“You’ll mind that for me!” she called out over her shoulder to Ratigan, as she darted out of the door.
Mind it! Little delay Ratigan made, only whipped the bag of money out of where Marg had it inside the cloak, and away with him, like a redshank, by the back door.
“What at all brought you here, at this late hour?” said Marg, reaching up her hand to help Mickey off the side-car.
“Well, when I saw the evening turning so wild and hard,” said Mickey, “I thought bad of you having that long walk home, after such an early start this morning. And along with all, I had a bad dream and I sitting in the chimney-corner. I thought to see you in some great danger ... and it was about the money you were after getting for the bullocks.... So Dan was back, and he gave me an account of all, and the good price they made.... And I got him to throw the harness on the old mare ... it was too bad a day for she to go plough.... I would have been here long ago, if I’d been able to get ready meself.... But hurry now, girl dear! you’re getting all wet ... and no cloak about you....”
“Sure, what matter! And I dreading the long walk home in the dark!” said Marg, nearly ready to cry when she thought of the poor old lame chap quitting his snug seat at home, to come look for her, at the very time that she was listening to Ratigan with his foolish wild talk.
“I’ll just run back for the cloak,” said Marg, “and then there need be no more delay upon us, only to get home in comfort!”
Well, there’s where it was, when she went back, and took up the cloak, and just put her hand inside, to make sure she had the money, and it wasn’t there! She nigh-hand fainted, with the fright. She couldn’t believe it! She felt in all her pockets, over and over again. She called out for Mrs. Melia, who came and helped her to look everywhere about the room, and out in the wet street, over to where Mickey was waiting on the side-car, and telling Marg to make haste and come on out of that.
“What will you do, at all at all?” said Mrs. Melia ... “will you be able to pacify Mickey? ... tell him ... what would you say? that you left it here with me, and I having it locked up and had to go away....”
Mrs. Melia made that up out of the goodness of her heart, but Marg wouldn’t agree.
“I can only say what happened,” she said.