí gloine an duine os a gcomhair i ndorchadas cumhra teolaí an tábhairne, thóg an Duinníneach stumpa pinn luaidhe as ceann dá phócaí.

‘I don’t need advice,’ said Holmes, ‘I only want an interpretation of the phrases. I don’t know much more because I have arranged and translated them.’

When the glasses were in front of them in the cosy fragrant darkness of the pub, Dineen took the stump of a pencil from one of his pockets.

‘Cíos dubh!’

‘Duine rúnda mé.’

‘Not that I have much to write but my thoughts are best with a pen in my hand. Now, Sherlock Holmes, tell me why you are looking for Professor Moriarty. If I feel you have right on your side, I will reveal to you the clues.
‘Blackmail!’

‘You and I do not necessarily have the same understanding of criminality.’

‘You will keep the matter secret.’

‘I am a secretive person.’

‘Cuimhnigh uirthi, ní mar Bhanríon,’ ar seisean ar deireadh mar go raibh sé pas beag amhrasach faoi dhearcadh an Duinnínigh i leith na hImpireachta, ‘ach mar bhean bhocht atá le fuadach.’

Sherlock Holmes told the story to Dineen, without mentioning the prince.

‘Remember her, not as a Queen,’ he said at last because he was a little suspicious of Dineen’s attitude regarding the Empire, ‘but as a poor woman who is to be kidnapped.’

Scríobh sé:

Íde na muc is na Madraí = Mullach Íde.

‘Hmmmm,’ said Dineen. ‘As regards these phrases, “Put out the light! I am giving! As the sheep are milked. Avoid it!” — I gave you the answer when I told you that he was on a journey to Mallahide of the pigs and dogs. Look at this… ‘

He write:

Abuse of the pigs and the dogs = Summit of Abuse ****

‘When I mentioned Malahide, you added the tail “Mallahide of the pigs and dogs.” A little saying “Abuse of the pigs and dogs.”
that neighbors add to the common name of the place, with strong abusiveness. “Mayo, God help us!” in English, for example. “Horn ??, Fart of a fish” is another one.’

‘Múch an solas. Sin Gleann Daithealláin. Cuirtear i leith mhuintir Ghleann Daithealláin nach bhfáiltíonn siad roimh chuairteoirí, go múchann siad na coinnle istoíche má shíleann siad go bhfuil cuairteoirí ag druidim leo . . .

“Táim ag tabhairt — Baile Uí Thaidhg, táim ag tabhairt. Tá Baile Uí Thaidhg róghar don chósta agus tá sé á chreimeadh ag an bhfarraige agus bíonn na daoine a bhfuil conai orthu ar an gCnocán ag saighdeadh fúthu . ..

‘You have place names in that list — just recognize the tails.’

‘Put ouf the lights. That is Glendale. It is said that the people of Glendale do not welcome visitors, They extinguish the lights when visitors approach.’

‘Bally O’Taigh, I am giving. Bally O’Taigh is too close to the coast and it is being eroded by the sea and the people who live on the Hill tease them’

“Seachain é! – Dún Sidhean, seachain é! a deirtear. Is ann atá dúnáras mhuintir Uí Mhuircheartaigh agus is foghlaithe mara iad leis na cianta.’

‘As the sheep are milked. Poor people are the sheep’s milkers and it is a great insult to reproach people for their poverty, despite what our Lord said. The milking of the sheep is attributed to the people of Dhraighni.’

‘Avoid it. Fort of the Sidhe, avoid it, it is said. The Moriarty family castle is there and they have been pirates for centuries.’

‘Ná dein,’ arsa an Duinnineach

‘Caithfear breith air.’

‘Now I understand it,’ said Sherlock. ‘Professor Moriarty has returned to his people. This is a list of his hiding places. I praise the hero who was martyred. ̇He wrote down faithfully what he heard. May God grant that I shall catch Moriarty before he gives orders to team of scoundrels. I will go by train to Tralee tonight.’

‘Don’t do it,’ said Dineen.

‘He must be caught.’

‘A Dhuinnínigh, ainneoin pé dearcadh a bheadh ~ nó nach mbeadh – agat ar theaghlach ríoga na Breataine, cuimhnigh go bhfuil bean bhocht le fuadach. Cuirim ort, ar do níochas pearsanta féin, teacht liom go hiargúltachtaí Chiarraí id theangaire.’

Rinne an tAthair Padraig gáire agus gliondar air.

->

‘LThat is up to y, but still, better return to London’

‘Dineen. regardless of what view you might or might not have of the British royal family. remember that a poor woman is to be kidnapped. I ask you, on your own personal ????, come with me to the remote areas of Kerry as an interpreter.

Fr. Patrick laughed and beamed at him

Chuimhnigh de Hoilm tamall. Ansin ar seisean,

“An rud nach féidir, ni féidir é. D’fheadfainn í a mharú. Ni fhéadfainn í a fhuadach, gan pobal na Breataine a bheith ar mo thaobh.”

‘Aren’t you the lowly gentleman? Despite your powers, your detective skills, I believe your old enemy would get the upper hand on you this round, if not for me. Tell me; do you believe in your heart that the Queen could be kidnapped? Remember now, how would you do it?

Holmes thought for a while, Then he said,

‘An impossible thing, it is not possible. I could kill her, but I could not kidnap her without the British public on my side.’

‘Ach…’

‘Bhí sé ag obair faoi cheilt san eagraiocht acu ‘Bhí sé ag obair faoi cheilt san eagraiocht acu siúd agus rug siad air.’

‘And you think Professor Moriarty would succeed in doing it?’

‘But…’

‘Think now. That agent of yours that was killed, who killed him?’

‘Followers of Moriarty.’

‘Why did they kill him?’

‘He was working undercover in that organization of their’s and they caught him’

‘Ach cad ab áil leo cleas mar sin a imirt orainn? Ni bheadh aon mhaith le baint as.’

‘Nach mbeadh?’ arsa an Duinnineach. ‘Cad é an bunrún atá ag Moriarty?

‘They played the oldest trick in the books on you. They gave him a fake story to bring back to you: That the Queen would be kidnapped. They killed the poor man so that you would believe the story that came from him. The murderer shoved those notes down in his pocket for you to find [them]. They were mysterious enough for you not to realize that they were just bait [there was nothing in them but bait].’

‘But why would they want to play such a trick on us? There is no good to come of it’

‘Wouldn’t it?’ said Dineen. ‘What is Moriarty’s primary purpose?’

‘Cé hé an namhaid shaolta atá ag Professor Moriarty, an t-aon fhear amháin atá nios treise ná é, más fíor don Dochtúir Bhatson, a bhfuil a thuairiscí léite agam sa Strand?’

‘Bhuel, tháinig mise anseo chun fíosruithe a dhéanamh, do chabhair a lorg…’

‘To confuse the world to give himself a chance to get power. ‘

‘Who is Professor Moriarty’s mortal enemy, the only man stronger than him, if Dr. Watson is right, whose reports I have read in the Strand?’

******
‘Me, of course. I am not boasting. It’s true that Moriarty isn’t afraid of anyone else besides me’

‘What have you done since you found out about the plot?’

‘I came here to make inquiries, to seek your help…’

‘Chuig na háiteacha [var pl] atá luaite sa teachtaireacht. Go Ciarrai, áit shinseartha Professor Moriarty.’

Bhí cuma chráite ar aghaidh de Hoilm tamall agus é ag cuimhneamh ar an mbuille tubaisteach a thabharfadh scéal mar sin don teaspach náisiúnta.

‘Let me reveal the hints to you. And if I wasn’t preventing you, where would you go now?’

‘To the places that are mentioned in the message. To Kerry, the ancestral place of Professor Moriarty.’

‘A place where he would be watching for you. Can’t you imagine the bruhaha in London when Moriarty announced that he had Sherlock Holmes as his prisoner?’

Holmes had an agonized look on his face for a while as he thought of the devastating blow that such a story would bring to the national spirit.

‘Nior luaigh mise Bertie …

‘Nior ghá duit. Bíodh a fhios agat, a chroí, gur nós leat eanga an fhidléara ar do smig a chuimilt agus cinsireacht á dhéanamh agat ar scéal’

‘The Queen was never his target and the talk about the Prince was just an embellishment to the story. With that help, how could it not be possible…’

‘I didn’t mention Bertie’

‘You did not need to. Know, me dear, that you tend to rub the fiddler’s crease on your chin while censoring a story.’

Chraith de Hoilm lámh leis an Duinníneach.

‘Beidh lá eile ag an bPaorach,’ arsa an Duinnineach.

‘I will not lay a finger on it again!’

Holmes shook hands with Dineen.

‘I will repay you for the favor, someday,’

‘Power will have another day,’ said Dineen. [last words of Edmund Power, executed for his part in the Wexford Rebellion of 1798.]

‘Fillfead ar Londain.’

‘Londain. Fan amach as an lodar,’ arsa Ó Duinnin agus d’imigh sé leis go Mullach Íde na muc is na madra.

‘Where are you travelling now?’ he said to Holmes as they left the pub.
‘Return to London.’

‘London. Stay out of the slough/swamp,’ said Dineen as he left for Mallahide of the pigs and the dogs.