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Àw, Dada, you said as much yourself.`

Ì said no such thing, and I warn you, behave yourself. If you soil our name with your chatter, I'll cut your throat, begod! I will. With me own hand I'll do it.`

`Huh! That'll be the day that you do anyt'ing with your own hand.Àll eyes were now turned on Brian's wife, for she too had imbibed of the hard stuff. Ànd why shouldn't my Brian open his mouth and tell them a t'ing or two over here? 'Tisn't much opportunity we get. And as you know, neither my Brian nor me was for Moira making this match, as long in the tooth as he is.`

`How dare you! Mary Conelly.Ìt was

Moira bristling: no smile on her face now; no laughter in her voice.

However, immediately the attention of everyone in the room was caught by the old lady saying to Hector,

`Did you meet Mr Palmerston, Hector?`

`No, Aunt Mattie.` Good Lord, how old did she think he was?

À great man. A great man. If anyone could have saved Ireland, he was the one. And you didn't meet him?`

`No.` The word came sharp, definite.

Òh, then you never heard him speak, which is a great pity. He was a great orator; he kept your men in London on their toes. Great many stupid men up there. And your Gladstone is a ditherer, a ditherer. You have nothing like the Land League here, have you?`

The answer to this came sharply: `No, thank God, else they would be out to destroy us as they are destroying Ireland.`

`Destroying Ireland? Listen to him!Ìt was Brian shouting now. `Just listen to him, destroying Ireland.

You can't destroy a thing twice, man. You've already killed it, or nearly. You do know, don't you, that you did away with half a 39 million? Starved them to death. Aye, starved them to death with your bloody corn laws.`

`Nonsense! Nonsense! Even the child knows it was the potato famine.`

Àye, but what followed the potato famine? Migration to America. And what happened when they got there? They were so depleted they died by the hundreds.`

`Look, Brian, this is not a political meeting. It is a get-together prior to a wedding. Isn't that so, dear?`

Hector had turned to Moira.

For once Moira did not make a laughing reply but she said somewhat quietly, `Yes, that was the idea, Hector, and I must apologise for my lot.`

`Begod! you'll not apologise for me, our Moira. And what's come over you, anyway? there was nobody stauncher than yourself. It was you that boycotted Jimmy Bradley first, wasn't it, following Parnell's advice to every decent Catholic.` He now turned his gaze on Hector, saying, `The bloody landlord turned Davey Sheenan and his family out of his farm, on

to the road he put them. And there was Jimmy Bradley ready to go in. But we fixed him: the cattle got no water and he couldn't buy in the market, nor sell. He's going to emigrate now an' all, God's curse on him.`

`There was a law made, I understood, that eviction had to stop. I mean--` said Hector stiffly, only to be interrupted by the old man letting out a great, `Huh!òf a laugh, saying, Àh, Hector, boy, there's one law for the English and one for the Irish, that is the Irish farmers and peasants. But there's another law for the Irish Protestants; always has been. But their time's running out: the door of Home Rule is ajar and one of these days it'll be thrust open, blown open in places, oh aye, blown open, literally I mean, if you get my meaning.`

`Dada! Dada! Be quiet. You know that's only talk. Been talk for a long time.`

`Talk, daughter? You haven't been here in this land but days, and you're telling your Dada to be quiet, and that it's only talk. And you whose belly has gone hungry like the rest of us. You live in a castle, people say. My God! I'd change it for a good cow byre any day.`

`That isn't true, Sean.` 41

`Perhaps not, Kathleen.` The old man's voice was soft now and he nodded at his wife, saying, `We're all at sixes and sevens. I never wanted to come; you know that`--he turned from her and now looked straight at Hector, who was standing stiffly before the fireplace--`because this is a kind of wedding that's never been in our family. Not in my time or my father's or our fathers' before him, but, Protestant that you are, you're still of our line. Why wouldn't you talk to the priest?`

Òh, we've been through all this over and over. And what difference would it make, anyway?`

`None to you, seemingly, but, to her--she knows she should be married in church.`

`Well, what was to stop her marrying me in a Protestant church? but you wouldn't have that, would you?

So it's the registry office. Anyway--` Hector shook his head vigorously now and his voice was loud as he said, `We've been through all this. When I was with you last I told you what I had decided and I left it to her. It was up to her.`

`No good'll come of it.Ìt was Brian's wife speaking again in her thin high voice. Ànd as I said, before we put foot on that boat ...`

Her voice was cut by the old woman now turning on her and crying, Ìf you said your prayers, woman, as often as you open your mouth, you'd be flying with the archangels at this minute; but even then your wings would be flapping faster than theirs.`

There was a titter now from both Rory and his wife. It was the first sound they had made since they had come into the room. It seemed to affect Moira and, with the exception of Brian, it was taken up by the others until the room was now filled with laughter. Even Pattie and Daniel, who were sitting on a small couch in the shadow of a French screen, turned to each other and grinned. Then Pattie, putting her mouth close to Daniel's ear said, Ì wish they were staying. There'd be some fun, wouldn't there?`

When he didn't answer she muttered under her breath, `Well, don't you think so?`

`Father wouldn't think so; he's mad.Àfter a moment she said, `Yes. Yes, he is, isn't he? He's let himself in for something.`

Daniel lowered his head now and 43 muttered, `Did you know anything about this business of a priest and marrying in a Catholic church?`

`No. No. All that talk must have happened when he was over there ... Anyway, it proves one thing.`

`What?`

`Well, she wanted to get married or get away from Ireland, one or the other.`

Still with bent head he said, `Did the Irish people really starve to death?`

`Yes, I suppose so.` Then with an unusual flash of humour she moved her head closer to his and almost spluttered as she muttered, `But this lot's going to see that they themselves are not going to starve to death. They've eaten enough tonight to last them for six months. They'll be like the cows, they'll chew their cud.`

`Daniel! Pattie!` Their father's voice was stern. Ìt's very bad manners not to share a joke. What were you laughing about? Come on`--his voice was aiming to be merry now-- `we're all dying to hear.`

Daniel looked at Pattie and Pattie looked at him and for once she hadn't a ready answer, and he realised this. So he said, `We were talking about cows, Father, re ... regurgitating.`

`Cows regurgitating?` There was silence for a moment. Then Hector, looking around his guests and on a slight laugh, said, `They were talking about cows chewing their cud.`

`Jesus in heaven! man, you don't need to translate the word. We might have just come over but our hair's dry. And I was at college in Dublin until I was eighteen. Regurgitating. Regurgitating.` Brian swung round in his chair now and looked towards the children, saying in a quite pleasant voice, Ànd why, may I ask, were you talking about cows regurgitating?`

Daniel rose to his feet and he looked across the room to the man with the dark thin face and deep-set eyes who was staring at him. And he found himself speaking as he sometimes thought, `No reason whatever, sir, not that could be explained; it just came up in the course of conversation about cows. Why were we talking about cows? Well, I couldn't rightly say. Thoughts jump, you know, from one thing to another. It's, I suppose, what you would

call a lack of ... of concentration.` 45 He knew he was talking like Mr Piers, who took history.

The room seemed quiet as if there were no-one in it, and then his father said, `Come along and say good-night. It's about time you were both in bed. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow.Às Daniel led the way down the room, to the women present he bowed slightly, saying, `Good-night, ma'am,ànd to the men he said, `Good-night, sir.Ànd Pattie, seeming for once to follow his lead, did the same, with an added dip of the knee. Then they turned to their father and, looking up at him straight-faced and as if rehearsed, they spoke together, saying, `Good-night, Father.`

They watched his Adam's apple jerk twice before he said, `Good-night, children,às he stepped aside so they could pass him.

They now walked sedately from the room, closing the door after them; they scrambled across the hall and up the stairs. And it was Pattie's room they made for, and once inside, and again as if of one mind, they threw themselves on the bed and buried their faces in the quilt in an effort to smother their laughter.

When they turned on their sides their faces were wet, and when Pattie said, Òh, Daniel, you did sound funny. However did you manage to come out with something like that?` he replied in a measured tone,

`Well, I seem to think like that, but usually I can never get it out.`

`You got it out then, didn't you? It shook that big-mouthed Irishman. In fact, it shook the lot, Father most of all. Oh`--she put out her hand and caught his now--Ì wish you weren't going back to school.Ànd he, feeling a great warmth pass over him, said, Ì wish I wasn't either, Pattie.Ìn later years what he remembered most about that night was he and Pattie lying on the bed laughing until they cried, and that then she had held his hand.

3

The Christmas holidays were surprisingly cheerful. Daniel could not remember the house looking so bright and everybody so happy. He had

been welcomed home with open arms 47 by Moira: she had kissed him twice, the second time after exclaiming on how much he had grown. Maggie Ann too had hugged him, and she had waltzed him round the kitchen. But although Rosie had pulled a face and said Maggie Ann was mad and that she would have everybody else in the same boat as herself before long, he had noticed straight away that she, herself, was different. He couldn't put his finger on why, or how, he only knew she was different--perhaps happier would have been a better description. Yet she didn't smile a lot or laugh, like both Moira and Maggie Ann did.

And then there was his father. He had ruffled his hair as he exclaimed, `Well! well! I'll soon have to look out; you're sprouting like a bean pole. What do they feed you on in that place?`

When, later that day, he had visited the farm everyone seemed in good spirits. Only one person appeared the same as when he had left the house in September and that was Pattie.

He didn't see her until she came back from school; in fact, not until he went to meet her. He saw her from some way off and ran towards

her; but she made no further move towards him. She was wearing a long coat, a scarf, and a fur bonnet and woollen mittens. She was all muffled up, except for her face which looked white and pinched.

`Hello,` she said. `You've got back then?`

`Hello, Pattie. By! isn't it cold?`

`Well, looking at you, one wouldn't think so: you're not wearing a topcoat.`

`No, I'm not.` He looked down at himself as if he were just discovering he was without an overcoat; then, turning to walk by her side, he said, `How are you?`

`How am I?` She turned towards him. Ì'm sick and tired. I'm weary. And if there were any gypsies passing at this moment I'd beg to be taken away by them.`

`Why?`

`Becausè--her tone was vehement now--Ì'm sick to death of the two merry Marthas in that house.

Laughter at breakfast, dinner, and tea--and supper. But it's all put on, you know, because I've seen those two when they are by themselves and there's been no laughter on their faces then: serious they've been, nattering away. Then when 49 I come on the scene it's "Ha! ha! ha!" doing their turn.

They're clowns, you know, both of them. And there's something behind it all; nobody can laugh all the time.`

`Well, Pattie, it's likely their nature: they laugh at troubles.`

`Don't be silly, laugh at troubles.`

Ànyway, is Father letting you go pupil-teaching?`

Ì haven't asked him yet, but Miss Brooker is coming to see him tomorrow.`

Ìt'll be all right, you'll see.` He went to take her arm, but checked himself in fear of being repulsed, because this was the old Pattie, not the girl who had lain on the bed with him and laughed until she cried.

He said now, Ì hear there is going to be a party; quite a do on Christmas night. The Farringdons and the Talbots are coming, and Father said I could ask Ray; you know, Ray Melton from school, and to stay the night. Are you bringing anyone?`

`Well, who would I bring? not anyone from school, would I? And if Janie Farringdon's there and Frances Talbot, what more could I

want?`

Suddenly he stopped, gripped her arm and swung her round to face him while he demanded, `What is it you don't like about Moira? All right, she laughs a lot. Well, I can't see that that's a bad thing. As for Maggie Ann, she's a servant and you don't need to take any notice of her. But what is it about Moira? Is it because she's married Father?`

`No. No, it isn't because she's married to Father ... I wouldn't have cared who Father married, if you want to know. Oh ...!`

Whenever she couldn't find the answer to a question she would hunch her shoulders up around her chin, and they assumed this position now, and she walked on for almost a minute before she exclaimed, Ì

think there's something behind her. She's hiding something. I don't know what. Because why does she keep laughing all the time? People don't laugh all the time unless it's to distract you over something up.`

Ì like her laughing; it's a nice laugh, and she's kind. Don't you think she's kind?`

`People are not kind for nothing.`

He considered this for a moment before he said, `Well, perhaps she's grateful for Father marrying her, because she's old, isn't she? 51 twenty-five.`