"An' if we don't she won't believe it was the divil," said Patsy.
But Fly only shivered, and sobbed the more.
"Look here," said Jane, "she'll be sick if we don't dry her." So they all went upstairs, and Fly was washed, and dressed in her own clothes, and sent down to sit by the kitchen fire, having first sworn to cut her throat if she let out one word to Lull. Then the four went back to the schoolroom to think the matter over.
"We can't have Mrs M'Rea goin' round sayin' the divil tould her a lie," said Jane.
"An' we can't have her sittin' there all night scared to death," said Mick.
"We'll have to send her another message," said Jane.
"Another divil?" said Patsy.
"No," said Jane; "it must be some person from heaven this time to tell her that if she'll quit drinkin' the divil won't be let come!"
They agreed that this was the only plan; but who was it to be? "I'll be the Blessed Virgin," said Jane; "there's mother's blue muslin dress in the nursery cupboard, an' I can have the wax flowers out of the glass shade in my hair."
"But Mrs M'Rea's a Protestant," Mick objected, "an' what would she care for the Blessed Virgin?"