At this point in her narrative the woman looked mysterious, nodded her head, craned over the banisters to see that no one was near, slapped the children and shook up the baby as a sort of mechanical protest against the noise they were making (as to effects they only howled the louder), and drawing nearer to us, spoke in lower tones:
“T’ old lass has money, it’s my belief, though she gives me nowt for her lodging, and she spends nowt on herself. She’s many a time fair clemmed, I’ll assure ye, till I can’t abear to see it, and I give her the bit and sup I might have had myself, for I’m not going to rob t’ children neither for her nor nobody. Ye see it’s her son that’s preying on her mind. He wrote her a letter awhile ago, saying times was bad out yonder, and he was fair heart-broke to be so far away from her, and she’s been queer ever since. She’s wanted for everything herself, slaving and saving to get enough to fetch him home. Where she hides it I know no more nor you, but she wears a sight of old rags, one atop of another, and pockets in all of ‘em for aught I know—hold your din, ye unrewly children!—there’s folks coming. I’ll let ye in. I lock t’ old lass up when I go out, for she might be wandering, and there’s them hereabouts that would reckon nought of putting her out of t’ way and taking what she’s got, if they heard tell on’t.”
At last the door was unlocked, and we went in. And sitting on a low box, dressed as before, even to the old coat and the spotted kerchief over her bonnet, sat Biddy Macartney.
When she lifted her face, I saw that it was much wasted, and that her fine eyes had got a restless uneasy look in them. Suddenly this ceased, and they
lit up with the old intelligence. For half an instant I thought it was at the sight of me, but she did not even see me. It was on Dennis O’Moore that her eyes were bent, and they never moved as she struggled to her feet, and gazed anxiously at his face, his cap, and his seafaring clothes, whilst, for his part, Dennis gazed almost as wildly at her. At last she spoke:
“God save ye, squire! Has the old counthry come to this? Is the O’Moore an alien, and all?”
“No, no. I’m the squire’s son,” said Dennis. “But tell me quick, woman, what are you to Barney Barton?”
“Barney is it? Sure he was brother to me, as who knows better than your honour?”
“Did you live with us, too?”
“I did, acushla. In the heighth of ease and comfort, and done nothin’ for it. Wasn’t I the big fool to be marryin’ so early, not knowin’ when I was well off!”