CHAPTER XIII


People have said, retrospectively, that the rise of the Mangan family
dated from the fall of Larry Coppinger into the Feorish River. This
may, or may not have been the case but it is certain that Mrs.
Mangan's way through the world took at about this time an upward
trend, and one of the most perceptible ascending jerks was the result
of Lady Isabel Talbot-Lowry's Sale of Work.

This function had been ordained with, for object, the provision of a
fund for the renovation of the parish church of Knock Ceoil, and was
obviously a matter without interest for persons of another
denomination. Lady Isabel, and Miss Coppinger, and others of their
friends and neighbours slaved at the provision of munitions for it, as
good women will slave at such enterprises, squandering energy on the
construction of those by-products of the rag-bag that wen specially
consecrated to charitable purposes by the ladies of their period.

"No one will want to buy this rubbish," said Miss Coppinger, who never
tried to deceive even herself, "but people will have to spend their
money on something, and _we're_ not going to raffle bottles of
brandy--as they did at that R.C. Bazaar in Riverstown!"

Frederica could be just, but when a question of religion intervened,
she found it hard to be generous.