Read Online The Loud Halo by Lillian Beckwith - Free Book Online Page A

placatory glances in my direction. I laughed.
    â€˜Goodness!’ I said. ‘I seem to be hearing nothing but stories of English meanness today. What has been happening to you two?’
    â€˜It was a fellow we took on the boat this mornin’ that went climbin’ in the hills. When we went back for him this evenin’ we found him sittin’ on the shore near crazy. He told us he’d come to a very narrow ridge and the only way he could cross it was on his hands and knees. When he was halfway across his wallet slipped out of his pocket an’ fell down the steepest part. He said it had fifty pounds in it.’
    â€˜Didn’t he go after it?’ I asked.
    â€˜Ach, he was in no state to go after it,’ retorted Erchy. ‘He was shakin’ all over like a leaf when we found him an’ that must have been two hours after.’
    â€˜What happened then?’ I prompted.
    â€˜Well, we had our people waitin’ on the shore to go back an’ we couldn’t just leave them there so we brought them back an’ him along with them. Then we went back to see would we find the man’s wallet.’
    â€˜Could he describe where he’d lost it?’
    â€˜Aye, indeed we knew fine where it was likely, but that didn’t mean it was any easier to get. Hector near broke his back tryin’ would he reach it an’ there was that many stones fallin’ down we were both of us in fear for our lives.’
    â€˜But you got it?’
    â€˜Aye, we got it at last an’ when we came ashore here there was the man waitin’ on us. We waved it at him so he’d know to stop worryin’ an’ he came runnin’ down the shore fast as a deer an’ grabbed it out of my hand. Me an’ Hector, we waited while he opened it, thinkin’ maybe we’d get a bit of a reward or maybe the hire of the boat just for goin’ back for it, but all that man did was to take out the notes there in front of us an’ count them. When he’d finished he gave us a nice smile. “Fifty pounds,” he says to us. “All intact, gentlemen. Thank you very much,” an’ away up the road he goes without leavin’ us as much as the price of a dram between us for our trouble.’
    Hector shook his head. ‘It was him countin’ tse money tsat made me feel so bad,’ he said sadly. ‘Just as tsough we might have been after stealin’ some of it.’
    â€˜Aye,’ said Erchy, ‘but that’s the English for you.’
    â€˜Maybe he was that glad to see his wallet he just didn’t think to give you anythin’ at the time,’ interceded Behag.
    â€˜Ach, the man must have no brains at all if he wouldn’t think of a thing like that,’ said Erchy.
    â€˜He had brains all right,’ asserted Hector. ‘The folks tsat came on tse boat with him was tellin’ me he was a Doctor of Divinity.’
    â€˜Ach, but you don’t need brains to be one of those sorts of doctors,’ said Morag knowledgeably. ‘You see, you don’t need to have any practice.’
    The following afternoon I put on my latest summer dress (made from material purchased through a mail-order catalogue), picked a bunch of flowers from my garden and set off for Janet’s house prepared to do my bit towards entertaining the difficult visitor. Janet came out of the gate to meet me and exclaimed delightedly at the sight of the flowers.
    â€˜She’s havin’ a wee bitty lie down on the sofa,’ she told me. ‘Wait now till I get a wee somethin’ to put the flowers in an’ then I’ll tell her you’re here.’ She found an empty jug and drained the cold contents of a teapot into it.
    â€˜Good heavens!’ I ejaculated. ‘Is water as short as that with you?’
    â€˜It’s gettin’ that way,’ she confessed. ‘My brother’s sayin’ we’ll need to drink whisky