I broached my theories, but to all Mrs. Ross shook her head.

“Ut was no thot,” she said.  “Margaret was a guid wife an’ a guid mother, an’ I doubt she would harm a fly.  She brought up her fomuly God-fearin’ an’ decent-minded.  Her trouble was thot she took lunatic—­turned eediot.”

Mrs. Ross tapped significantly on her forehead to indicate a state of addlement.

“But I talked with her this afternoon,” I objected, “and I found her a sensible woman—­remarkably bright for one of her years.”

“Aye, an’ I’m grantun’ all thot you say,” she went on calmly.  “But I am no referrun’ tull thot.  I am referrun’ tull her wucked-headed an’ vucious stubbornness.  No more stubborn woman ever luv’d than Margaret Henan.  Ut was all on account o’ Samuel, which was the name o’ her youngest an’ they do say her favourut brother—­hum oz died by hus own hond all through the munuster’s mustake un no registerun’ the new church ot Dublin.  Ut was a lesson thot the name was musfortunate, but she would no take ut, an’ there was talk when she called her first child Samuel—­hum thot died o’ the croup.  An’ wuth thot what does she do but call the next one Samuel, an’ hum only three when he fell un tull the tub o’ hot watter an’ was plain cooked tull death.  Ut all come, I tell you, o’ her wucked-headed an’ foolush stubbornness.  For a Samuel she must hov; an’ ut was the death of the four of her sons.  After the first, dudna her own mother go down un the dirt tull her feet, a-beggun’ an’ pleadun’ wuth her no tull name her next one Samuel?  But she was no tull be turned from her purpose.  Margaret Henan was always set on her ways, an’ never more so thon on thot name Samuel.

“She was fair lunatuc on Samuel.  Dudna her neighbours’ an’ all kuth an’ kun savun’ them thot luv’d un the house wuth her, get up an’ walk out ot the christenun’ of the second—­hum thot was cooked?  Thot they dud, an’ ot the very moment the munuster asked what would the bairn’s name be.  ‘Samuel,’ says she; an’ wuth thot they got up an’ walked out an’ left the house.  An’ ot the door dudna her Aunt Fannie, her mother’s suster, turn an’ say loud for all tull hear:  ‘What for wull she be wantun’ tull murder the wee thing?’ The munuster heard fine, an’ dudna like ut, but, oz he told my Larry afterward, what could he do?  Ut was the woman’s wush, an’ there was no law again’ a mother callun’ her child accordun’ tull her wush.

“An’ then was there no the third Samuel?  An’ when he was lost ot sea off the Cape, dudna she break all laws o’ nature tull hov a fourth?  She was forty-seven, I’m tellun’ ye, an’ she hod a child ot forty-seven.  Thunk on ut!  Ot forty-seven!  Ut was fair scand’lous.”