ter a few minutes she heard them go
back into the house. When all was quiet again she sat up. "I'll go to
hell," she said--"an' I don't care a bit. I wisht I was dead." She
had thought only yesterday, when she was converted, and had been all
warm and happy inside, that God would never let her fight any more.
But God had failed her. He had allowed her to fight the very next day.

"He might 'a' made me good when I ast Him," she muttered. "I hate
fightin'; but I can't help it, an' now I'll niver be good."

By-and-by she heard Honeybird at the kitchen door. "Janie, come in,"
she was calling, "there's awful nice pancakes for pudden." Jane didn't
want the pancakes; she wanted very much to go in, and be happy, but
something held her. "Come on in, Jane," Honeybird called. "Fly's
awful sorry she spit at ye." Honeybird called once more, then Jane
heard the kitchen door shut.

"It's the divil," she muttered; "he won't let me be good." In a burst
of despair she beat her head against the wall till she fell back
exhausted on the hay.

The next thing she heard--she must have been asleep--was the tea bell
ringing. Still she did not go in, but when the loft began to get dark
she was so frightened that she crept down the ladder, and went into the
kitchen. There was no one in the kitchen but Lull.

"Och, now ye'll be sick if ye cry like that," said Lull. "Sit down
here by the fire, an' have a drop milk an' a bit a' soda bread."

But Jane could not eat. She managed to swallow the milk, then as Lull
stroked her rough hair she began to cry again.

"Whisht, whisht, chile dear," Lull said; "sure, ye can't help fightin'
now an' then. Come on upstairs, an' have a nice hot bath, an' go to
yer bed, an' ye'll be as good as Saint Patrick in the mornin'."

When the others came to bed she was asleep, but she woke before they
were undressed.

"I'm sorry I was cross," she said.

"So am I," said Fly.

"Ye were just as cross as I was yerself," Jane said sharply.

"That's what I mane," said Fly.

"Then ye should say what ye mane," said Jane. "Ye just want to make me
fight again."

"'Deed, I don't," Fly began.

But Jane threw back the clothes, and jumped out of bed. "There!" she
said, "ye've done it. Ye've made me cross again."

Fly and Honeybird both began to cry. They got undressed, crying all
the time. When they were ready for bed Fly said: "Aren't ye goin' to
get into bed, Jane?"

"No!" said Jane.

"But ye'l