The Minstrel Boy by A. J. Cronin

Author:A. J. Cronin [Cronin, A. J.]
Language: eng
Format: epub

Chapter Fourteen

The following Thursday was wet and the official visit to Mount

Vernon was postponed. In the forenoon Desmonde worked with

the Canon over the quarterly accounts, writing off the expenses of

the presbytery against the income from the church collections. The

balance was small indeed, so small that the Canon shook his head. ‘We’d never manage to keep things going, Desmonde, if ’twasn’t

for Madame. Think of all that she gives us, or pays for. The fine

wax candles, lovely vestments and flowers, the heating and lighting,

even the incense. And now, them wonderful rails.’ He paused. ‘I

wonder how she is now, over there?’

As if in answer to the Canon’s query, the noon mail delivery

brought a letter from Switzerland, addressed to Desmonde, who

immediately read it aloud to his Superior. My dear Desmonde, I have been frantically busy since my arrival here, but now I seize a moment to unburden my troubled lonely heart and also to inform you that all arrangements for the new altar rails have been completed. You must tell the good Canon that I have sanctioned the proposed design, it is quite lovely. I have also chosen the various marbles, also superbly beautiful, and now Signor Moreno, head of the Moreno Company, has just telephoned to say that all these precious goods have been crated, and will be shipped by freighter direct to Cork one week from today. Accompanying them will be four of his best workmen who will see to the delivery of the crates, unpack and instal the marbles. This should take a week or ten days, so perhaps the good Canon will accordingly reserve rooms for the men. I suggest the Station Hotel. Tell Dolan to give

them rice and macaroni dishes – that’s their usual diet.

Amongst all my longings, I cannot wait to see my lovely gift actually in being, in my lovely church, and to kneel there, to receive the Sacrament from your dear hands, dearest Desmonde, what joy, spiritual and, yes, temporal – but of the purest ray serene.

Desmonde flushed and paused, looking across at the Canon, who nodded understandingly, saying: ‘I know, lad, I know. If it hadna’ been for you I might have waited long enough …’

Desmonde resumed. Nor must we forget our worthy Canon, who will soon be in a position to exult over his friendly enemy in Cork.

The Canon chuckled. ‘She kens aal… What a woman!’

The letter continued. On other matters of less importance, I have had a most unpleasant time, interviewing Major Coulter, Claire’s late headmaster, who, in addition to lecturing me, as if I were to blame, on the adverse publicity suffered by his school through Claire’s escapades, presented me with a sheaf of bills sent to the school after her departure, debts unofficially incurred by my darling niece, for showy dresses, a bead necklace and white gloves, all quite unnecessary. To put it as charitably as possible, she seems to have no sense whatsoever, not only of the standards of common decency, but of the value of money, particularly when it is not her own.

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