It was true enough. Mac Cann was coming to them from a point at right
angles to where he was expected.
Now and again he turned to look over his shoulder, and as he was taking
advantage of dips in the ground, bushes, and such-like to shield his
advance his daughter divined that something had occurred in addition to
the purchase of food. She had often before observed her father moving
with these precautionary tactics, and had many times herself shared and
even directed a retreat which was full of interest.
When her father drew nigh he nodded meaningly at her, set down a basket
and a bundle, and stood for a moment looking at these while he thumbed
his chin.
"Faith!" said he, "the world is full of trouble, and that's a fact."
He turned to the strangers.
"And I'm telling you this, that if the world wasn't full of trouble
there'd be no life at all for the poor. It's the only chance we get is
when people are full of woe, God help them! and isn't that a queer
thing?
"Mary," he turned, and his voice was full of careless pride, "try if
there isn't some small thing or other in the basket, and let your
honours sit down on the grass while the young girl is getting your
breakfast."
So the angels and Patsy sat down peacefully on the grass, and Mary
opened the basket.
There were two loaves of bread in it, a fine square of butter, a piece
of cheese as big as a man's hand and four times as thick; there was a
leg of mutton in the basket, and only a little bit had been taken off
it, a big paper bag full of tea, a package of soft sugar, a bottle full
of milk, a bottle half full of whisky, two tobacco pipes having silver
bands on their middles, and a big bar of plug tobacco. Those were the
things in the basket.
Mary's eyes and her mouth opened when she saw them, and she blessed
herself, but she made no sound; and when she turned her face towards the
company there was no expression on it except that of hospitality.
She cut slices from each of these things and piled them on a large piece
of paper in the centre of the men; then she sat herself down and they
all prepared to eat.
The second angel turned courteously to Mac Cann.
"Will you kindly begin to eat," said he, "and by watching you we will
know what to do."
"There can be nothing more uncomely," said the first angel, "than to see
people acting in disaccord with custom; we will try to do exactly as you
do, and although you may be troubled by our awkwardness you will not be
shocked by a lapse from sacred tradition."
"Well!" said Patsy thoughtfully.
He stretched a hand towards the food.
"I'll stand in nobody's light, and teaching people is God's own work;
this is the way I do it, your worships, and any one that likes can
follow me up."
He seized two pieces of bread, placed a slice of cheese between them,
and bit deeply into that trinity.
The strangers followed his actions with fidelity, and in a moment their
mouths were as full as his was and as content.
Patsy paused between bites:
"When I've this one finished," said he, "I'll take two more bits of
bread and I'll put a lump of meat between them, and I'll eat that."
"Ah!" said that one of the angels whose mouth chanced to be free.
Patsy's eye roved over the rest of the food.
"And after that," he continued, "we will take a bit of whatever is
handy."
In a short time there was nothing left on the newspaper but soft sugar,
butter, tea, and tobacco. Patsy was abashed.
"I did think that there was more than that," said he.
"I've had enough myself," he continued, "but maybe your honours could
eat more."
Two of the angels assured him that they were quite satisfied, but the
youngest angel said nothing.
"I'm doubting that you had enough," said Patsy dubiously to him.
"I could eat more if I had it," returned that one with a smile.
Mary went to the cart and returned bearing two cold potatoes and a piece
of bread, and she placed these before the young angel. He thanked her
and ate these, and then he ate the package of soft sugar, and then he
ate a little piece of the butter, but he didn't care for it. He pointed
to the plug of tobacco:
"Does this be eaten?" he enquired.
"It does not," said Patsy. "If you ate a bit of that you'd get a pain
inside of your belly that would last you for a month. There's some
people do smoke it, and there's others do chew it; but I smoke it and
chew it myself, and that's the best way. There's two pipes there on the
paper, and I've a pipe in my own pocket, so whichever of you would like
a smoke can do exactly as I do."
With a big jack-knife he shredded pieces from the plug, and rolled these
between his palms, then he carefully stuffed his pipe, pulled at it to
see was it drawing well, lit the tobacco, and heaved a sigh of
contentment. He smiled around the circle.
"That's real good," said he.
The strangers examined the pipes and tobacco with curiosity, but they
did not venture to smoke, and they watched Patsy's beatific face with
kindly attention.