, dimpled, curly-headed;
such joyous disregard of rags and dirt; such kindness one to the other
in the little groups, where a child of ten would be giving an anxious
eye to four or five brothers and sisters, and mothering a contented baby
in arms as well.

Our driver, though very loquacious, was not quite intelligible. He
pronounced the simple phrase 'St. Patrick's Street' in a way to astonish
the traveller; it would seem impossible to crowd as many h's into three
words, and to wrap each in flannel, as he succeeded in doing. He seemed
pleased with our admiration of the babies, and said that Irish children
did be very fat and strong and hearty; that they were the very best
soldiers the Queen had, God kape her! They could stand anny hardship and
anny climate, for they were not brought up soft, like the English.
He also said that, fine as all Irish children undoubtedly were, Cork
produced the flower of them all, and the finest women and the finest
men; backing his opinion with an Homeric vaunt which Francesca took down
on the spot:--

'I'd back one man from Corkshire
To bate ten more from Yorkshire:
Kerrymen
Agin Derrymen,
And Munster agin creation,
Wirrasthrue! 'tis a pity we aren't a nation!'

Here he slackened his pace as we passed a small bosthoon driving a
donkey, to call out facetiously, "Be good to your little brother,
achree!"

"We must be very near Coolkilla House by this time," said Francesca.
"That isn't Salemina sitting on the bench under the trees, is it? There
is a gentleman with her, and she never wears a wide hat, but it looks
like her red umbrella. No, of course it isn't, for whoever it is belongs
to that maid with the two children. Penelope, it is borne in upon me
that we shouldn't have come here unannounced, three hours ahead of the
time arranged. Perhaps, whenever we had chosen to come, it would have
been too soon. Wouldn't it be exciting to have to keep out of Salemina's
way, as she has always done for us? I couldn't endure it; it would make
me homesick for Ronald. Go slowly, driver, please."

Nevertheless, as we drew nearer we saw that it was Salemina; or at least
it was seven-eighths of her, and one-eighth of a new person with whom
we were not acquainted. She rose to meet us with an exclamation of
astonishment, and after a hasty and affectionate greeting, presented
Dr. La Touche. He said a few courteous words, and to our relief made no
allusions to roun