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Chapter 7

Thetwomenwatchedherinscribehername;itwastheonlytimeherwritingwasnotcompressed.Tomcameforward,sputteredthepenacrossthepaperpainfully,thenthefencerwrote"Chas.Hawkins"inlargeroundletters,andaSydneyaddress.MaryCarsonwatchedthemclosely;whentheyweredoneshegaveeachofthemadullredten-poundnote,anddismissedthemwithaharshinjunctiontokeeptheirmouthsshut.

Meggieandthepriesthadlongsincedisappeared.MaryCarsonsatdownatherdeskheavily,drewanothersheetofpapertowardher,andbeganoncemoretowrite.Thiscommunicationwasnotachievedwiththeeaseandfluencyofthelast.Timeandtimeagainshestoppedtothink,thenwithlipsdrawnbackinahumorlessgrin,shewouldcontinue.Itseemedshehadalottosay,forherwordswerecramped,herlinesveryclosetogether,andstillsherequiredasecondsheet.Attheendshereadwhatshehadputdown,placedallthesheetstogether,foldedthemandslidthemintoanenvelope,thebackofwhichshesealedwithredwax.

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OnlyPaddy,Fee,Bob,JackandMeggieweregoingtotheparty;HughieandStuartweredeputedtomindthelittleones,muchtotheirsecretrelief.ForonceinherlifeMaryCarsonhadopenedherwalletwideenoughforthemothstoflyout,foreveryonehadnewclothes,thebestGillycouldprovide.