136 GARRYOWEN 



being sung to by the waves, tremendous, majestic, 

 desolate, just as they sang and were sung to ten 

 thousand years ago, just as they will sing and be 

 sung to ten thousand years hence. 



The recollection of Mr Giveen, called up in her 

 mind by the sea, brought French and his troubles 

 before her; the League and its pettiness, and old 

 Ryan and his cows' tails. Before the tremendous 

 seascape all these things shrank to their true pro- 

 portions, and the booming of the billows seemed 

 like a voice commenting on it all, yet indifferent to 

 the doings, the hopes and aims of man as Death. 



A spot of rain touched her cheek and she turned 

 from the cliff and began the descent tovv^ards the 

 house. At the gate leading into the kitchen-garden 

 a dirty and dragglc-t?iled girl without boots or 

 shoes, a girl of about fourteen, with a dirty face, 

 was endeavouring to unravel the mystery of the 

 latch — it was a patent latch with a trick bar in 

 the staple — and failing. 



Miss Grimshaw came to her assistance, opened 

 the gate and held it open for the other to pass 

 through, but the damsel did not enter. 



She stood with eyes downcast ; then she looked 

 up, then she looked down, then — 



" If you plaze, miss," said she, " are you the 

 young lady ould Mrs Moriarty tould me to ax 

 for? " 



" I'm sure I don't know," laughed Violet; then, 

 remembering the name, " Do you mean old Mrs 

 Moriarty at Cloyne? " 



