When he returned, Dilly was on her knees by the bed, making the room ring with her merry laugh, as she touched by turns the soft cheeks and the rosy fingers of the baby boy.
"Will ye have a piece of the loaf now?" inquired Bill.
"Have ye enough for all?" she asked, with motherly anxiety.
He sighed as he broke a piece and put it into her hand.
Half an hour later the porridge was ready, and Dilly reluctantly left the baby to eat her portion. What was her delight to see a beautiful china cup in her father's hand, and to hear him say, "There, Dilly, I found that to-day among the old rubbish, and I saved it for you."
"It's always for Dilly ye're saving," muttered Pat sullenly.
"Get ye off to bed," said his father sternly, "I've enough to bear without your grumblings."
The next day when they reached the field, they found two women quarrelling about a lot which both of them had chosen; but without making any effort to settle their difficulty, Mr. Hogan called his children to follow him and went off to the farther end of the field. The lot he chose happened to be a very poor one, and long before night he had cleaned it of everything that was valuable.
Leaning his head on his hands he sighed heavily.
"We must all starve together," he said again and again. "There is no use in trying any longer. Now there's another mouth to feed, and winter coming on, there is nothing for us but to die."