[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]
I ll teach you to do that again!
He took a step to the door and seized the
walking-stick which was standing behind it.
I ll teach you to let the fire out! he said,
rolling up his sleeve in order to give his arm
free play.
The little boy cried O, pa! and ran whim-
206 Dubliners (Signet Classics)
pering round the table, but the man followed
him and caught him by the coat. The little boy
looked about him wildly but, seeing no way of
escape, fell upon his knees.
Now, you ll let the fire out the next time!
said the man striking at him vigorously with
the stick. Take that, you little whelp!
The boy uttered a squeal of pain as the stick
cut his thigh. He clasped his hands together in
the air and his voice shook with fright.
O, pa! he cried. Don t beat me, pa! And
I ll... I ll say a Hail Mary for you.... I ll say a Hail
Mary for you, pa, if you don t beat me.... I ll say
a Hail Mary....
CLAY
THE matron had given her leave to go out as
soon as the women s tea was over and Maria
looked forward to her evening out. The kitchen
was spick and span: the cook said you could
see yourself in the big copper boilers. The fire
was nice and bright and on one of the side-
tables were four very big barmbracks. These
barmbracks seemed uncut; but if you went closer
you would see that they had been cut into long
thick even slices and were ready to be handed
round at tea. Maria had cut them herself.
Maria was a very, very small person indeed
207
208 Dubliners (Signet Classics)
but she had a very long nose and a very long
chin. She talked a little through her nose, al-
ways soothingly: Yes, my dear, and No, my
dear. She was always sent for when the women
quarrelled Over their tubs and always succeeded
in making peace. One day the matron had said
to her:
Maria, you are a veritable peace-maker!
And the sub-matron and two of the Board
ladies had heard the compliment. And Ginger
Mooney was always saying what she wouldn t
do to the dummy who had charge of the irons
if it wasn t for Maria. Everyone was so fond of
Maria.
The women would have their tea at six o clock
and she would be able to get away before seven.
From Ballsbridge to the Pillar, twenty minutes;
from the Pillar to Drumcondra, twenty minutes;
and twenty minutes to buy the things. She
http://booksiread.org 209
would be there before eight. She took out her
purse with the silver clasps and read again the
words A Present from Belfast. She was very
fond of that purse because Joe had brought it
to her five years before when he and Alphy had
gone to Belfast on a Whit-Monday trip. In the
purse were two half-crowns and some coppers.
She would have five shillings clear after pay-
ing tram fare. What a nice evening they would
have, all the children singing! Only she hoped
that Joe wouldn t come in drunk. He was so
different when he took any drink.
Often he had wanted her to go and live with
them;-but she would have felt herself in the way
(though Joe s wife was ever so nice with her)
and she had become accustomed to the life of
the laundry. Joe was a good fellow. She had
nursed him and Alphy too; and Joe used often
say:
210 Dubliners (Signet Classics)
Mamma is mamma but Maria is my proper
mother.
After the break-up at home the boys had got
her that position in the Dublin by Lamplight
laundry, and she liked it. She used to have
such a bad opinion of Protestants but now she
thought they were very nice people, a little quiet
and serious, but still very nice people to live
with. Then she had her plants in the conser-
vatory and she liked looking after them. She
had lovely ferns and wax-plants and, whenever
anyone came to visit her, she always gave the
visitor one or two slips from her conservatory.
There was one thing she didn t like and that
was the tracts on the walks; but the matron
was such a nice person to deal with, so genteel.
When the cook told her everything was ready
she went into the women s room and began to
pull the big bell. In a few minutes the women
http://booksiread.org 211
began to come in by twos and threes, wiping
their steaming hands in their petticoats and
pulling down the sleeves of their blouses over
their red steaming arms. They settled down be-
fore their huge mugs which the cook and the
dummy filled up with hot tea, already mixed
with milk and sugar in huge tin cans. Maria su-
perintended the distribution of the barmbrack
and saw that every woman got her four slices.
There was a great deal of laughing and joking
during the meal. Lizzie Fleming said Maria was
sure to get the ring and, though Fleming had
said that for so many Hallow Eves, Maria had
to laugh and say she didn t want any ring or
man either; and when she laughed her grey-
green eyes sparkled with disappointed shyness
and the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her
[ Pobierz całość w formacie PDF ]