At last she hit upon the device of giving Martin half an hour's grace before expecting him.
"I will be lenient with the man, and not expect him until he has arrived," she said. "But it would do my heart good to pinch him."
The half-hour had been prolonged to an hour, and Molly Healy was in a white heat of fury when Martin arrived.
"And what has kept you to-day?" cried Molly Healy. "You are the slowest man in Grey Town, for sure, and that is saying you are phenomenally slow."
"You are angry," said Martin, in his most deliberate fashion.
"Angry! I am just quivering with ungovernable temper. I could shake you!"
"You require your letters delivered by a twenty horse-power auto-motor," replied Martin.
Therewith he began to run through the letters with a deliberation that was almost cruel.
"When you have done shuffling the cards, perhaps you will give me the one you have in your hand," cried Molly.
"Patience, young lady. I have a duty to perform——."