Master Dignam got his collar down and dawdled on.  The best pucker going for strength was Fitzsimons.  One puck in the wind from that fellow would knock you into the middle of next week, man.  But the best pucker for science was Jem Corbet before Fitzsimons knocked the stuffings out of him, dodging and all.

In Grafton street Master Dignam saw a red flower in a toff’s mouth and a swell pair of kicks on him and he listening to what the drunk was telling him and grinning all the time.

No Sandymount tram.

Master Dignam walked along Nassau street, shifted the porksteaks to his other hand.  His collar sprang up again and he tugged it down.  The blooming stud was too small for the buttonhole of the shirt, blooming end to it.  He met schoolboys with satchels.  I’m not going tomorrow either, stay away till Monday.  He met other schoolboys.  Do they notice I’m in mourning?  Uncle Barney said he’d get it into the paper tonight.  Then they’ll all see it in the paper and read my name printed and pa’s name.

His face got all grey instead of being red like it was and there was a fly walking over it up to his eye.  The scrunch that was when they were screwing the screws into the coffin:  and the bumps when they were bringing it downstairs.

Pa was inside it and ma crying in the parlour and uncle Barney telling the men how to get it round the bend.  A big coffin it was, and high and heavylooking.  How was that?  The last night pa was boosed he was standing on the landing there bawling out for his boots to go out to Tunney’s for to boose more and he looked butty and short in his shirt.  Never see him again.  Death, that is.  Pa is dead.  My father is dead.  He told me to be a good son to ma.  I couldn’t hear the other things he said but I saw his tongue and his teeth trying to say it better.  Poor pa.  That was Mr Dignam, my father.  I hope he’s in purgatory now because he went to confession to Father Conroy on Saturday night.

* * * * *

William Humble, earl of Dudley, and lady Dudley, accompanied by lieutenantcolonel Heseltine, drove out after luncheon from the viceregal lodge.  In the following carriage were the honourable Mrs Paget, Miss de Courcy and the honourable Gerald Ward A.D.C. in attendance.

The cavalcade passed out by the lower gate of Phoenix park saluted by obsequious policemen and proceeded past Kingsbridge along the northern quays.  The viceroy was most cordially greeted on his way through the metropolis.  At Bloody bridge Mr Thomas Kernan beyond the river greeted him vainly from afar Between Queen’s and Whitworth bridges lord Dudley’s viceregal carriages passed and were unsaluted by Mr Dudley White, B. L., M. A., who stood on Arran quay outside Mrs M. E. White’s, the pawnbroker’s, at the corner of Arran street west stroking his nose with his forefinger, undecided whether he should arrive at Phibsborough more quickly by a triple change of tram or by hailing a car or on foot through Smithfield,