'It is never too soon to teach them to obey the rules of a public place, and to be considerate of older people.' She seemed awestruck.

But when she found her tongue she stammered, 'Sure, ma'am, I've tould thim three times this day already that when their father comes he'll bate thim with a blackthorn stick!' "Naturally I was horrified.

This, I thought, would explain everything: no mother, and an irritable, cruel father.
"'Will he really do such a thing ?' I asked, feeling as if I must know the truth.
"'Sure he will not, ma'am!' she answered cheerfully.

'He wouldn't lift a feather to thim, not if they murdthered the whole counthryside, ma'am.' "Well, they travelled third class to Cork, and we came first, so we did not meet, and I did not ask their surnames; but it seems that they were being brought to their father, whom I met many years ago in America." As she did not volunteer any further information, we did not like to ask her where, how many years ago, or under what circumstances.

'Teasing' of this sort does not appeal to the sophisticated at any time, but it seems unspeakably vulgar to touch on matters of sentiment with a woman of middle age.