Page 304 - The snake's pass

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292 " THE snake's pass.
herself and take him about with her. I am quite sure
she understood that he was to be her protector."
" Thank you, Dick," I said, and I am sure he knew I
was grateful.
By this time we had come near the house, outside
which the car stood. Andy was inside, and evidently did
not expect our coming so soon, for he sat with a mea-
sure of stout half emptied before him on the table, and
on each of his knees sat a lady—one evidently the mother
of the other. As we appeared in the doorway he started
up.
" Be the powdhers, there's the masther ! Grit up,
acushla !"—this to the younger woman, for the elder had
already jumped up. Then to me :
"Won't ye sit down, yer 'an'r—there's only the wan
chair, so ye see the shifts we're dhruv to, whin there's
three iv us. I couldn't put Mrs. Dempsey from off iv
her own shtool, an' she wouldn't sit on me knee alone
—the dacent woman —so we had to take the girrul on
!
too. They all sit that way in these parts ! " The latter
statement was made with brazen openness and shameless
effrontery. I shook my finger at him :
" Take care, Andy. You'll get into trouble one of these
days !
"Into throuble ! for a girrul sittin' on me knee ! Begor!
the Govermint'll have to get up more coorts and more
polis if they want to shtop that ould custom. An'
more betoken, they'll have to purvide more shtools, too.
Mrs. Dempsey, whin I come round agin, mind ye kape