“He’s to be captain by Christmas, didn’t he say? Oh, oh, but that b’y has got on! He’ll be a year younger than yer Uncle Horace was whin he got his ship. I do be minding the time he come home that summer and brought his monkey wid him.”

“A monkey?”

“I’m telling ye. The baste took possession. Yer liddle grandmother was nearly out av her wits. And poor ould Jim Appleby…he was niver known to be sober…just a bit less drunk than common was all ye cud be saying at the bist av times…he come down to Silver Bush to buy some pigs and yer Uncle Horace’s monkey was skipping along the top av the pig-pen fince quite careless-like. Yer grandfather said ould Jim turned white…all but his nose…and he sez, sez he, ‘I’ve got ’em! Ma always said I’d git ’em and I have. But I’ll niver be touching a drop agin.’ He kipt his word for two months but he was that cross and cantankerous his family were rale glad whin he forgot about the monkey. Mrs. Jim did be saying she wished Horace Gardiner wud kape his minagerie widin bounds. If Jim comes it’s a rale re-union we’ll have, Patsy.”

“Yes. Winnie and Frank will be over and we’ll all be together again. We must plan it all out some of these days. I do love planning things.”

“Aunt Edith says it’s no use making plans because something always happens to upset them,” said Cuddles gloomily.

“Niver ye be belaving it, me jewel. And innyhow what if they do be upset? Ye’ve had the fun av planning. Don’t be letting yer Aunt Edith make a…a…what did Siddy be calling it now?”

“A pessimist.”

“Oh, oh, doesn’t that sound just like her! Innyway, don’t be letting her make ye that. Aven if Joe doesn’t get home, the darlint, there’ll be Winnie and Frank and yer Aunt Hazel’s liddle gang, and the turkeys we’ll be having for dinner are roosting on the fence behind the church barn this blessed minute growing as hard as they kin. And Pat there is saving up all the resates and menoos in the magazines. Oh, oh, there’ll be the great preparations I’m thinking and me fine Edith won’t be spiling it wid her sighs and sorrows. She do be having a grudge at life, that one. Patsy, do ye be minding the time ye were dancing naked here by the light av the moon and me lady Edith nabbed ye?”

“Dancing naked? And you won’t even let me wear shorts round home,” moaned Cuddles.