ignorant Sean O’Connor with his builder’s yard and dirty shop, with his tinker’s brood of children, had dared to forbid Berna his house. Had dared to apologise on
his
daughter’s behalf for something … which had never been proved, mind you.
Doctor Lynch came slowly up the steps. Peggy let him in and stood back fearfully as he climbed the stairs. Donal, running down to see who was the visitor, met him on the landing between the kitchen and the sitting room.
‘Doctor Lynch.’
‘Yes. Which one of them are you? Which of Sean O ’Connor’s brats are you? You’re in your dressing-gown. Are you sick? Have you been sick, boy, come on?’
Flattened against the wall, Donal stared up at him with huge eyes.
‘I’m Donal,’ he said, ‘I’m seven. I’ve a touch of asthma. It’s not bad. I’ll grow out of it.’
‘Who told you that?’
‘Everyone says it. Mam says it.’
‘What does your Mam know about it? Does she deign to take you to a doctor at all, or does she have medical skills herself?’
Aisling and Elizabeth heard the shouting and rushed to protect Donal.
‘Well, has she?’ Doctor Lynch was roaring.
‘Go to the shop and get Mam,’ hissed Aisling, and Elizabeth, round-eyed, slipped down the stairs.
‘Who are you?’ The man smelt awful and had stubble all over his face.
‘I’m just visiting,’ said Elizabeth, backing away. She didn’t stop to get her coat, though it was freezing outside.
‘Nice to know the O’Connors are still allowed some visitors. Who’s her father, then – a duke? A doctor’s child isn’t good enough for Sean O’Connor. …’
‘Her father works in a bank in England,’ said Donal helpfully.
Doctor Lynch gazed at him. ‘You’ve more than a touch of asthma, young fella, you have a chest that whistles like a kettle. A great pity your mother never took you to a doctor. I don’t like the sound of it. …’
Aisling’s face blazed. ‘There isn’t a thing wrong with Donal, not a thing. He’s a touch of asthma, that’s all, it gets worse in the bad weather. And Mam has taken him to a doctor, to Doctor MacMahon. And the hospital. And everything. So you’re all wrong. You’re not a proper doctor anyway.’
‘Oh, Aisling.’ Donal looked at her nervously, afraid that she had gone too far. People didn’t say things like that. … Doctor Lynch drew himself up. Aisling’s mind churned, but she saw that she had to go on. If she stopped now, Donal’s faith would go. He would always believe he had a terrible disease if she backed down in front of Berna Lynch’s awful father. Taking a big breath and putting her arm around her brother’s shoulder, she continued.
‘I know what I’m talking about. My father and mother don’t approve of you, Doctor Lynch. They think you’re unreliable. That’s why none of us go to you when we’re sick. We go right out to Doctor MacMahon’s house.’
She didn’t hear her mother bounding lightly up the stairs, summoned by Elizabeth in a few short sentences.
‘Doctor Lynch … Aisling. …’ She saw that Donal was terrified as the two faced each other – the shaggy, unkempt doctor and Aisling, her eyes bright and her red curls bouncing.
‘You’ll answer for this, you impudent little brat,’ he said, moving towards her. Donal, standing in the corner, raised his voice, but only a thin squeak came out.
‘No, she didn’t mean. …’
‘But I did,’ cried Aisling. ‘It’s wrong to come here, to come here all dirty and shabby and start frightening Donal and telling him he’s not well. He’s only got a touch of asthma, do you hear me? Everyone knows it … everyone. …’
Eileen stepped in. It was to Aisling she moved, and she put a hand on a trembling shoulder.
‘Come on, Matthew,’ she said calmly. ‘Go home with you at once. If you want to call on us, come back when you’re in better shape. I can’t imagine why you want to come here bringing yourself down to the level of children. Come on,
his
daughter’s behalf for something … which had never been proved, mind you.
Doctor Lynch came slowly up the steps. Peggy let him in and stood back fearfully as he climbed the stairs. Donal, running down to see who was the visitor, met him on the landing between the kitchen and the sitting room.
‘Doctor Lynch.’
‘Yes. Which one of them are you? Which of Sean O ’Connor’s brats are you? You’re in your dressing-gown. Are you sick? Have you been sick, boy, come on?’
Flattened against the wall, Donal stared up at him with huge eyes.
‘I’m Donal,’ he said, ‘I’m seven. I’ve a touch of asthma. It’s not bad. I’ll grow out of it.’
‘Who told you that?’
‘Everyone says it. Mam says it.’
‘What does your Mam know about it? Does she deign to take you to a doctor at all, or does she have medical skills herself?’
Aisling and Elizabeth heard the shouting and rushed to protect Donal.
‘Well, has she?’ Doctor Lynch was roaring.
‘Go to the shop and get Mam,’ hissed Aisling, and Elizabeth, round-eyed, slipped down the stairs.
‘Who are you?’ The man smelt awful and had stubble all over his face.
‘I’m just visiting,’ said Elizabeth, backing away. She didn’t stop to get her coat, though it was freezing outside.
‘Nice to know the O’Connors are still allowed some visitors. Who’s her father, then – a duke? A doctor’s child isn’t good enough for Sean O’Connor. …’
‘Her father works in a bank in England,’ said Donal helpfully.
Doctor Lynch gazed at him. ‘You’ve more than a touch of asthma, young fella, you have a chest that whistles like a kettle. A great pity your mother never took you to a doctor. I don’t like the sound of it. …’
Aisling’s face blazed. ‘There isn’t a thing wrong with Donal, not a thing. He’s a touch of asthma, that’s all, it gets worse in the bad weather. And Mam has taken him to a doctor, to Doctor MacMahon. And the hospital. And everything. So you’re all wrong. You’re not a proper doctor anyway.’
‘Oh, Aisling.’ Donal looked at her nervously, afraid that she had gone too far. People didn’t say things like that. … Doctor Lynch drew himself up. Aisling’s mind churned, but she saw that she had to go on. If she stopped now, Donal’s faith would go. He would always believe he had a terrible disease if she backed down in front of Berna Lynch’s awful father. Taking a big breath and putting her arm around her brother’s shoulder, she continued.
‘I know what I’m talking about. My father and mother don’t approve of you, Doctor Lynch. They think you’re unreliable. That’s why none of us go to you when we’re sick. We go right out to Doctor MacMahon’s house.’
She didn’t hear her mother bounding lightly up the stairs, summoned by Elizabeth in a few short sentences.
‘Doctor Lynch … Aisling. …’ She saw that Donal was terrified as the two faced each other – the shaggy, unkempt doctor and Aisling, her eyes bright and her red curls bouncing.
‘You’ll answer for this, you impudent little brat,’ he said, moving towards her. Donal, standing in the corner, raised his voice, but only a thin squeak came out.
‘No, she didn’t mean. …’
‘But I did,’ cried Aisling. ‘It’s wrong to come here, to come here all dirty and shabby and start frightening Donal and telling him he’s not well. He’s only got a touch of asthma, do you hear me? Everyone knows it … everyone. …’
Eileen stepped in. It was to Aisling she moved, and she put a hand on a trembling shoulder.
‘Come on, Matthew,’ she said calmly. ‘Go home with you at once. If you want to call on us, come back when you’re in better shape. I can’t imagine why you want to come here bringing yourself down to the level of children. Come on,
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