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Hamilton slapped him on the shoulder. "Dont be blething, man
dear. What’s tenpounds when ye have to speak in hundreds? ye did bravely."
"There's another thing,” said Frank as they sat down at the table,
”Quinn was at me about letting the grazing at the lough."
"Well, we wont say aye, yes, nor no to that, ’til we have time to
look round us," answered his brother. 'Our worry'll be the lifting o’
the praties and corn from Bourke’s fields. We may get another hand or
two frae Banyil."
’And there’s the housing o’ the crops," said Sarah.
"Aye, there’s the housing o’ the crops. We couldna get the barn
door closed on the last harvest, and the haggard's no grown any since last
year."
"Ye may clear one o' the cottages on the hill."
Hamilton laid down his spoon and stared at her. "In the name o’ God,
woman! We canna put the craturs out on the road for a wheen av bags o'
corn and praties!"
"There’s no talk of them going out on the road. There's more cottages
nor one in the countryside."
"We didna buy the Dineens wi’ the land!" Frank burst out angrily.
"And we're no going to be held up by the likes o' them. This thing's
twist you and me," he continued pointedly. "And that’s my say, flat and
plain."
"You’ve taken a very sudden scunner at the Dineens."
"I’ve taken no scunner at the Dineens. But there’s no good saying
one thing and thinking another. »W’ll be looking that cottage afore the
harvest, so what's the use of all this farting and fiddling around?" He
paused, and then added, "As Sarah says, there’s more nor one place they
