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Updated: June 13, 2025
"It appears," said the priest, "that your mother went out with a jug of porter under her apron, and offered a sup of it to Pat Connex, who was talking with Peter M'Shane, and now he is up at your cabin every Saturday." "That's it," said Ned. "Mrs. Connex was here the other day, and I can tell you that if Pat marries your sister he will find himself cut off with a shilling."
"Ned, you took the pledge the day before yesterday, and yesterday you were tipsy." "I may have had a drop of drink in me, your reverence. Pat Connex passed me the mug of porter and I forgot myself." "And once," said the priest, "you tasted the porter you thought you could go on taking it." Ned did not answer, and the priests whispered together.
The parlour on the other side of the house was even better furnished, for in the summer months Mrs. Connex bedded and boarded her lodgers for one pound or one pound five shillings a week. "So she was married to-day, and Father Maguire married her after all. I never thought he would have brought her to it. Well, I'm glad she's married."
I have seen this pride growing up in you, Annie Connex, this long while. There isn't one in the village now that you've any respect for except the grocer, that black Protestant, who sits behind his counter and makes money, and knows no enjoyment in life at all." "That's your way of looking at it; but it isn't mine.
When Peter came in for his dinner his mother said: "Peter, she's gone, she's gone to America, and you're well rid of her." "Don't say that, mother, I am not well rid of her, for there's no other woman in the world for me except her that's gone. Has she gone with Pat Connex?" "No, he said nothing about that, and it was he who brought the message." "I've no one, mother, to blame but myself.
She walked away quickly, and her mother said, "She's going with Pat Connex." But she had no thought of going to America with him. It was not until she met him a little further on, at the cross roads, that the thought occurred to her that he might like to go to America with her. She called him, and he came to her, and he looked a nice boy, but she thought he was better in Ireland.
"Never mind the drink," said the priest, "what then?" "There was dancing first and fighting after. Pat Connex and Peter M'Shane were both there. You know Pat plays the melodion, and he asked Peter to sing, and Peter can't sing a bit, and he was laughed at. So he grabbed a bit of stick and hit Pat on the head, and hit him badly, too. I hear the doctor had to be sent for."
"If Mrs. M'Shane tells the same story as you do we'll go to your mother's, and afterwards I'll go to see Lennon about his daughter." Pat's dancing with Kate and Kate's flight to America had reached Lennon's ears, and it did not seem at all likely that he would consent to give his daughter to Pat Connex, unless, indeed, Pat Connex agreed to take a much smaller dowry than his mother had asked for.
Thank God, Kate was out of her son's way, and on seeing Mary she resolved that Pat should never cross the M'Shane's threshold. Mrs. M'Shane looked round the comfortable kitchen, with sides of bacon, and home-cured hams hanging from the rafters. She had not got on in life as well as Mrs. Connex, and she knew she would never have a beautiful closed range, but an open hearth till the end of her days.
"All the boys in the village will be there to-night," said Ned. "You had better come with us." And pretending he wanted to get a coal of fire to light his pipe, Ned whispered to Kate as he passed her, "Pat Connex will be there."
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