The English Tutor Read Online Free PDF Page A

price he had got for a twelvemonth.
    “ Och, that ’ s the bad luck! ” the man sympathized. “ But I ’ m always telling the boy he ’ ll never make money till he moves his stables. The land his side of Loch Sidhe is no good for horsebreeding. ”
    “ But Conn doesn ’ t want to make money—not a lot of money, ” she said.
    The dealer smiled.
    “ He may want to one day, ” he said, and pulled one of her curls.
    The afternoon went well with Kevin. His bargaining produced the right results, and Clancy, encouraged by his good humour, put in a little bargaining of her own and received a slap on the back from her father who told her she was a true O’ Shane and as shrewd as himself.
    “ You ’ re a good child, Clancy, here—buy yourself a fairing, ” he said, and flung her a five-pound note.
    Clancy ’ s eyes grew dark with wonder. There was nothing to spend money on at Kilmallin, so she seldom had any. This was riches indeed.
    “ Can I spend it al l ?” she asked with awe.
    “ Sure you can spend it all, ” laughed Kevin. “ Buy yourself some fal-lal to dazzle the eyes of Conn Driscoll. ”
    “ Conn takes no notice of fal-lals, ” said Clancy happily, and rushed off to spend.
    But she did not spend it all. An old-fashioned glass paperweight in the form of a globe which when turned upside down became a snowstorm, took her eye, and she bought this for herself and something for Brian, so that he should share in the pleasure of such a perfect day, and the change she stowed carefully away in the pocket of her neat tweed suit against another occasion. One never knew, she thought, suddenly sober, when one might need money.
    They visited more saloons before they went home. Kevin, mellowed, but by no means drunk, told the company at large all about the English tutor he was engaging for his children, together with anecdotes of the string of governesses, prompted by Clancy when his memory failed him. It would be good, he said, to have a man in the house besides himself. They nodded their heads wisely and all approved his choice of a tutor, even of his nationality.
    “ My daughter, ” said Kevin solem n ly, “ has a mislike for the English. She ’ s a great patriot, my daughter. She doesn ’ t take kindly to British rule. ”
    This was considered a great joke, and one little man, raising his glass said: “ To hell with the British, here ’ s to them! ”
    They drove home in the darkness, Clancy ’ s head resting against her father ’ s shoulder, while he told her disreputable stories of his youth, and sang old ballads in a rich, tuneful baritone.
    Clancy sighed deeply with contentment and closed her eyes. If the notion of another man in the house—even an Englishman—could do so much for Kilmal li n, then she would suffer him, for now at last they were companions, father and son, roystering together.
    She lifted up her own small voice and joined him in a rendering of The Wearing of the Green.
    It was the be ginning , but it was also the end. The next day Kevin was morose, already a little a shamed of his foolish pretence. He looked broodingly at his boy, so reluctant to share his company. Here was his son, his true son, on whom his hopes had rested for so many years. Nature had cheated him and given a girl ’ s sickly body to the boy. What matter if the girl had been frail? Ailing women were a nuisance to be sure, but it was to be expected and they had no need of that strength and vitality that were so cruelly Clancy ’ s. He felt resentful of her health and her misplaced eagerness for his company. It should have been Brian receiving kindness from his friends, Brian beside him, happy and singing, after the day ’ s small pleasures.
    As the days passed, he seemed to ignore her more than before, and at first she thought she must have failed him by some thoughtless offence. But, watching him with Brian, she understood. She had failed him, but only by reason of her sex.
    There was much activity going on in