rs. Gould; 'that's May's affair--such work!'

'Say quickly! what is it, May?'

'Look here, girls, I can't explain everything now; but we are going to
give a ball--that is to say, all the young girls are going to subscribe.
It will only cost us about three pounds apiece--that is to say, if we
can get forty subscribers; we have got twenty already, and we hope you
will join us. It is going to be called the Spinsters' Ball. But there is
such a lot to be done: the supper to be got together, the decorations of
the room--splendid room, the old schoolhouse, you know. We are going to
ask you to let us take Alice away with us.'

The conversation was here interrupted by the appearance of the priest, a
large fat man, whose new, thick-soled boots creaked as he ascended the
steps of the altar. He was preceded by two boys dressed in white and
black surplices, who rang little brass bells furiously; a great
trampling of feet was heard, and the peasants came into the church,
coughing and grunting with monotonous, animal-like voices; and the
sour odour of cabin-smoked frieze arose--it was almost visible in the
great beams of light that poured through the eastern windows; whiffs
of unclean leather, mingled with a smell of a sick child; and Olive
and May, exchanging looks of disgust, drew forth cambric
pocket-handkerchiefs, and in unison the perfumes of white rose and eau
d'opoponax evaporated softly.

Just behind Alice a man groaned and cleared his throat with loud
guffaws; she listened to hear the saliva fall: it splashed on the
earthen floor. Farther away a circle of dried and yellowing faces
bespoke centuries of damp cabins; they moaned and sighed, a prey to the
gross superstition of the moment. One man, bent double, beat a ragged
shirt with a clenched fist; the women of forty, with cloaks drawn over
their foreheads and trailing on the ground in long black folds, crouched
until only the lean, hard-worked hands that held the rosary were seen
over the bench-rail.

The sermon came in the middle of Mass, and was a violent denunciation of
the Ladies Cullen, who, it was stated, had pursued one poor boy until he
took refuge in an empty house, the door of which he was fortunately
enabled to fasten against them; they had sent a sick woman blankets, in
which they had not neglected to enclose some tracts; amateur
shopkeeping, winter clothing, wood, turf, presents of meal, wine, and
potatoes were all vigorously attacked as the wiles of the Evi