“Och, the sorra fear!” said Kitty; “I could be handling a half-score of them, and be making me soul, at the same time!”
Of course, she was a practised hand by then.
“Let me! ah! let me be at them, too!” said Marg; and down with her on her two knees, and began at the baby that was nearest to her in the tub. And when she felt the soft little body in her hands, and the warm, pleasant water with the soap-bubbles floating and winking upon it, her own eyes began to shine, and her cheeks grew like roses. Ten years younger she appeared to Kitty to become, that minute; and a shy, happy smile on her mouth, like a girl again.
“There now,” said Kitty, lifting the other baby out upon her lap; “we have one a-piece! But how did you know so well to take the right child?”
It was only by chance it happened. But Marg was holding the Heffernan baby in her arms. And Kitty saw now that the tears were running down poor Marg’s face. So she pretended not to see that, and began sharing out the baby-clothes into two heaps, and instructing Marg, that had never done the like before, how to dress the baby. And then she got its food ready, and gave the cup into Marg’s hand.
And Marg did all, just as Kitty directed her, as mild as if she was an infant child herself. Her eyes kept bright with tears, but they stopped falling, and there remained the same soft smile upon her lips.
She never so much as lifted a look from the baby, till she had done feeding her, and had her rocked to sleep upon her knee, Kitty sitting opposite her and doing the same; and neither of the women speaking, till the babies were sound asleep.
Then Marg stood up, with Rosy’s child in her arms, and she said, “Now we must be off with ourselves; let you be putting the cloak about me! there it is, upon the floor, where I let it down off me, before I began at the child.... Mind now, take care what you’re doing! You might smother the baby, easy. And now let me be shortening the way home. It wouldn’t answer to be keeping this little laneen out too late....”
“Is it taking her away with you, you are!” said Kitty, very astonished at the thoughts of Marg walking off like that with the poor little stray child in her arms.
“What else, what else? I can’t leave her after me! I’ll not go without her! Och, Kitty, haven’t you the full up of the house of your own; and why wouldn’t I have this one little child?”