who was going to
hand over her money to the priest or his architect to put up what
window they liked. She had been inside every church within twenty miles
of Kilmore, and would see that she got full value for her money.

At the end of the week she called at the priest's house to tell him the
pictures she would like to see in the window, and the colours. But the
priest's servant was not certain whether Biddy could see his reverence.

"He has a gentleman with him."

"Isn't it the architect he has with him? Don't you know that it is I
who am putting up the window?"

"To be sure," said the priest; "show her in." And he drew forward a
chair for Miss M'Hale, and introduced her to the architect. The little
man laid his pencil aside, and this encouraged Biddy, and she began to
tell him of the kind of window she had been thinking of. But she had
not told him half the things she wished to have put into the window
when he interrupted her, and said there would be plenty of time to
consider what kind of window should be put in when the walls were
finished and the roof was upon them.

"Perhaps it is a little premature to discuss the window, but you shall
choose the subjects you would like to see represented in the window,
and as for the colours, the architect and designer will advise you. But
I am sorry to say, Biddy, that this gentleman says that the four
thousand pounds the Americans were good enough to give me will not do
much more than build the walls."

"They're waiting for me to offer them my money, but I won't say a
word," Biddy said to herself; and she sat fidgetting with her shawl,
coughing from time to time, until the priest lost his patience.

"Well, Biddy, we're very busy here, and I'm sure you want to get back
to your fowls. When the church is finished we'll see if we want your
window." The priest had hoped to frighten her, but she was not the
least frightened. Her faith in her money was abundant; she knew that as
long as she had her money the priest would come to her for it on one
pretext or another, sooner or later. And she was as well pleased that
nothing should be settled at present, for she was not quite decided
whether she would like to see Christ sitting in judgment, or Christ
crowning His Virgin Mother; and during the next six months she pondered
on the pictures and the colours, and gradually the design grew clearer.

And every morning, as soon as she had fed her chickens, she went up to
Kilmore to watch