as' kitchen. He held in his hand a mug full of raw spirit and hot
water, mixed in equal proportions. Each time he sipped at it he coughed.
Priscilla sat beside him with a bottle from which she offered to
replenish the mug after each sip. Lady Isabel, looking frightened but
obstinate, stood opposite him, holding the Reverend Barnabas Pennefather
by the hand.

CHAPTER XXII

"To Miss Martha Rutherford, Sponge Department, British Museum, London.

"My dear Miss Rutherford--Having promised to write you the denouement,
I do, of course; though the delay is longer than I expected when
promising. It was most exciting. Peter Walsh upset the _Tortoise_--on
purpose I now think--but no one else has said so _yet_--and Lord
Torrington swam for his life while his lovely daughter wrung her lily
hands in shrill despair, this being the exact opposite of what was the
case with Lord Ullin's daughter. Joseph Antony Kinsella and Jimmy and I
rescued the drowning mariner in your boat. Frank would have done so too,
for he says he never rescued any one from a watery grave--though he won
a prize for life-saving in his swimming bath at school and I think
he wanted to get a medal--but none of us have as yet, nor won't--but
he couldn't get down the hill quick enough on account of his sprained
ankle, so we were off without him. I jolly well ballyragged Joseph
Antony Kinsella until he opened his last cask of illicit whisky.
'Illicit' is what both father and Lord Torrington called it and at first
I didn't know what that meant, but I looked it out in the dict. and now
do know, also how to spell it, which I shouldn't otherwise. Then we had
a most frightful scene in Joseph Antony Kinsella's cottage. Lady Isabel
was splendid. I never knew any one could be in love so much, especially
with Barnabas. The salt sea was frozen on her cheeks (it had been
raining hard), and the salt tears in her eyes. Sylvia Courtney told
me that that poem was most affecting, so I read it Have you? Lord
Torrington was frightfully stony-hearted at first and finished two mugs
of illicit whisky (with hot water), coughing and swearing the whole
time. Barnabas crawled. Then Mrs. Kinsella made tea and hot pancakes in
spite of the baby, which screamed; and all was gay, though there was
no butter. Peter Walsh came in while we were at tea, having righted the
_Tortoise_ and bailed her out, but he and Joseph Antony Kinsella
went off together, which was just as well, for there weren't