She reached out an eager hand, while her old eyes reflected the covetous gleam in his. “Ye’ll share wid yer ould fayther and mither, Phalim, me darlint?”
“Wan o’ these days maybe,” he said, returning the money to his pocket. “I’m goin’ intil a line av business that’ll pay; an’ I’ll have yees soon livin’ in betther style,” he said, with a contemptuous glance at their mean and squalid surroundings.
“Them’s not all sodger’s wages, me lad,” remarked the old man, with a knowing look.
“Did yees iver hear o’ bounty-jumpin’?” returned his son, with a coarse laugh. “It’s been a dangerous business, but, faith, a payin’ wan, too; an’ a smart chap cud foind chances now an’ agin to hilp hisself amang the rebs an’ the wounded.”
“An’ Phalim wasn’t the bye to neglict his chances; was ye, lad?” chuckled the old father.
“Niver a bit o’t, dad; an’ it’s mesilf, Phalim O’Rourke, as manes to be a moighty rich man wan o’ these days. Me gurrul, Belinda, shall roide intil her coach an’ wear her foine goold ornaments an’ her silks an’ satins wid the best.”
But observing significant glances passing between the old people, while his mother took her pipe from her mouth and shook her head ruefully, “What’s wrong?” he demanded, the color paling on his sunburnt cheek; “don’t tell me annything’s happened till her, the purtiest and swatest gurrul in Ameriky!”
At that his mother burst out into an angry denunciation of the girl; she was unworthy of his love; she was faithless; she had been married for a year to an old farmer living some miles away. The man was well off, and his money, house, and land had bought the silly, faithless creature.
Phelim’s face grew white with disappointment and rage as he listened to the tale; he clinched his fists and swore with horrible oaths that he would be revenged upon them both. He would shoot the old man dead in his tracks and blow out the brains of the faithless girl.
“Aisy, aisy, Phalim, me darlint! don’t yees be afther runnin’ yer neck intil a halter for the loikes av thim, the warthless varmints,” returned his mother, alarmed at his vehemence.