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           Helookedathisfathersourly,thecauseofthenewlifecreatingsuchchaosinthehouse.Servedhimright,gettingdoneoutofhisshed.

           SomehowtheotherboysandevenMeggiehadneverintrudedonhisthoughtsthewayHaldid;butwhenFee’swaistlinebegantoswellthistime,hewasoldenoughhimselftobemarriedandafather.EveryoneexceptlittleMeggiehadbeenuncomfortableaboutit,hismotherespecially.Thefurtiveglancesoftheboysmadehershrinklikearabbit;shecouldnotmeetFrank’seyesorquenchtheshameinherown.Norshouldanywomangothroughthat,Franksaidtohimselfforthethousandthtime,rememberingthehorrifyingmoansandcrieswhichhadcomefromherbedroomthenightHalwasborn;ofagenow,hehadn’tbeenpackedoffelsewhereliketheothers.ServedDaddyright,losinghisshed.Adecentmanwouldhaveleftheralone.

           Hismother’sheadinthenewelectriclightwasspungold,thepureprofileasshelookeddownthelongtableatPaddyunspeakablybeautiful.HowhadsomeoneaslovelyandrefinedasshemarriedanitinerantshearerfromthebogsofGalway?WastingherselfandherSpodechina,herdamasktablenaperyandherPersianrugsintheparlorthatnooneeversaw,becauseshedidn’tfitinwiththewivesofPaddy’speers.Shemadethemtooconsciousoftheirvulgarloudvoices,theirbewildermentwhenfacedwithmorethanonefork.