Mary Mac Cann straightened up where she was sitting and became deeply interested.
Art turned and burst into a laugh as he looked critically at Eileen.
"I will not go with you," said he. "I don't care for you a bit."
She gave a hard smile and removed her hand from his arm.
"It's all the worse for me," said she, "and it's small harm to you, young boy."
"That's a new answer for yourself," said Patsy, grinning savagely.
"It is, and it's a new day for me, and a poor day, for it's the first day of my old age."
"You'll die in a ditch," cried Patsy, "you'll die in a ditch like an old mare with a broken leg."
"I will," she snarled, "when the time comes, but you'll never have the killing of me, Padraig."
Finaun was sitting beside Mary with her hand in his, but she snatched her hand away and flared so fiercely upon Eileen that the woman looked up.