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My! I doubt if we'll get that out in the poss-tub.Àfter sponging his face and the hair above his ear she pointed to the slit in the lobe, saying now to Moira,

`D'you think it'll need a stitch?`

`Well, whether it does or it doesn't, you can't do it. No, I think if you just put a tight bandage round his head it might knit together overnight.`

`Yes, perhaps it might. But look at that!` She pointed to his cheek and eye, `He's goin' to have a shiner there the morrow. And it's God's blessin' and the devil's luck that ring didn't meet up with his eye or else it would be out.`

Ì'll say this much for you, Maggie Ann, you always look on the bright side. Now go and get something that'll act as a bandage.Àfter Maggie Ann had again left the room Moira, taking Daniel's hand, said,

`Promise me, now promise me, 93 boy, you won't think about leaving. Oh, I know you could join the army, or the navy tomorrow, or you could go and live with Pattie and her man, and they would welcome you, I know that, but no one needs you as I do. I can't explain why, except to say that you lighten my days.`

He turned his head away from her for he had become overwhelmed by the most unmanly feeling; he wanted to cry ...

It was the following morning at six o'clock that he knew he couldn't leave the house, because Moira, after five hours of agony, gave birth to a dead child.

3

In one way, Hector was as good as his word: Daniel didn't return to school. The pleas put forth by Moira on his behalf received the answer, `He can go back tomorrow if you will provide the money to support him.`

To this she had no answer; but for the first time in her life she wished that her Auntie Mattie were dead.

The men in the yard showed no surprise when they were presented with another assistant. Their master had addressed them when they were all together, saying, `My son is not returning to school; he's going to learn the business. I am asking each one of you to show him the ropes of your particular trade.`

That was all.

Hector did not give Daniel the order when to begin work; it came through Moira. On the day Pattie was to be married, when he looked in on Moira, who was still in bed getting over the trauma of her loss, she said to him, `For my sake, Daniel, please don't go to Pattie's wedding; he has arranged that you go down to the farm this morning. The men are to show you what to do.Ànd it appeared that the men had arranged it among themselves how they were going to deal with the young master. First he came under the care of Barney Dunlop who, leading him into the cowshed, said,

`This isn't my job, Master Daniel, but since Arthur Beaney left I've had to do me best, but`-- he grinned--Ì've been milking cows since the time I could toddle, so I know a little about them. Well now, we'll go and get them in and then

we'll start.` 95

So, during that first week, Daniel learned from one or the other: first, how to milk a cow; but he didn't have to learn how to dress a horse or attend a horse, because he had often done this during his holidays; he had as yet never ploughed a field or knocked staves into the ground to take the wire for fencing or turned the manure heap at the end of the yard. That job he found most distasteful, but he did it. They broke him in gently for that, by giving him the job of mucking out the stables.

During that first week he went to bed weary, yet sleep was hard to come by, because he was full of resentment against that man along the corridor with whom he wouldn't eat, taking his meals in the kitchen with Maggie Ann, much to her pleasure.

During the second week, when it rained almost continuously and the mud in the yard dragged at his feet and the steam and the smell of animal flesh in the byres seemed to choke him, he told himself more than once he wasn't going to stand it: that was all Irish blarney from Moira, him being the only bright thing in her life.

Then, during the third week, when the sun began to shine again and his body ached no longer and he found

he was always hungry, Moira gave him the news that the pattern of his days was about to alter, at least somewhat.

`What d'you think, boyo?` she said as she stood before him in the field. Ì've told himself for some time now the children must go to school, because there's a bill out that children must go to school and be educated: Patrick is six, and Sean five, and Margaret coming after them, and well, it would cost money, for they would have to be rigged out differently from what they are now; most of the time they are running about like scarecrows. That doesn't seem to matter when around the house, but away in school they've got to be decently put on, and if it's the village school, then better than most, if you know what I mean.

But even in the village school there'd be coppers each week for their learning, and it all mounts up. So, I suggested, why not let them take advantage of your learning, because until she left, Pattie had taught them their letters, but now you could go on and take them practically right through their schooling. It could be done in the mornings one week and the afternoons the next. How does this appeal to you?Ìt appealed to him greatly, but he wasn't inclined to show it, for the thought had come from him. 97 And he said as much: Ì want no favours from him. And he's out to save money.`

Òh, Daniel, Daniel; I suggested it to him. The thing is, he hasn't got any money to save. We're livin' from hand to mouth, as you know.` She paused a moment; then turning in a half circle, she looked about her across the expanse of the fields stretching into the distance, and she said slowly, Ì don't know why it doesn't pay. If this was in Ireland it would be a gold mine. Of coursè--she nodded to herself-- Ì've got to admit, there, all the family would have a hand in it. There wouldn't just be three hired men, nor yet one woman in the kitchen. But then again`--her eyes once more roved over the land-- ìt's big enough and the crops are ripe enough.`

`Yes, they might be ripe enough, Moira,` Daniel put in now, `but there's not enough of them. There's land lying fallow, so the men say.`

`But surely three good working men would be able to manage all this?`

`Barney is an old man, Moira, and Alex Towney sees to the home gardens, doesn't he? and the drive and the lawn; and in his spare time, the vegetables. And it's those, I understand, that bring in as much money as anything when they go to the market. And they've got to be taken there and somebody's got to sell them. That's Alex's job too. And Bob Shearman, he sees to the horses, the coach, the trap, the sheep, and God knows what else. Grounds like ours, Moira, and the farm, would need six men to run them if every inch of land was to be used, and the garden kept in order.`

She looked at him, her head on one side, and she said quietly, `Well, there's one thing sure, Daniel, you're learning fast. But what about the teaching?`

`You want me to do it?`

Òh yes, more than anything, because Patrick is running wild; he wants pulling up, and the strap alone won't do it. And he's had that of late; too much, I think. And Sean, Sean is different. He'd soak up knowledge.Àgain she looked to the side before asking, `Do you think Sean is different from the rest of my tribe, Daniel?`

`Yes. Yes, I do. He's the odd one out and the cleverest, at least so far.`

`He's all Irish, Daniel, 99 whereas the others aren't. What I mean by that is, there's something there in his make-up that both frightens and fascinates me. At times I see him as something out of folklore. You know what I mean?`

He didn't exactly, but he nodded at her.

With a gentle smile she turned away from him and he watched her walk across the field. She was big in the hips now and had put on weight all round and her body swayed as she picked her way over the uneven ground. For a moment he wondered why he had been so concerned about the revelation of his mother's diary, because there went all the mothers he had ever longed for rolled into one, and he knew that he loved her as if she herself had given him birth ...

Later that day he was at the far end of their land where a low brick wall cut the field off from the bridle path. He had been replacing coping stones on the top of the wall in the way Bob Shearman had shown him, when along the path came two young girls, and when they were abreast of him they stopped and both smiled at him, and one after the other both said, `Hello, Daniel.`

Daniel looked first at Frances Talbot;

in fact, he let his eyes linger on her because, as he put it to himself, she looked all golden, dressed as she was in a light fawn coat that reached the top of her light tan boots; while her hat was not a bonnet but one of those that had an upturned brim and a high crown and it showed off her hair and the fair ringlets hanging down to her shoulders. Her eyes were blue and her full lips red, and the skin on her face he likened to the top of the cream in the dairy.

Then his eyes lifted to her companion. He had never before taken much stock of Janie Farringdon, because she was what he supposed you called homely looking; she did not draw your eye. Yes, she had nice hair; it was brown but quite straight. He had never before really looked at her face. He supposed her eyes were of a greeny-grey, and her mouth was large, too large for beauty. As for her skin, well, compared with that of Frances, you could almost say it was dull. And she was taller than Frances, tending to be lanky.

Àre you glad you've left school, Daniel?`

He shrugged his shoulders before answering Frances, saying, `Some days yes, and some days no.`

Then on a smile he said, Èvery day 101 I don't really know.Ànd at this both the girls laughed and Frances said, Ì'm glad I left.`

`Yes, but you can stay in the house all day.`

He looked at Janie. She had a nice voice. She was of the same age as Frances but she sounded older.

More in order to keep his gaze away from Frances he spoke to her, saying, `You're still at school, Janie?`

`Yes, worse luck. Father says I'm there for another couple of years at least, till I'm eighteen.`

Àre you going in for a career? I mean, what are you going to do?`

Òh, I don't know.` She made a small movement with her head.

`Get married, of course.` This was brought out from Frances on a giggle, and when Janie replied stiffly,

`Not necessarily, Frances,àn awkward silence fell on the three of them, until Frances said flatly, `Well, what else is there for us?` to which Janie replied, `Don't be silly.`

Frances had turned her glance from Janie on

to Daniel and he, feeling the colour rising to his face, could resort only to flippancy by saying, `You could go on the stage.`

Both girls laughed together now; then apropos of nothing that had been referred to in the short conversation, Frances said, `Janie's mother takes us into Fellburn every Saturday. We visit the shops, then go round the market`--she turned to Janie--`don't we?`

Janie lowered her eyes for a moment, then answered, `Yes.`

`You take your stock into the market on a Saturday, don't you?` Frances remarked now.

`No, I don't; the men do.`

Òh.`

`Come on. Come on; we must get home,ànd Janie took hold of her friend's arm and tugged her away; and as Frances tripped sideways she laughed and called out `Bye-bye, Daniel,ànd he replied,

`Bye-bye, Frances.`

He stood watching them walking down the path and it seemed that Janie was talking rapidly, for her hat was bobbing; and he smiled to himself as he thought, she's likely admonishing Frances for being so forward ... But that was an open invitation, wasn't

it? And it proved one thing that made his 103 heart thump against his ribs; she liked him ... and he liked her. Oh, yes, more than liked, and had done for a long time. He couldn't remember when he hadn't liked her. She was so pretty. Oh no, not just pretty, she was beautiful. And she would grow more beautiful.

He stooped and picked up a coping stone, one of a number that had seemed very heavy a while ago but was now of no weight at all.

There was to be one advantage of having to remain at home, which would make it worth putting up with all the stress; he'd be able to see Frances as often as was possible. And yes, she had given him an idea: he could arrange it that he would go into town on a Saturday with the cart. Yes, that's what he would do.

Then, as he continued to lay one stone slantways against another, he wondered if she knew that her father had a mistress? Apparently her mother knew.

He did not get to the market with the cart on the Saturday. Bob Shearman said it was a one-man job and there was plenty for him to do on the farm, and

Alex Towney endorsed this. So it was three weeks before he again met up with Frances.

It was a Sunday when he saddled up Rustler and went for a ride. He was able to do this only because his father had been housebound for the last three days with a twisted ankle.

He took a roundabout way to reach the Talbot's farm so it wouldn't be evident that he had come straight from the house.

The word farm was but a courtesy description to apply to Matthew Talbot's land, for it was more of a homestead or market garden. Not that he hadn't a large acreage, but some was hilly and fit only for sheep.

The farmhouse was situated just a stone's throw from the road, and as he neared it he saw Luke, Frances's eighteen-year-old brother, examining a bird that was perched on the strip of lawn fronting the house. And the young man stood up and called, `Hello, Daniel. Lost your way?`

Daniel dismounted, linked the horse's reins around the gatepost and walked up the narrow path, saying,

`What have you there?`

Ìt's a mallard. Its wing is damaged, not

broken. It made for the pond behind the 105 house, but the ducks went for it ... Are you coming in?`

`Yes. Yes, I might as well. I've been let out.` They exchanged a glance, then both laughed.

`How are you finding it? Different from your school life, I bet.`

`Yes, quite a bit; but there are good days and bad days.`

`Like us all; we all have a taste of them. Ma! Are you there? Ma!`

They were now standing in the small hall, and a sleepy-eyed Mrs Talbot appeared from a room at the end of it, but on the sight of Daniel she blinked rapidly and exclaimed, Òh! Daniel, what a surprise.