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Rasik continues: She was glad when the tea and went to her room to change, and after she changed her blouse, "she stood before the mirror and looked with quaint affection at the diminutive body which she had so often adorned. In spite of its years she found it a nice tidy little body." She took the tram and got off at the Pillar, went into Downe's cake-shop and bought a dozen mixed penny cakes. She had decided to buy some plumcake, But Downe's plumcake had not enough icing on top and she went over to a shop in Henry Street and fussed over the buying of the plumcake and bought a thick slice for two-and-four. She then took the Drumcondra tram and on that tram a stout "colonel-looking" gentleman made room for her and chatted with her. She got out at the Canal Bridge after she thanked him and bowed. When she got to Joe's there, having come back from business, there were two big girls from next door and games were going on. She gave the bag of cakes to the eldest boy to divide. Mrs. Donnelly thanked her and made all the children say "Thanks, Maria." Maria then looked for the plumcake she had bought for papa and mamma, and failing to find it, asked all the children "had any of them eaten it." Mrs. Donnelly said it was plain that she had left it on the tram and Maria, remembering how confused the stout gentleman had made her, coloured with shame and vexation and disappointment at the thought of her failure and the two and fourpence she had thrown away. Joe said it did not matter and made her sit by the fire.. Mrs. Donnelly played the piano and the next door girls handed out nuts.. Nobody could find the nutcrackers, and Joe got cross but Maria said she didn't like nuts and they weren't to bother about her. Maria then tried putting in a good word about Joe's brother, Alphy. But Joe said God would strike him dead if he ever spoke a word to his brother again. Mrs. Donnelly and Joe were about to have a row over Alphy but Joe said he would not lose hid temper on account of the night it was and he asked his wife to open some more stout, having insisted earlier that Maria take some stout. Everything was merry again and then the chidren played a game. Some saucers were laid on the table and the children were led to the table blindfold. One of the next door girl got the ring. Then as Maria was blindfolded and led to the table, she "laughed and laughed again till the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin. They led her up to the table amid laughing and joking and she moved her hand about here and there in the air and descended on one of the saucers. "she felt a soft wet substance with her fingers and was surprised that nobody spoke or took oof her bandage. There was a pause for a few seconds; and then a great deal of scuffling and whispering. Somebody said something about the garden, and at last Mrs. Donnelly said something very cross to one of the next-door girls and told her to throw it out at once." Mari understood that it was all wrong and she had to do it all over again and this time she got a prayer book. Soon they were all merry again and Maria took a glass of wine. Joe asked Maria to sing a song before she left. She sang I dreamt that I Dwelt and when she came to the second verse she sang again: I dreamt that I dwelt in marble halls With vassals and surfs at my side And of all who assembled within those walls That I was the hope and the pride I had riches too great to count, could boast Of a high ancestral name, But I also dreamt, which pleased me most, That you oved me still the same. No one told maria about her mistake. Joe was moved to tears by the song, so much that he could not find the corkscrew and he had to ask his wife about where it was. |
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