s
was allowed him literally. He came out of the pawn-office joyfully,
making a little cylinder, of the coins between his thumb and fingers. In
Westmoreland Street the footpaths were crowded with young men and women
returning from business and ragged urchins ran here and there yelling
out the names of the evening editions. The man passed through the crowd,
looking on the spectacle generally with proud satisfaction and staring
masterfully at the office-girls. His head was full of the noises of
tram-gongs and swishing trolleys and his nose already sniffed the
curling fumes punch. As he walked on he preconsidered the terms in which
he would narrate the incident to the boys:

"So, I just looked at him--coolly, you know, and looked at her. Then I
looked back at him again--taking my time, you know. 'I don't think that
that's a fair question to put to me,' says I."

Nosey Flynn was sitting up in his usual corner of Davy Byrne's and, when
he heard the story, he stood Farrington a half-one, saying it was as
smart a thing as ever he heard. Farrington stood a drink in his turn.
After a while O'Halloran and Paddy Leonard came in and the story was
repeated to them. O'Halloran stood tailors of malt, hot, all round and
told the story of the retort he had made to the chief clerk when he was
in Callan's of Fownes's Street; but, as the retort was after the manner
of the liberal shepherds in the eclogues, he had to admit that it was
not as clever as Farrington's retort. At this Farrington told the boys
to polish off that and have another.

Just as they were naming their poisons who should come in but Higgins!
Of course he had to join in with the others. The men asked him to give
his version of it, and he did so with great vivacity for the sight of
five small hot whiskies was very exhilarating. Everyone roared
laughing when he showed the way in which Mr. Alleyne shook his fist in
Farrington's face. Then he imitated Farrington, saying, "And here was my
nabs, as cool as you please," while Farrington looked at the company out
of his heavy dirty eyes, smiling and at times drawing forth stray drops
of liquor from his moustache with the aid of his lower lip.

When that round was over there was a pause. O'Halloran had money but
neither of the other two seemed to have any; so the whole party left
the shop somewhat regretfully. At the corner of Duke Street Higgins and
Nosey Flynn bevelled off to the left while the other three turned back
towards