Here he busied himself in producing cold meat, a squash pie, and a bottle of whisky, and was as voluble as civil about every subject except the one I wished to talk of.

But the memory of his mother was strong upon me, and I had no intention of letting it slide.
"I'm so glad to have found you," I said.

"I am sure you can't have known what a trouble it has been to your mother never to have heard from you all these years." "Arrah! And why should she bother herself over me ?" he answered impatiently.

"Sure I never was anything _but_ a trouble to her, worse luck!" And before I could speak again, he went on.

"But make your mind aisy, I'll be writing to her.