f repentance. She
even continued the tale of the bad man to Fly and Patsy, who did not
know the truth, and were still frightened of him. She said she had met
him again. Where and when she was not going to tell, for he had told
her he was going to America, and was never going to steal any more. He
had also said that if she were a good girl he would give her a bantam
hen for herself.

"He'll on'y give ye the wan he stole from Father Ryan, an' then ye'll
have to take it back," said Fly.

"No; but he said it'd be wan he stole from somebuddy I niver seen or
knowed," said Honeybird.

"Don't you be takin' it," Patsy warned her. "The receiver's as bad as
the thief, ye know."

Honeybird was disconcerted for a moment. "Who tould ye that?" she
asked.

"It's in the Bible," said Patsy.

"Well, I don't believe it," said Honeybird. "Anyway, Almighty God
forgets things half His time. I seen somebuddy that done a sin wanst,
an' He niver let on He knowed."

That night Mrs Darragh was ill again. The children had all gone to
bed. Lull thanked God they were asleep as she sat by their mother's
side listening to her wild prayers and protestations of repentance.
"The childer'd make sure she was goin' to die if they heerd her," she
thought, and hoped the nursery door was securely shut. She had found
it was best to let Mrs Darragh cry till she had exhausted her grief.
Then she would fall asleep, and forget. Tonight it was past twelve
o'clock before Mrs Darragh slept. Lull made up the fire, and crept
softly out of the room to go to her own bed. But when she opened the
door she discovered the five children in their nightgowns sitting
huddled together in the passage. They looked at Lull with anxious eyes.

"Is she dead, Lull?" Jane asked. Lull drove them off to the nursery.

"Tell us, Lull; is she dead?" Mick begged.

"Not a bit a' her," said Lull cheerfully. "She's sleepin' soun'." She
tucked them into bed, and hurried back to see if they had waked their
mother. All was quiet there, and she was once more going off to bed,
when she heard voices in the nursery.

"I'll take it back the morra, but I think Almighty God's not fair." It
was Honeybird's voice. "He might 'a' done some wee thing on me, an'
instead a' that He done the baddest thing He knowed."

"Whist, Honeybird," came Jane's voice.

"I'll not whist," said Honeybird. "He's near bruk my heart. Makin'
mother sick like that all for the sake of a wee banta