"She's not forty, any way; and won't be yet for five years and more;
and, as I hope for glory, John--though I know you won't believe me--I
wouldn't marry her av' she'd all Sim Lynch's ill-gotten property,
instead of only half, av' I wasn't really fond of her, and av' I didn't
think I'd make her a good husband."

"You didn't tell mother what you're afther, did you?"

"Sorrow a word! But she's so 'cute she partly guesses; and I think Meg
let slip something. The girls and Anty are thick as thiefs since old
Sim died; though they couldn't be at the house much since Barry came
home, and Anty daren't for her life come down to the shop."

"Did mother say anything about the schame?"

"Faix, not much; but what she did say, didn't show she'd much mind for
it. Since Sim Lynch tried to get Toneroe from her, when father died,
she'd never a good word for any of them. Not but what she's always a
civil look for Anty, when she sees her."

"There's not much fear she'll look black on the wife, when you bring
the money home with her. But where'll you live, Martin? The little shop
at Dunmore'll be no place for Mrs Kelly, when there's a lady of the
name with £400 a-year of her own."

"'Deed then, John, and that's what I don't know. May-be I'll build up
the ould house at Toneroe; some of the O'Kellys themselves lived there,
years ago."

"I believe they did; but it was years ago, and very many years ago,