"What on earth are you talking about?" Dick broke in impatiently.

Mrs. Twomey flung a glance to the doorway. Christian was no longer
there. On a lower key, and directed to Miss Coppinger, a fresh stream
flowed. A young woman had died; a young woman who had been privileged
to marry a relative, of a degree of relationship obscure, but still
honoured, of Mikey Twomey's; "and she afther having a young son, and
the boy that marrit her as proud!--and a very good baby, and what
misfortune came to her no one'd know, only the Lord God Almighty, but
she died on them. And she a fine, hard, hearty, blushy, big lump of a
gerr'l. And 'tis true what they said--"

The details that followed were hissed, prestissimo, into the ear of
Miss Coppinger, but that Dr. Aherne was to be blamed, was made as
clear to Dick Talbot-Lowry as to his cousin.

The tale was concluded in tears.

"Look! I has to cry when I thinks of it!"

It is impossible with Mrs. Twomey, and her like, to argue a point, or
to attempt an appeal to reason. A flat and dictatorial contradiction
may have some temporary effect, and Major Talbot-Lowry adopted this
method, for lack of better, in defence of his nominee. Mrs. Twomey,
however, continued to weep.

"But Mary," urged Frederica, "there isn't a doctor in the world who
doesn't lose a patient sometimes. It may not have been this
unfortunate young man's fault in the least--"