“Are you sure you’re not tiring yourself, Judy?”

“Talking so much, sez she. Oh, oh, Patsy darlint, it rists me…and what do a few hours one way or another be mattering whin ye’ve come to journey’s ind?”

One night Judy talked of the disposal of her few treasures.

“There’ll be a bit av money in the bank after me funeral ixpinses do be paid. I’ve lift it to be divided betwane Winnie and Cuddles and yersilf. Winnie is to hev me autygraph quilt and I promised me blue chist to Siddy years ago. There do be some mats in the garret I put away for ye, Patsy, and the crame cow is yours and me book av Useful Knowledge and all the liddle things in me glory box. And the book wid all me resates in it. Ye’ll sind Hilary the white kittens, darlint. I’ll be giving me bead pincushion to yer Aunt Barbara for a liddle rimimberance. Her and me always did be hitting it off rale well. And ye’ll see that the ould black bottle is destroyed afore inny one sees it. Folks might be misunderstanding it.”

“I’ll…I’ll see to everything, Judy.”

“And, Patsy darlint, ye’ll see that they bury me out there in the ould graveyard where I won’t be far from Silver Bush? There do be a liddle place betwane Waping Willy and the fince where ye can be squazing me in wid a slip av white lilac at me hid. And I’d like a slab on me grave, too, in place av a standing-up tombstone, so the cats can slape on it. It wud be company-like. And ye’ll dress me in me ould dress-up dress…the blue one. I always did be liking it. It won’t be as tight as it was at Winnie’s widding. Do ye be minding?”

“Judy”…Pat did not often break down but there were times when she could not help it…“however can I…however can Silver Bush get along without you?”

“There’ll be a way,” said Judy gently. “There always do be a way. There do be only one thing…I’m wondering who’ll white-wash the stones and the posts nixt spring. Me fine May won’t…she niver hild be it.”

“I’ll see to that, Judy. Everything is going to be kept at Silver Bush just as you left it.”

“It’ll be too hard on yer hands, Patsy dear.” But Judy was not really worried. She knew the Good Man Above would attend to things.

But it seemed there were one or two things on Judy’s conscience.