outgrown; then felt his way towards the door and out into the dark corridor.
Still groping, he made for the sound of the bawling voice coming from the room at the end of the corridor, and he became still when his father's voice, reaching top pitch, yelled the words: `What did you say?`
Now Moira's voice came as loud, crying, `You heard what I said. I told you in the beginning, and I say it again now, you can have me at any time of the night or day when you're sober, but I'll not have you on my body when you are filthy drunk. I saw too much of it over there.`
`You'll have me, woman, on your body whenever I think fit. Drunk or sober, d'you hear?`
`Yes, I hear. But you hear me now, Hector Stewart: you're working something off through your drink and I've a good idea what it is: your fancy woman has got tired of you. It must be that, because your twice-weekly meetings have ceased, haven't they? I'm not the thick, laughing Irish fool you've taken me for over the years: you married me because there was the promise of money in the offing. Well, I had my own reasons for marrying you, and one day I'll tell you what they were. In the meantime you're not going to take it out on me because you've lost your whore ...`
When there came to him the sound of a blow as loud as a hard hand slapping a bullock's rump, he jumped forward and thrust open the door, an action
which startled them both. 127
For a moment he stopped and gazed at them: at his father in his nightshirt, and Moira, one hand held to her face, the other now trying to cover her naked breasts with her torn nightgown.
`You hit her, you dirty cowardly scut, you!`
`Get out before I kill you. And I will. I will!` his father screamed. And almost with a leap Moira was in front of Daniel, forcing him back through the door, crying at him now, `Get away! For God's sake! Get away! Don't interfere. It's got nothing to do with you. Get away!`
Her manner and her voice seemed to sweep the hatred and anger from him, and for a moment he felt like a small boy who had crept into his parents' bedroom and witnessed something unusual. She gave him one hard push, then, turning quickly, she thrust her arms out and endeavoured to push her enraged husband back into the room; but so drunk was he that he staggered and fell on to the floor, and this enabled her to slam shut the bedroom door.
As Daniel stood leaning against the wall he became aware of a faint light penetrating the darkness, and he turned his head and looked towards
the end of the corridor. There he could just make out the bulky figure of Maggie Ann, the candle lantern in her hand.
When he made his way towards her she said, `They've been at it?`
`He hit her. She'll be black and blue. It was like a thump; I heard it.`
`He'll pay for it, never fear. I wish to God the devil would take him. But, lad, you shouldn't have interfered. You should never interfere in matters like that.`
`But he was yelling the place down; and the things he said to her!`
`Well, again I say, you shouldn't be listenin'; like that, you hear more than what's good for you. Now get yourself to bed. It's a pity your day had to end like that, because it was champion: the nice lasses there and the lad and the bairns enjoying themselves.` She had turned away and her voice faded as she mounted the attic stairs; but he remained standing where he was in the dark.
You hear more than what's good for you, she had said. Yes, perhaps he had. She ... she, like his mother, was having to put up with the ignominy of knowing that she had to take a back seat; in fact, that she was there just
to be used for breeding. And of the two he was 129 more sorry for Moira, for she'd had to bear him six children, eight with the one that died and the one born dead. The thought made him close his eyes tightly and stare into a blackness darker still.
When he got into bed he stretched out his arms and gripped the brass rails of the bedhead, and he saw a picture of Frances; although it was
Still groping, he made for the sound of the bawling voice coming from the room at the end of the corridor, and he became still when his father's voice, reaching top pitch, yelled the words: `What did you say?`
Now Moira's voice came as loud, crying, `You heard what I said. I told you in the beginning, and I say it again now, you can have me at any time of the night or day when you're sober, but I'll not have you on my body when you are filthy drunk. I saw too much of it over there.`
`You'll have me, woman, on your body whenever I think fit. Drunk or sober, d'you hear?`
`Yes, I hear. But you hear me now, Hector Stewart: you're working something off through your drink and I've a good idea what it is: your fancy woman has got tired of you. It must be that, because your twice-weekly meetings have ceased, haven't they? I'm not the thick, laughing Irish fool you've taken me for over the years: you married me because there was the promise of money in the offing. Well, I had my own reasons for marrying you, and one day I'll tell you what they were. In the meantime you're not going to take it out on me because you've lost your whore ...`
When there came to him the sound of a blow as loud as a hard hand slapping a bullock's rump, he jumped forward and thrust open the door, an action
which startled them both. 127
For a moment he stopped and gazed at them: at his father in his nightshirt, and Moira, one hand held to her face, the other now trying to cover her naked breasts with her torn nightgown.
`You hit her, you dirty cowardly scut, you!`
`Get out before I kill you. And I will. I will!` his father screamed. And almost with a leap Moira was in front of Daniel, forcing him back through the door, crying at him now, `Get away! For God's sake! Get away! Don't interfere. It's got nothing to do with you. Get away!`
Her manner and her voice seemed to sweep the hatred and anger from him, and for a moment he felt like a small boy who had crept into his parents' bedroom and witnessed something unusual. She gave him one hard push, then, turning quickly, she thrust her arms out and endeavoured to push her enraged husband back into the room; but so drunk was he that he staggered and fell on to the floor, and this enabled her to slam shut the bedroom door.
As Daniel stood leaning against the wall he became aware of a faint light penetrating the darkness, and he turned his head and looked towards
the end of the corridor. There he could just make out the bulky figure of Maggie Ann, the candle lantern in her hand.
When he made his way towards her she said, `They've been at it?`
`He hit her. She'll be black and blue. It was like a thump; I heard it.`
`He'll pay for it, never fear. I wish to God the devil would take him. But, lad, you shouldn't have interfered. You should never interfere in matters like that.`
`But he was yelling the place down; and the things he said to her!`
`Well, again I say, you shouldn't be listenin'; like that, you hear more than what's good for you. Now get yourself to bed. It's a pity your day had to end like that, because it was champion: the nice lasses there and the lad and the bairns enjoying themselves.` She had turned away and her voice faded as she mounted the attic stairs; but he remained standing where he was in the dark.
You hear more than what's good for you, she had said. Yes, perhaps he had. She ... she, like his mother, was having to put up with the ignominy of knowing that she had to take a back seat; in fact, that she was there just
to be used for breeding. And of the two he was 129 more sorry for Moira, for she'd had to bear him six children, eight with the one that died and the one born dead. The thought made him close his eyes tightly and stare into a blackness darker still.
When he got into bed he stretched out his arms and gripped the brass rails of the bedhead, and he saw a picture of Frances; although it was
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