The Real Charlotte. 295 



afther summonsing me mother before the Binch ? " she said, 

 unfastening her heavy blue cloak and putting her feet up on 

 the fender of the range. 



" Ah, God help ye, how would I hear annything ? " 

 grumbled Norry ; " it'd be as good for me to be in heaven 

 as to be here, with ne'er a one but Nance the Fool comin' 

 next or nigh me." 



" Oh, indeed, that's the thruth," said Mary Holloran with 

 polite but transient sympathy. "Well, whether or no, he 

 summonsed her, and all the raison he had for putting that 

 scandal on her, was thim few little hins and ducks she have, 

 that he seen different times on his land, themselves and an 

 owld goat thraveUin' the fields, and not a bit nor a bite be- 

 fore them in it that they'd stoop their heads to, only what 

 sign of grass was left afther the winther, and faith ! that's 

 little. 'Twas last Tuesday, Lady-Day an' all, me mother 

 was bringin' in a goaleen o' turf, an' he came thundherin' 

 round the house, and every big rock of English he had he 

 called it to her, and every soort of liar and blagyard — oh, 

 indeed, his conduck was not fit to tell to a jackass — an' he 

 summonsed her secondly afther that. Ye'd think me 

 mother'd lose her life when she seen the summons, an' 

 away she legged it into Rosemount to meself, the way I'd 

 spake to the masther to lane heavy on Kenealy the day he'd 

 bring her into coort. ' An' indeed,' says I to the masther, 

 ' is it to bring me mother into coort ! ' says 1 3 ^ sure she's 

 hardly able to lave the bed,' says I, ' an owld little woman 

 that's not four stone weight ! She's not that size,' says I — " 

 Mary Holloran measured accurately off the upper joints of 

 her first two fingers — *' ' Sure ye'd blow her off yer hand ! 

 And Kenealy sayin' she pelted the pavement afther him, 

 and left a backward sthroke on him with the shovel ! ' says 

 I. But in any case the masther gave no satisfaction to 

 Kenealy, and he arbithrated him the way he wouldn't be let 

 bring me mother into coort, an' two shillin' she paid for 

 threspass, and thank God she's able to do that same, for as 

 desolate as Kenealy thinks her." 



" Lambert's a fine arbithrator," said Norry, dispassion- 

 ately. " Here, Bid Sal, run away out to the lardher and 

 lave this within in it," handing over the singed hen, " and 

 afther that, go on out and cut cabbages for the pigs. Divil's 



