Judy came through the scented darkness to see if they were all right and gossip a little about various things. Judy had been to a funeral that day…a very unusual dissipation for her. But old William Madison at the Bridge had died and Judy had worked a few months for his mother before coming to Silver Bush.

“Sure and iverything wint off very well. It was the grand funeral he had and he’d have been rale well plazed if he cud have seen it. He had great fun arranging it all, I’m told. Oh, oh, and he died very politely, asking thim all to ixcuse him for the bother he was putting thim to. His ould Aunt Polly was rale vexed because she didn’t be getting the sate at the funeral she thought she shud have but nobody else had inny fault to find wid the program. It do be hard to plaze ivery one. Polly Madison is one av the Holy Christians…holier than inny av thim, I’m hearing.”

For the “go-preacher’s” disciples had formed themselves into a “Holy Christian church” and were cruelly referred to in the Glens as the Holy Christians.

“I hear they’re going to build a church,” said Pat.

“That they are…but they’re not calling it a church. It do be ‘a place av meeting.’ The same Aunt Polly do be giving the land for it. And Mr. Wheeler is coming back to be their minister…or their shepherd as they do be saying, not approving av ministers or av paying thim salaries ather. He’ll be living on air no doubt. Aunt Polly says he is very spiritual but I’m thinking it’s only the way he has av lifting his eyes and taffying her up. Innyway her husband don’t be houlding wid new-fangled religions. ‘Are ye prepared to die?’ the go-preacher asked him rale solemn-like, I’m tould. But ould Jim Polly was always a hard nut to crack. ‘Better be asking if I’m prepared to live,’ sez he. ‘Living comes first,’ sez he.”

Pat had detected a sudden movement of Rae’s when Judy mentioned Mr. Wheeler’s name, and felt her worry increase. Suppose he made up to Rae again!

CHAPTER 26