“And who is this young leddy?” asked Mrs. O’Brien, looking at Tom.

“It’s a friend of mine,” said Mrs. Murphy.

“Don’t you know me?” asked Tom, who, in the days of her rags and tatters, had known Mrs. O’Brien.

“Shure and it isn’t Tom?” said Mrs. O’Brien, in surprise.

“Did ye iver see such a change?” said Mrs. Murphy. “Shure and I didn’t know her meself when she came in wid my Mike.”

“It’s mighty² fine you’re dressed, Tom,” said Mrs. O’Brien. “Your granny aint come into a fortun’, has she?”

“I don’t live with granny now,” answered Tom. 208“She’s a bad old woman, and she isn’t my granny either.”

“It was only yesterday I saw her, and fine she was dressed too, wid a nice shawl to her back, and quite the leddy, barrin’ a red nose. She says she’s come into some money.”

Tom opened wide her eyes in astonishment³. She had speculated more than once on granny’s circumstances, but it had never entered her thoughts that she had taken a step upwards⁴ in respectability.

“Where did you see her?” asked Tom.

“She was gettin’ out of a Third Avenue car. She said she had just come from up town.”

“She was lookin’ after me, it’s likely,” said Tom.

“Where did she get her new clothes from?” Tom wondered.

“Maybe she’s been adopted by a rich family in Fifth Avenoo,” remarked Mike,—a sally which nearly convulsed his mother with laughter.

“Shure, Mike, and you’ll be the death of me some time,” she said.

209“She’d make an interestin’ young orphan,” continued Mike.

“Hadn’t you better marry her, Mike? and then you’d be my grandfather,” suggested Tom.

“Such a beauty aint for the likes of me,” answered Mike. “Besides, mother wouldn’t want her for a daughter-in-law. She’d likely get jealous of her good looks.”

分享到：