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on her and crying, Ìf you said your prayers, woman, as often as you open your mouth, you'd be flying with the archangels at this minute; but even then your wings would be flapping faster than theirs.`
    There was a titter now from both Rory and his wife. It was the first sound they had made since they had come into the room. It seemed to affect Moira and, with the exception of Brian, it was taken up by the others until the room was now filled with laughter. Even Pattie and Daniel, who were sitting on a small couch in the shadow of a French screen, turned to each other and grinned. Then Pattie, putting her mouth close to Daniel's ear said, Ì wish they were staying. There'd be some fun, wouldn't there?`
    When he didn't answer she muttered under her breath, `Well, don't you think so?`
    `Father wouldn't think so; he's mad.Àfter a moment she said, `Yes. Yes, he is, isn't he? He's let himself in for something.`
    Daniel lowered his head now and 43 muttered, `Did you know anything about this business of a priest and marrying in a Catholic church?`
    `No. No. All that talk must have happened when he was over there ... Anyway, it proves one thing.`
    `What?`
    `Well, she wanted to get married or get away from Ireland, one or the other.`
    Still with bent head he said, `Did the Irish people really starve to death?`
    `Yes, I suppose so.` Then with an unusual flash of humour she moved her head closer to his and almost spluttered as she muttered, `But this lot's going to see that they themselves are not going to starve to death. They've eaten enough tonight to last them for six months. They'll be like the cows, they'll chew their cud.`
    `Daniel! Pattie!` Their father's voice was stern. Ìt's very bad manners not to share a joke. What were you laughing about? Come on`--his voice was aiming to be merry now-- `we're all dying to hear.`
    Daniel looked at Pattie and Pattie looked at him and for once she hadn't a ready answer, and he realised this. So he said, `We were talking about cows, Father, re ... regurgitating.`
    `Cows regurgitating?` There was silence for a moment. Then Hector, looking around his guests and on a slight laugh, said, `They were talking about cows chewing their cud.`
    `Jesus in heaven! man, you don't need to translate the word. We might have just come over but our hair's dry. And I was at college in Dublin until I was eighteen. Regurgitating. Regurgitating.` Brian swung round in his chair now and looked towards the children, saying in a quite pleasant voice, Ànd why, may I ask, were you talking about cows regurgitating?`
    Daniel rose to his feet and he looked across the room to the man with the dark thin face and deep-set eyes who was staring at him. And he found himself speaking as he sometimes thought, `No reason whatever, sir, not that could be explained; it just came up in the course of conversation about cows. Why were we talking about cows? Well, I couldn't rightly say. Thoughts jump, you know, from one thing to another. It's, I suppose, what you would
    call a lack of ... of concentration.` 45 He knew he was talking like Mr Piers, who took history.
    The room seemed quiet as if there were no-one in it, and then his father said, `Come along and say good-night. It's about time you were both in bed. It's going to be a busy day tomorrow.Às Daniel led the way down the room, to the women present he bowed slightly, saying, `Good-night, ma'am,ànd to the men he said, `Good-night, sir.Ànd Pattie, seeming for once to follow his lead, did the same, with an added dip of the knee. Then they turned to their father and, looking up at him straight-faced and as if rehearsed, they spoke together, saying, `Good-night, Father.`
    They watched his Adam's apple jerk twice before he said, `Good-night, children,às he stepped aside so they could pass him.
    They now walked sedately from the room, closing the door after them; they scrambled across the hall and up the stairs. And it was Pattie's room they made for, and once inside, and again as