"And they have no business which keeps them in Cork?" continued the
priest, who seemed to be very curious on the matter.

"Well, they do have business, I suppose," said Fanny, "but av so I
never sees it."

Fanny O'Dwyer had a great respect for her uncle, seeing that he
filled an exalted position, and was a connexion of whom she could be
justly proud; but, though she had now come down to Kanturk with the
view of having a good talk with her aunt and uncle about the
Molletts, she would only tell as much as she liked to tell, even to
the parish priest of Drumbarrow. And we may as well explain here
that Fanny had now permanently made up her mind to reject the suit
of Mr. Abraham Mollett. As she had allowed herself to see more and
more of the little domestic ways of that gentleman, and to become
intimate with him as a girl should become with the man she intends
to marry, she had gradually learned to think that he hardly came up
to her beau ideal of a lover. That he was crafty and false did not
perhaps offend her as it should have done. Dear Fanny, excellent and
gracious as she was, could herself be crafty on occasions. He drank
too, but that came in the way of her profession. It is hard,
perhaps, for a barmaid to feel much severity against that offence.
But in addition to this Aby was selfish and cruel and insolent, and
seldom altogether good tempered. He was bad to his father, and bad
to those below him whom he employed. Old Mollett would give away his
sixpences with a fairly liberal hand, unless when he was exasperated
by drink and fatigue. But Aby seldom gave away a penny. Fanny had
sharp eyes, and soon felt that her English lover was not a man to be
loved, though he had two rings, a gold chain, and half a dozen fine
waistcoats.