emaciated
lips. Its head and forehead were covered with sores; and then the
mother, moving aside the rags, showed that its back and legs were in
the same state. "Look to that," she said, almost with scorn. "That's
what the mail has done--my black curses be upon it, and the day that
it first come nigh the counthry." And then again she covered the
child and began to resume her load.

"Do give her something, Herbert, pray do," said Clara, with her whole
face suffused with tears.

"You know that we cannot give away money," said Herbert, arguing
with Bridget Sheehy, and not answering Clara at the moment. "You
understand enough of what is being done to know that. Why do you not
go into the Union?"

"Shure thin an' I'll jist tramp on as fur as Hap House, I and my
childher; that is av' they do not die by the road-side. Come on,
bairns. Mr. Owen won't be afther sending me to the Kanturk union when
I tell him that I've travelled all thim miles to get a dhrink of
milk for a sick babe; more by token when I tells him also that I'm
one of the Desmond tinantry. It's he that loves the Desmonds, Lady
Clara,--loves them as his own heart's blood. And it's I that wish him
good luck with his love, in spite of all that's come and gone yet.
Come on, bairns, come along; we have seven weary miles to walk." And
then, having rearranged her burden on her back, she prepared again to
start.

Herbert Fitzgerald, from the first moment of his interrogating the
woman, had of course known that he would give her somewhat. In spite
of all his political economy, there were but few days in which he
did not empty his pocket of his loose silver, with these culpable
deviations from his theoretical philosophy. But yet he felt that it
was his duty to insist on his rules, as far as his heart would allow
him to do so. It was a settled thing at their relief committee that
there should be no giving away of money to chance applicants for
alms. What money each had to bestow would go twice further by being
brought to the general fund--by being expended with forethought and
discrimination. This was the system which all attempted, which all
resolved to adopt who were then living in the south of Ireland.
But the system was impracticable, for it required frames of iron
and hearts of adamant. It was impossible not to waste money in
almsgiving.

"Oh, Herbert!" said Clara, imploringly, as the woman prepared to
start.

"Bridget, come here," said Herbert, and he spoke