274 THE GARDEN OF A 



" I'll not go so far as to call her hill, Mrs. Evan, 

 but shook up and scattered like, and she took the 

 chance of slippin' down to speak with the priest 

 about it, while he would be in at his dinner, the 

 same which I call a liberty, having ought to ask 

 you." 



Shaken ? scattered ? priest ? I could not unravel 

 the matter, so I told Martha to explain, as she was 

 so evidently anxious to do. 



"Well, it's this way, Mrs. Evan, for it's not 

 listening and tattling to repeat what is spoken 

 aloud to those who has a right to hear. When 

 Delia broke with Patrick Doolan the night before 

 she thought to hear the banns read, she was glad 

 enough for a while, free in her mind and well con- 

 tent to be rid of him. After a time, howsomever, 

 the waste of her wedding gown, as it were, set heavy 

 on her; for you see, Mrs. Evan, it were all made 

 and ready even to the neck frill, blue silk trimmed 

 out with white lace, and a white hat, with a 

 plume that long " (measuring the length of her 

 arm) "all curled up around it. 



" I said as there were other men to marry, to com- 

 fort her, as it were ; but she says, ' Mrs. Corkle, 

 what's other men to me so long as they doesn't 

 ask me, and my dress going out of style from 



