CHAPTER V

THE CHILD SAMUEL

Fly and Honeybird introduced Samuel Brown to Rowallan. They found him
sitting at the gate one day, and mistook him for the child Samuel. For
a long time they had been expecting the coming of a mysterious beggar,
who would turn out to be a saint or an angel in disguise. Such things
had often happened in Ireland, Lull said. But, although scores of
beggars came to Rowallan, so far no saint or angel had appeared. Most
of the beggars were too well known to cast off a disguise worn long and
successfully and suddenly declare themselves to be celestial visitors.
But now and then an unknown beggar came from nobody knew where, and
disappeared again into the same silent country. These nameless ones
kept the two children's faith and hope alive. Samuel was one of these.
Fly had spied his likeness to the child Samuel the minute she saw him
sitting at the gate tired and dejected. They went to work cautiously
to find out the truth, for they had got into trouble with Lull a few
days before for bringing into the house a possible St Anne, who had
stolen the schoolroom tablecloth. But when they asked his name, and he
said it was Samuel, they did not need much further proof.

Was he the real child Samuel out of the Bible? Honey bird asked, to
make sure. The boy confessed he was. He had come straight from heaven
on purpose to visit them, he said.

As they were taking him up to the house they met Patsy, and told him.
Patsy jeered at their tale, and reminded them of St Anne. But, in
spite of Patsy's warning, they took the beggar into the kitchen.
Patsy, disgusted at their folly, left them to do as they pleased. If
he had remembered that Lull was out he might have been more careful.
Half-an-hour later he caught sight of the child Samuel running down the
avenue wearing his best Sunday coat. Lull was very angry with Fly and
Honeybird when she came home. Mick and Jane said it was the beggar who
was to blame. Patsy had given chase, and did not come home till ten
o'clock that night. When he did come back he brought his Sunday coat
with him, as well as a black eye. He had followed the child Samuel to
the town, he said, and Eli had never given the boy as good a beating.
In spite of this beating and the discovery of his fraud Samuel came
back a few days later. His mother was sick, he said, and he had come
to borrow sixpence. Jane wanted Mick to give him a second beating.

"Nasty wee ruffan, comin'