“She’ll not get much of my company, any way,” said Meg. “I’ve had enough of the nasty place, and now Martin has a dacent house to put over our heads, and mainly through my mains I may say, I don’t see why I’m to be mewing myself up in such a hole as this. There’s room for her up in Dunmore House, and wilcome, too; let her come up there. Av she mains to demain herself by sticking down here, she may stay by herself for me.”
“But you’ll take your turn, Meg?” said Jane.
“It’ll be a very little turn, then,” said Meg; “I’m sick of the nasty ould place; fancy coming down here, Matilda, to the tobacco and sugar, after living up there a month or so, with everything nice and comfortable! And it’s only mother’s whims, for she don’t want the shop. Anty begged and prayed of her for to come and live at Dunmore House for good and all; but no; she says she’ll never live in any one’s house that isn’t her own.”
“I’m not so, any way,” said Jane; “I’d be glad enough to live in another person’s house av I liked it.”
“I’ll go bail you would, my dear,” said Matilda; “willing enough—especially John Dolan’s.”
“Oh! av I iver live in that it’ll be partly my own, you know; and may-be a girl might do worse.”
“That’s thrue, dear,” said Matilda; “but John Dolan’s not so soft as to take any girl just as she stands. What does your mother say about the money part of the business?”
And so the two friends put their heads together, to arrange another wedding, if possible.
Martin and Anty did not go to visit Switzerland, or Rome, as soon as they were married; but they took a bathing-lodge at Renvill, near Galway, and with much difficulty, persuaded Mrs Kelly to allow both her daughters to accompany them. And very merry they all were. Anty soon became a different creature from what she ever had been: she learned to be happy and gay; to laugh and enjoy the sunshine of the world. She had always been kind to others, and now she had round her those who were kind and affectionate to her. Her manner of life was completely changed: indeed, life itself was an altered thing to her. It was so new to her to have friends; to be loved; to be one of a family who regarded and looked up to her. She hardly knew herself in her new happiness.
They returned to Dunmore in the early autumn, and took up their residence at Sim Lynch’s big house, as had been arranged. Martin was very shy about it: it was long before he talked about it as his house, or his ground, or his farm; and it was long before he could find himself quite at home in his own parlour.