Part 25 (2/2)
”To be sure,” cried Mrs Sheridan, not hearing Sylvia's comment
”Michael will be pleased to see you Doesn't he call you 'Pretty Miss Kathie'? But you will excuse the liberty in a boy He is recovering, the doctor says, which himself was here to-day, and the car stuck out there in the ! Michael could hear hiood for the boy to hear But the doctor is too kind, for sure, to mean any harm, even to the car, and Michael and ry The Lord will overlook the words he used to the car and the council that should be taking care of the roads”
Kathleen hitched her own and Sylvia's horse to the fence, and entered a small, but wonderfully clean, roo-room for the family Here they found Michael, a boy of four, the baby of a faone, as a troop, to the State school at Swynford There they would re, such of them as were capable
Kathleen sat down beside the boy, and began to entertain hiether, as becaifts with her, an, which she slipped under his pillow, to be discovered after she had gone
Sylvia sat rigidly on her chair, absorbing the scene with her apparently sleepy eyes; while Mrs Sheridan bustled about, talking unceasingly, as she spread a clean table cloth and prepared the tea for her guests
”Did you ever hear such a rain? And the wind! The Lord preserve us; it was praying Michael and ht not be bloay, and us in it It was like the night hi to see him flicker out He died as peaceful as a child--just one sone An'
me alone in the house with him Mrs Smith that would have been beside me--she's dead herself now, God rest her soul, for she was a good neighbour--the rain and wind prevented her and many another And there I sat beside hi on theand roof, and the trees groaning as if in , and outside the river and sea roaring It was praying I was for the ht makes the storm more fearsome Now, sit down, Miss O'Connor, and you, miss; the tea is made
It's only bread and butter I can offer yous, but it is all I have, and welcome you are to it”
Kathleen sat down, but Sylvia Jackson, to Mrs Sheridan's intense concern, refused to eat or drink
”Thank you, I ary,” she said
Kathleen was hurt by what she regarded as a want of courtesy Everything was scrupulously clean, if poor, and the illingly gave all that she possessed To make amends for her friend's refusal, Kathleen drank er amount of bread and butter than she had ever done before Then, after a chat on the affairs of Grey Tohich Mrs Sheridan o
Mrs Sheridan followed theorously As they rode away her voice ht still be heard as she chanted Kathleen's praises to Michael
”What a dreadful woman!” said Sylvia
Kathleen was already deeply hurt by her friend's conduct, and she fired up into intense indignation at this reood, honest woiven her life for her children, and she is the soul of good nature”
Sylvia laughed good-humouredly at this championshi+p
”A very excellent person, no doubt,” she said, ”but an ungovernable tongue She never ceased talking while ere there No wonder hied for death--and peace!”
”You don't understand----,” Kathleen began
”I don't profess to understand I belong to another school to you My set detests the prosaic and coinal Platitudes are detestable to us, unless they come clothed in a brilliant metaphor Homely virtues I neither pretend to understand or admire I much prefer eccentricity, even clever vice”
Kathleen laughed tolerantly, recognising that further argument or expostulation was vain
”Shall we try the lower bridge?” she asked
”Of course we must Denis Quirk is toNow, there is a ly as to be beautiful, and wonderfully clever, soinal, full of a sardonic humour--an absolutely unique type Denis Quirk is the sort of ht condescend to love, and if ever I do love it will be like that river in flood down there”
The road ran high above a rocky gorge, through which the Grey was rushi+ng in a turbulent torrent of water It roared as it went, and leaped up angrily at the rocks on either side, foa into small whirlpools, as if in an impotent passion at the constraint
Kathleen looked at the flood, and then at Sylvia's sleepy face and dreamy eyes
”I wonder if you could love?” she asked