lities of moustache and
hair and eyes the wonder of which older minds can seldom appreciate.

Her mother said she did not feel at all well. She did not know what
was the matter with her, but she was more tired than she could
remember being for a long time. There was a dull aching in all her
bones, a coldness in her limbs, and when she pressed her hair
backwards it hurt her head; so she went to bed much earlier than was
usual. But long after her regular time for sleep had passed Mary
Makebelieve crouched on the floor before the few warm coals. She was
looking into the redness, seeing visions of rapture, strange things
which could not possibly be true; but these visions warmed her blood
and lifted her heart on light and tremulous wings; there was a singing
in her ears to which she could never be tired listening.

XII

Mrs. Makebelieve felt much better the next morning after the extra
sleep which she had. She still confessed to a slight pain in her scalp
when she brushed her hair and was a little languid, but not so much as
to call for complaint. She sat up in bed while her daughter prepared
the breakfast and her tongue sped as rapidly as heretofore. She said
she had a sort of feeling that her brother Patrick must come back from
America some time, and she was sure that when he did return he would
lose no time in finding out his relatives and sharing with them the
wealth which he had amassed in that rich country. She had memories of
his generosity even as a mere infant when he would always say "no" if
only half a potato remained in the dish or a solitary slice of bread
was on the platter. She delighted to talk of his good looks and high
spirits and of the amazingly funny things he had said and done. There
was always, of course, the chance that Patrick had got married and
settled down in America, and, if so, that would account for so prolonged
a silence. Wives always came between a man and his friends, and this
woman would do all she could to prevent Patrick benefiting his own
sister and her child. Even in Ireland there were people like that, and
the more one heard of America the less one knew what to expect from
the strange people who were native to that place. She had often thought
she would like to go out there herself, and, indeed, if she had a little
money she would think nothing of packing up her things to-morrow and
setting out for the States. There were fine livings to be made there,
and women were greatly