So Maria let him have his way and they sat by the fire talking over old times and Maria thought she would put in a good word for Alphy.  But Joe cried that God might strike him stone dead if ever he spoke a word to his brother again and Maria said she was sorry she had mentioned the matter.  Mrs. Donnelly told her husband it was a great shame for him to speak that way of his own flesh and blood but Joe said that Alphy was no brother of his and there was nearly being a row on the head of it.  But Joe said he would not lose his temper on account of the night it was and asked his wife to open some more stout.  The two next-door girls had arranged some Hallow Eve games and soon everything was merry again.  Maria was delighted to see the children so merry and Joe and his wife in such good spirits.  The next-door girls put some saucers on the table and then led the children up to the table, blindfold.  One got the prayer-book and the other three got the water; and when one of the next-door girls got the ring Mrs. Donnelly shook her finger at the blushing girl as much as to say:  0, I know all about it!  They insisted then on blindfolding Maria and leading her up to the table to see what she would get; and, while they were putting on the bandage, Maria laughed and laughed again till the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin.

They led her up to the table amid laughing and joking and she put her hand out in the air as she was told to do.  She moved her hand about here and there in the air and descended on one of the saucers.  She felt a soft wet substance with her fingers and was surprised that nobody spoke or took off her bandage.  There was a pause for a few seconds; and then a great deal of scuffling and whispering.  Somebody said something about the garden, and at last Mrs. Donnelly said something very cross to one of the next-door girls and told her to throw it out at once:  that was no play.  Maria understood that it was wrong that time and so she had to do it over again:  and this time she got the prayer-book.

After that Mrs. Donnelly played Miss McCloud’s Reel for the children and Joe made Maria take a glass of wine.  Soon they were all quite merry again and Mrs. Donnelly said Maria would enter a convent before the year was out because she had got the prayer-book.  Maria had never seen Joe so nice to her as he was that night, so full of pleasant talk and reminiscences.  She said they were all very good to her.

At last the children grew tired and sleepy and Joe asked Maria would she not sing some little song before she went, one of the old songs.  Mrs. Donnelly said “Do, please, Maria!” and so Maria had to get up and stand beside the piano.  Mrs. Donnelly bade the children be quiet and listen to Maria’s song.  Then she played the prelude and said “Now, Maria!” and Maria, blushing very much began to sing in a tiny quavering voice.  She sang I Dreamt that I Dwelt, and when she came to the second verse she sang again: