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Chapter 16
SuddenlyFee’shandcameout,restedonMeggie’sknee,andshewassmiling—notbitterlyorcontemptuously,butwithacurioussympathy."Don’tlietome,Meggie.Lietoanyoneelseunderthesun,butdon’tlietome.NothingwilleverconvincemeLukeO’Neillfatheredthatboy.I’mnotafool,Ihaveeyes.There’snoLukeinhim,thereneverwasbecausetherecouldn’tbe.He’stheimageofthepriest.Lookathishands,thewayhishairgrowsinawidow’speak,theshapeofhisface,theeyebrows,themouth.Evenhowhemoves.RalphdeBricassart,Meggie,RalphdeBricassart."
Meggiegavein,theenormityofherreliefshowinginthewayshesat,looselynow,relaxed."Thedistanceinhiseyes.That’swhatInoticemyselfmostofall.Isitsoobvious?Doeseveryoneknow,Mum?"
"Ofcoursenot,"saidFeepositively."Peopledon’tlookanyfurtherthanthecoloroftheeyes,theshapeofthenose,thegeneralbuild.LikeenoughtoLuke’s.IknewbecauseI’dbeenwatchingyouandRalphdeBricassartforyears.Allhehadtodowascrookhislittlefingerandyou’dhavegonerunning,soafigforyour‘it’sagainstthelawsoftheChurch’whenitcomestodivorce.YouwerepantingtobreakafarmoreseriouslawoftheChurchthantheoneaboutdivorce.Shameless,Meggie,that’swhatyouwere.Shameless!"Ahintofhardnesscreptintohervoice."Buthewasastubbornman.Hisheartwassetonbeingaperfectpriest;youcameaverybadsecond.
