Pure as the Lily Read Online Free Page B

from the table ‘where do you think you’re going?”
    “Just into the room.” Mary’s voice was flat.
    “You’ll sit down and finish your tea.”
    “I don’t want any tea.”
    “You’ll do what I say.” Alice’s hand on Her shoulder thrust her down on to the chair, and the impact of her spine with the wooden seat made her gasp.
    “And when you’re finished you can get that ironin’ done, me lady.” Mary now turned an indignant face up to her mother.
    “It’s Tuesday; I go to the pictures on a Tuesday, you know I do.”
    “Well, you’re not goin the night then
    I am so! “
    Alice drew herself up while she glared at her daughter and, her voice low now, she said, “You’ll defy me then?”
    Mary turned and looked down at her plate; she bit on her lip, and then she said, “It’s the only night out in the week I have. It’s only threepence, you know it is.”
    “Well, this is one night, threepence or sixpence or nothing, you’re not going.” And on this she marched out of the room and into the bedroom, where she grabbed up her coat and came back into the kitchen buttoning it. Looking from one to the other of the solemn figures sitting at the table, she said, “Now I’m tellin’ you; you both know what to do, you the ironing, and you your homework,” and went out.
    There was quiet in the kitchen, and the brother and sister did not look at each other but sat staring at their plates for some minutes, before slowly, as if activated by one mind, they started to eat.
    When the rain began to pelt against the window, Mary went hurriedly into the scullery, and as quickly came back saying, “He’s gone out without his coat, he’ll get sop pen
    “Will I go and look for him and tell him she’s gone?”
    Yes, go on, do that. Go up Ellison Street first. He might be standing in one of the shop doorways, the dead shops, or down Ormond Street. “
    “Aye. Aye.”
    “And here, put your old mac on else you’ll get sop pen an’ all. An’ it’s icy cold.” The boy felt grateful when Mary helped him on with his coat. He didn’t know why this should be for he never felt grateful for the kindnesses received from his mother. He had the same nice feeling when his da said a kind word to him. He knew that his da liked Mary better than he did him, but he didn’t mind that, well not really, for he liked Mary an’ all. Yet he knew he would feel better if his da would take more notice of him, because he thought a lot of his da, no matter what his ma said. It wasn’t his da’s fault that he was out of work, but his ma talked as if it was. There were only four boys in his class with da’s in full-time work. Another two had
    da’s on part time; for the rest, they were all in the same boat, so why should his ma go on like she did .
    ?
    He found Alee standing in the doorway of a barricaded shop, a shop that had died when the shipyard died. He went in out of the rain and stood beside him, and, blinking up at him, said, “She’s gone, Da.” Who’s she? The cat’s mother? “
    This was an attitude of his da’s he couldn’t quite make out. He said softly, The ma’s gone, Da. “
    “That’s better. Don’t they teach you manners at that school?” Jimmy didn’t answer this but said, “Mary said will you come back, she’s keeping the pot hot.” This last was a bit of his own invention, but he felt nice inside because he had thought of it.
    Alee looked down on the boy, then he put his hand on his shoulder, and as he felt the porous mac he said, You shouldn’t have come out, you’re wet through. “
    “We’re both in the same boat then.” The boy smiled up at him, and now Alee smiled back and cuffed his ear, then they stepped out into the driving rain. It was seven o’clock when Grandma McAlister came.
    Mabel McAlister was just an older replica of her daughter. She had the same thin face, sharp-pointed nose, and the same small over-full mouth, a feature that was at variance with her type of face; her