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In the farmyard he handed the horse and cart over to Barney, who asked him straight away, `Well, how did it go? Did you get your price?`

`Not quite, but near enough. Of course, I didn't expect the top, but I'm satisfied.Às Barney went to unharness the horse he muttered, `Your father's been through. Took the small cart and some sheep. Bob followed him to the road. He wasn't making for the market, but upwards, likely to Ted Brownlow's; he butchers in his spare time, and butchers the price an' all. Like goin' to a moneylender, goin' to him. Thought you'd better know.`

Daniel drew in a sharp breath between his clenched teeth before he said, `Yes, I'd better know. Thanks, Barney.` Then he turned and hurried back through the yard and towards the house.

As he neared the drive he stopped, for drawn up at the steps was a private carriage. A groom was standing by it, and when Daniel came

abreast of him the man touched his hat and 175 said, `Sir.` Daniel inclined his head towards him but did not speak.

In the hall he heard voices coming from the drawing-room, and with cautious steps he made his way towards it.

Quietly he opened the door, then became still. Two women were sitting facing each other: one was Moira, but his eyes became riveted on the other, for she too was Moira as she might have been twenty years ago.

Moira rose to her feet and held out her hand towards Daniel as he came hesitantly up the room. And when she brought him to a halt opposite the seated young woman and, with evident pride in her voice, said `This, Daniel, is my daughter,` the young woman inclined her head, responding, `How d'you do?Ànd the tone of her voice and her manner put her immediately in the same class as the carriage outside, and his surprise left his mouth agape until, seeming to come to his senses, he said, `Pardon me. I must appear stupid; the likeness staggered me, you are so like Moira. But`--he gave an embarrassed laugh--òf course you would be, wouldn't you?`

`Sit yourself down, Daniel, and listen to this. 'Tis strange what she tells me. Her name is Melissà--she smiled as she nodded from one to the other--ànd she's been living all these years in Carlisle. Now can you believe that? She tells me she knew nothing about me. Isn't that so?`

The young woman nodded, saying, `Yes, that is so, and ... and I might never have been told if I wasn't about to be married and leave the country. I'm off to France very soon: my husband-to-be is French, and my mamà--one shoulder gave the slightest of shrugs now--`well, I must now say my adoptive mama, is half-French, and as my adoptive father died last year she's going back to her people and my marriage is to be to a friend of that family--`

`But ... but weren't you told anything when you inherited the money from`--he indicated Moira with his hand, then added--`her Aunt Mattie?`

`No. No. When I received that money I imagined it was because Mrs Harding was a friend of my mama's and she had no other relative to whom to leave her money. If I had known of the circumstances then I would have surely, well, if

not refused it, have shared it with you.` She 177 was looking at Moira now, and Moira said, `Yes, I'm sure you would, my dear, I'm sure you would. But never mind about the money; you didn't tell me how you managed to find me.`

Òh, my mama did that. She got an agent in Ireland to find out discreetly if you were still living there and she was informed that you had married an English gentleman, a farmer, and that the farm was somewhere in the county of Durham. Well, it was quite easy from then.` The young woman smiled, then said sadly, Ì'm sorry our meeting has been so long in coming.`

`You ... you don't hold it against me, my dear?`

Òh, no, no. And I've been so fortunate to have been brought up by the Cunninghams and to have received such an education--`

`They are a wealthy family, then?`

`Yes, they are wealthy people.`

Daniel looked at this girl, this young and beautiful young woman, this cultured young woman, this daughter of Moira, who had lady stamped all over her. It was in her voice, in her manner, in her bearing.

She had a certain

dignity about her; there was none of the open-armed embracing that characterised her mother. He watched her reach out for a large soft doeskin bag that lay on the table to her side and, opening it, take out an oblong piece of paper and hand it to Moira, saying, Ì have a number of faults, but the main one is extravagance. I always want to spend money; I can see no reason in keeping it.` Her smile was broad now. Ì've always had a generous allowance, but when that legacy came to me from out of the blue I ... I bought a lot of unnecessary presents for people who didn't need them, I'm afraid, and that is all that is left of my personal account. My mama agreed with me that it should go to you. Of course, it should have been much more and, as I said, had I known--`

Her words were cut off by Moira who, one hand to her throat, was saying brokenly, Òh, my dear. My dear. Oh no! Two thousand, four hundred pounds. Dear God in heaven! It is too much. If this is the last of your money, won't you need it to help with your wedding?`

The young woman now got to her feet, saying, Ì don't think I'll need to worry about money ever in my life. I never have had to. I

only wish it was double or treble that 179 amount; in fact, all that was left to me. I'm--` she wetted her lips now and there was a break in her voice as she said, Ì'm sorry our meeting has to be so short this time, but I shall doubtless be visiting England from time to time--my future husband has businesses in London--and I would love to call on you, if I may?`

Òh, lass. Lass.Ìt was such a common term to apply to this beautiful, stylishly dressed young woman, and when Daniel saw them clasping each other he turned quickly and went from the room.

It was almost ten minutes later that they came into the hall, and Daniel, having opened the door, said to the girl, `Have you driven all the way from Carlisle?ànd she replied, Òh no! We are staying with friends at Tipton Hall, just beyond Newcastle. This is their carriage.`

`By! The children would have loved to see it.`

`You have children?` Melissa said, `They will be my half-brothers and sisters. Where are they?`

Òh, my dear,` Moira said, `scattered about the wood. They run wild most of the time. The two younger ones are up in the

nursery. Next time you are coming, let me know in advance and I'll have them all spruced up for you.`

They did not embrace again, but just held hands for a moment; then Moira stood at the top of the steps, both hands now clutching her throat, and she did not release them until her daughter, after stepping into the carriage, turned and waved to her, and she waved back. It wasn't an enthusiastic wave, but slow, its very movement indicating sadness.

The carriage had disappeared for some minutes but she still remained on the steps, gazing down the drive.

When eventually she turned and faced Daniel, he saw that she was too full for words and so, taking her arm, he led her back into the drawing-room.

After seating her, he picked up the cheque from the table and, putting it into her hand, he said, `Push that down your bodice. Don't let on to anyone about it. No-one, not even Maggie Ann.`

Òh, I must tell Maggie Ann.`

`No! nobody. D'you hear me? Nobody. And by the way, where is Maggie Ann?`

`Well, she scattered with the bairns 181 when she saw the fine carriage coming up the drive. She must have thought I was having a special visitor, as indeed I had, didn't I, Daniel?`

Ìndeed, you had. Indeed, you had; a beautiful young lady that you can be proud of.`

Òh yes, a young lady indeed. It's as well things happened as they did. I never thought I would thank God for bearing a child, and me not married. But just think, if she had been brought up over the water among my crowd, just think. And look at her: no swank about her and willing to accept me, Daniel, willing to accept me.`

Ànd why not? You can hold your own with anybody in the land. You don't need fine clothes to make you out. And she's all you. Oh yes, she's all you: without you inside her, her clothes and fine education would be as nothing.`

`You're always a comfort, Daniel. What would I do without you?`

`Never mind that. On Monday you're going to get yourself titivated up and you're going to Newcastle ...

not Fellburn but Newcastle, and to a bank there, and you're putting that money in, in your own name. And then you're going to a solicitor.`

Òh, be quiet. Be quiet.`

Ì'll not be quiet. Now I mean it, you're going to a solicitor. You can think about what you're going to say tonight, and tomorrow. Write it out in ordinary words what you want doing with the money should anything happen to you. But in the meantime, you can take out bits and pieces to keep you going, and the rest will accumulate interest. So there you are.`

`You've got it all cut and dried, haven't you?`

`Yes, for once I've got it all cut and dried. And you'll do this, won't you? Just to please me, you'll do this?`

She looked at him for a long moment, then she said, `Yes, Daniel, I'll do it. I'll put two thousand, four hundred pounds into the bank under the name of Mrs Moira Stewart. It should be just plain Moira Conelly, but if I put it under that name and anything should happen to me before me time-- although if I'm to believe Maggie Ann, nothing happens to anybody before their time--the squad across the water would be on to it.`

`The squad across the water can't do anything if

there's a statement made by you through a 183 solicitor that the money should go to the children.

Now, say nothing to anyone, but on Monday you take the train into Newcastle and you go to a bank.

We'll talk about which one and also about a solicitor. We could go to the one that deals with this property but that wouldn't be wise. I think there's an old firm near Bridge Street, up one of the cuttings.

I've passed it at times; it has a curved brass plate on the wall. Look, I'll tell you what I'll do. Tomorrow afternoon I'll take a ride out in the trap and do a bit of looking around. Being a Sunday it'll be quiet in the city, and nobody will know where I've been.`

He had forgotten for the moment where he spent his Sunday afternoons, or at least some part of them, but when he recalled it he told himself he'd look in on her as he came back.

There was the sound of scampering feet across the hall and Maggie Ann's strident voice yelling, `Stop your gallop, you lot!Ànd when the drawing-room door opened and Margaret cried, `Ma! our Patrick keeps nipping me, and Sean and him have been fightin',` Moira said, `Don't tell tales, Margaret. And look at the sight of you. Where've you been? You're mud up to the eyes.`

The little girl cried, `Patrick chased me into the wet bed at the bottom of the field.`

`Come here, Patrick.` Daniel beckoned the boy towards him, and taking him by the shoulders, he shook him as he said, `Now, from next week on and all during your holidays you're going to work; you'll start mucking out. You're nine years old; you should have been put to it before now.`

Àw! Daniel, man. Will I get paid?`

Daniel puffed out his cheeks before he said, `Yes, you'll get paid. You'll work at least six hours a day and you'll get a ha'penny an hour. Now how much is that for six days?`

While the boy was reckoning in his head, Sean said quietly, Òne and sixpence.`

`Shut up! you. I knew what it was, clever clouts!`

`Well, why didn't you say so?` Sean's tone was level; then he, looking at Daniel, asked, `Can I work an'

all?`

`Yes, you may work an' all, until you have to go back to school, but when you come home at night, and all day Saturday, you can 185 both earn a ha'penny an hour doing odd jobs. That understood?` He looked at Patrick and the boy screwed up his face for a moment, before saying, Àll depends what jobs.`

`You'll see soon enough.`

`More mucking out?`

`Yes, me boy, more mucking out. Anyway, you can have your choice. It'll be either the stables or the schoolroom. 'Tis up to you. Seeing there's no time like the present, go and change into your clogs and your old pants straight away. I'm changing my clothes too, and we'll go down and I'll start you on.`

He now turned to Sean and said, `What about it, Sean?Ànd Sean answered with a grin, Àll right, but I don't mind being upstairs.` ...

During Daniel's bargaining with the children Moira had taken Maggie Ann to the end of the long room and told her what had transpired with her visitor, leaving out the matter of the cheque. And when Margaret seemed intent on joining them, Daniel said, `Go on! you, and get into the kitchen and under the tap. Go on with you.Ìt was significant of where Daniel stood in the house when the child obeyed him without further demur.

And now he made his way down the room, there to see Maggie Ann with her head bowed and her arms hugging her huge waist, and her body swaying backwards and forwards in a rocking movement as she muttered, Ànd I didn't see her! I didn't see her! You could have called me.`

`How could I? And the children, the sight they are. And look at you. I'm bad enough, but you look as though you, too, have been in the wet beds at the bottom of the field. And your hair like rats tails hanging around your face; and two buttons off the front of your blouse.`

Ìf she was as nice as you say, she wouldn't have minded that. Did you tell her of me, an' my staying with you all these years?`

Daniel watched Moira draw in her bottom lip between her teeth before replying, Òf course I did. Of course I did. Who else would I talk about? You were the first one who held her, and, as you've so often said, you were also the last one to hold her before they took her away.`

Maggie Ann's great body began to shake; her head drooped further, and she turned away and went slowly up the room and out into the 187 hall. And as Daniel watched her, her sadness seeped into him; and then it was pressed deeper still with pity when Moira's voice came to him on an agonised mutter, `God forgive me; I never mentioned her.`

2

`What actually makes the wind, Daniel?`

`Well, it's the air, Sean.`