Поющие в терновнике

           "DoyouthinkI’mwithoutarelativeintheworldandmustleavemymoneyandmylandtoMotherChurch,isthatit?"

           "Ihavenoidea,"hesaidtranquilly,pouringhimselfmoretea.

           "Asamatteroffact,Ihaveabrotherwithalargeandthrivingfamilyofsons."

           "Howniceforyou,"hesaiddemurely.

           "WhenImarriedIwasquitewithoutworldlygoods.IknewI’dnevermarrywellinIreland,whereawomanhastohavebreedingandbackgroundtocatcharichhusband.SoIworkedmyfingerstothebonetosavemypassagemoneytoalandwheretherichmenaren’tsofussy.AllIhadwhenIgotherewereafaceandafigureandabetterbrainthanwomenaresupposedtohave,andtheywereadequatetocatchMichaelCarson,whowasarichfool.Hedotedonmeuntilthedayhedied."

           "Andyourbrother?"heprompted,thinkingshewasgoingoffatatangent.

           "MybrotheriselevenyearsyoungerthanIam,whichwouldmakehimfifty-fournow.We’retheonlytwostillalive.Ihardlyknowhim;hewasasmallchildwhenIleftGalway.AtpresenthelivesinNewZealand,thoughifheemigratedtomakehisfortunehehasn’tsucceeded.

           "ButlastnightwhenthestationhandbroughtmethenewsthatArthurTeviothadpackedhistrapsandgone,IsuddenlythoughtofPadraic.HereIam,notgettinganyyounger,withnofamilyaroundme.AnditoccurredtomethatPaddyisanexperiencedmanoftheland,withoutthemeanstoownland.