before, but at so much
slower a rate of progress that the sun had been up for more than an hour
when she stopped in front of Big Anne and the Dummy's little house. They
were disturbed at their breakfast by the sound of the arrival, and when
they came to the door, saw their visitor in the act of depositing a
second chair upon the ground beside the cart.

"Whethen now and is it yourself back agin?" said Big Anne. "And what at
all have you got there?"

"Inside they're goin'," said Mad Bell, pointing to the cart-load with an
elated air. "It's a dale handier to have some chairs and tables."

This was a fact which Big Anne might well have admitted, considering
that she had just been squatting on her heels to eat her plate of
stirabout. However, she only continued her perplexed catechism: "Where
at all was you after bringin' them things from, and who might be ownin'
them?"

"Out of a house burnin' down," said Mad Bell.

"Och between us and harm. What house is it then? And how did it get
burnin'?"

"Sure it's aisy enough settin' a house on fire," said Mad Bell with a
grin, which to Big Anne who at this time was not familiar with her
manners, looked rather sinisterly significant. "Flarin' up rael strong,"
she said, pushing towards her, as if in confirmation of the statement,
the little wooden clothes-horse, whose rails were blackened and charred.

"Aisy it may be," Big Anne said, looking aghast at it, "but dreadful
divilment it is to do such a thing, wid the misfort'nit people very apt
to lose their lives, let alone everythin' else."

"There was nobody in it on'y the couple of fat little childer," said Mad
Bell.

"The saints be among us all, woman," said Big Anne, "what sort of talk
have you? It's not streelin' about the counthry you are, wid them ould
sticks of furnitur', and lavin' the little childer in the house blazin'
up? The Lord pity the crathurs, what 'ud become of them if they was left
thataway? Burnt to cinders be now very belike."

"Stufficated," said Mad Bell, with a complacent nod.

Big Anne and the Dummy stared at one another in great horror. The Dummy
could express her feelings only by crossing herself and gasping; but
Big Anne spoke volubly: "May God forgive me for openin' me lips to the
likes of you. Och but you're the unnatural wicked woman to go do such a
thing, if you was twyste as cracked and crazy itself. Git along out of
this, yourself and your ould cart, afore the polis comes after you. Och