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1Often he had wanted her to go and live with them; but she would have felt herself in the way (though Joe's wife was ever
2so nice with her) and she had become accustomed to the life of the laundry. Joe was a good fellow. She had nursed him
3and Alphy too; and Joe used often say: "Mamma is mamma but Maria is my proper mother." After the break-up at home the
4boys had got her that position in the Dublin by Lamplight laundry, and she liked it. She used to have such a bad opinion
5of Protestants but now she thought they were very nice people, a little quiet and serious, but still very nice people to
6live with. Then she had her plants in the conservatory and she liked looking after them. She had lovely ferns and
7wax-plants and, whenever anyone came to visit her, she always gave the visitor one or two slips from her conservatory.
8There was one thing she didn't like and that was the tracts on the walks; but the matron was such a nice person to deal
9with, so genteel. When the cook told her everything was ready she went into the women's room and began to pull the big
10bell. In a few minutes the women began to come in by twos and threes, wiping their steaming hands in their petticoats
11and pulling down the sleeves of their blouses over their red steaming arms. They settled down before their huge mugs
12which the cook and the dummy filled up with hot tea, already mixed with milk and sugar in huge tin cans. Maria
13superintended the distribution of the barmbrack and saw that every woman got her four slices. There was a great deal of
14laughing and joking during the meal. Lizzie Fleming said Maria was sure to get the ring and, though Fleming had said
15that for so many Hallow Eves, Maria had to laugh and say she didn't want any ring or man either; and when she laughed
16her grey-green eyes sparkled with disappointed shyness and the tip of her nose nearly met the tip of her chin. Then
17Ginger Mooney lifted up her mug of tea and proposed Maria's health while all the other women clattered with their mugs
18on the table, and said she was sorry she hadn't a sup of porter to drink it in. And Maria laughed again till the tip of
19her nose nearly met the tip of her chin and till her minute body nearly shook itself asunder because she knew that
20Mooney meant well though, of course, she had the notions of a common woman. But wasn't Maria glad when the women had
21finished their tea and the cook and the dummy had begun to clear away the tea-things! She went into her little bedroom
22and, remembering that the next morning was a mass morning, changed the hand of the alarm from seven to six. Then she
23took off her working skirt and her house-boots and laid her best skirt out on the bed and her tiny dress-boots beside
24the foot of the bed. She changed her blouse too and, as she stood before the mirror, she thought of how she used to
25dress for mass on Sunday morning when she was a young girl; and she looked with quaint affection at the diminutive body
26which she had so often adorned. In spite of its years she found it a nice tidy little body. When she got outside the
27streets were shining with rain and she was glad of her old brown waterproof. The tram was full and she had to sit on the
28little stool at the end of the car, facing all the people, with her toes barely touching the floor. She arranged in her
29mind all she was going to do and thought how much better it was to be independent and to have your own money in your
30pocket. She hoped they would have a nice evening. She was sure they would but she could not help thinking what a pity it
31was Alphy and Joe were not speaking. They were always falling out now but when they were boys together they used to be
32the best of friends: but such was life. She got out of her tram at the Pillar and ferreted her way quickly among the
33crowds. She went into Downes's cake-shop but the shop was so full of people that it was a long time before she could get
34herself attended to. She bought a dozen of mixed penny cakes, and at last came out of the shop laden with a big bag.
35Then she thought what else would she buy: she wanted to buy something really nice. They would be sure to have plenty of
36apples and nuts. It was hard to know what to buy and all she could think of was cake. She decided to buy some plumcake
37but Downes's plumcake had not enough almond icing on top of it so she went over to a shop in Henry Street. Here she was
38a long time in suiting herself and the stylish young lady behind the counter, who was evidently a little annoyed by her,
39asked her was it wedding-cake she wanted to buy. That made Maria blush and smile at the young lady; but the young lady
40took it all very seriously and finally cut a thick slice of plumcake, parcelled it up and said: "Two-and-four, please."
41She thought she would have to stand in the Drumcondra tram because none of the young men seemed to notice her but an
42elderly gentleman made room for her. He was a stout gentleman and he wore a brown hard hat; he had a square red face and
43a greyish moustache. Maria thought he was a colonel-looking gentleman and she reflected how much more polite he was than
44the young men who simply stared straight before them. The gentleman began to chat with her about Hallow Eve and the
45rainy weather. He supposed the bag was full of good things for the little ones and said it was only right that the
46youngsters should enjoy themselves while they were young. Maria agreed with him and favoured him with demure nods and
47hems. He was very nice with her, and when she was getting out at the Canal Bridge she thanked him and bowed, and he
48bowed to her and raised his hat and smiled agreeably, and while she was going up along the terrace, bending her tiny
49head under the rain, she thought how easy it was to know a gentleman even when he has a drop taken. Everybody said: "O,
50here's Maria!" when she came to Joe's house. Joe was there, having come home from business, and all the children had
51their Sunday dresses on. There were two big girls in from next door and games were going on. Maria gave the bag of cakes
52to the eldest boy, Alphy, to divide and Mrs Donnelly said it was too good of her to bring such a big bag of cakes and
53made all the children say: "Thanks, Maria." But Maria said she had brought something special for papa and mamma,
54something they would be sure to like, and she began to look for her plumcake. She tried in Downes's bag and then in the
55pockets of her waterproof and then on the hallstand but nowhere could she find it. Then she asked all the children had
56any of them eaten it--by mistake, of course--but the children all said no and looked as if they did not like to eat
57cakes if they were to be accused of stealing. Everybody had a solution for the mystery and Mrs Donnelly said it was
58plain that Maria had left it behind her in the tram. Maria, remembering how confused the gentleman with the greyish
59moustache had made her, coloured with shame and vexation and disappointment. At the thought of the failure of her little
60surprise and of the two and fourpence she had thrown away for nothing she nearly cried outright.
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