Mr Holohan, assistant secretary of the _Eire Abu_ Society, had been

walking up and down Dublin for nearly a month, with his hands and

pockets full of dirty pieces of paper, arranging about the series of

concerts. He had a game leg and for this his friends called him Hoppy

Holohan. He walked up and down constantly, stood by the hour at street

corners arguing the point and made notes; but in the end it was Mrs

Kearney who arranged everything.

Miss Devlin had become Mrs Kearney out of spite. She had been educated

in a high-class convent, where she had learned French and music. As she

was naturally pale and unbending in manner she made few friends at

school. When she came to the age of marriage she was sent out to many

houses where her playing and ivory manners were much admired. She sat

amid the chilly circle of her accomplishments, waiting for some suitor

to brave it and offer her a brilliant life. But the young men whom she

met were ordinary and she gave them no encouragement, trying to console

her romantic desires by eating a great deal of Turkish Delight in

secret. However, when she drew near the limit and her friends began to

loosen their tongues about her, she silenced them by marrying Mr

Kearney, who was a bootmaker on Ormond Quay.

He was much older than she. His conversation, which was serious, took

place at intervals in his great brown beard. After the first year of

married life, Mrs Kearney perceived that such a man would wear better

than a romantic person, but she never put her own romantic ideas away.

He was sober, thrifty and pious; he went to the altar every first

Friday, sometimes with her, oftener by himself. But she never weakened

in her religion and was a good wife to him. At some party in a strange

house when she lifted her eyebrow ever so slightly he stood up to take

his leave and, when his cough troubled him, she put the eider-down

quilt over his feet and made a strong rum punch. For his part, he was a

model father. By paying a small sum every week into a society, he

ensured for both his daughters a dowry of one hundred pounds each when

they came to the age of twenty-four. He sent the elder daughter,

Kathleen, to a good convent, where she learned French and music, and

afterward paid her fees at the Academy. Every year in the month of July

Mrs Kearney found occasion to say to some friend:

“My good man is packing us off to Skerries for a few weeks.”

If it was not Skerries it was Howth or Greystones.

When the Irish Revival began to be appreciable Mrs Kearney determined

to take advantage of her daughter’s name and brought an Irish teacher

to the house. Kathleen and her sister sent Irish picture postcards to

their friends and these friends sent back other Irish picture

postcards. On special Sundays, when Mr Kearney went with his family to

the pro-cathedral, a little crowd of people would assemble after mass

at the corner of Cathedral Street. They were all friends of the

Kearneys—musical friends or Nationalist friends; and, when they had

played every little counter of gossip, they shook hands with one

another all together, laughing at the crossing of so many hands, and

said good-bye to one another in Irish. Soon the name of Miss Kathleen

Kearney began to be heard often on people’s lips. People said that she

was very clever at music and a very nice girl and, moreover, that she

was a believer in the language movement. Mrs Kearney was well content

at this. Therefore she was not surprised when one day Mr Holohan came

to her and proposed that her daughter should be the accompanist at a

series of four grand concerts which his Society was going to give in

the Antient Concert Rooms. She brought him into the drawing-room, made

him sit down and brought out the decanter and the silver

biscuit-barrel. She entered heart and soul into the details of the

enterprise, advised and dissuaded; and finally a contract was drawn up

by which Kathleen was to receive eight guineas for her services as

accompanist at the four grand concerts.

As Mr Holohan was a novice in such delicate matters as the wording of

bills and the disposing of items for a programme, Mrs Kearney helped

him. She had tact. She knew what _artistes_ should go into capitals and

what _artistes_ should go into small type. She knew that the first

tenor would not like to come on after Mr Meade’s comic turn. To keep

the audience continually diverted she slipped the doubtful items in

between the old favourites. Mr Holohan called to see her every day to

have her advice on some point. She was invariably friendly and

advising—homely, in fact. She pushed the decanter towards him, saying:

“Now, help yourself, Mr Holohan!”

And while he was helping himself she said:

“Don’t be afraid! Don’t be afraid of it!”

Everything went on smoothly. Mrs Kearney bought some lovely blush-pink

charmeuse in Brown Thomas’s to let into the front of Kathleen’s dress.

It cost a pretty penny; but there are occasions when a little expense

is justifiable. She took a dozen of two-shilling tickets for the final

concert and sent them to those friends who could not be trusted to come

otherwise. She forgot nothing and, thanks to her, everything that was

to be done was done.

The concerts were to be on Wednesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday.

When Mrs Kearney arrived with her daughter at the Antient Concert Rooms

on Wednesday night she did not like the look of things. A few young

men, wearing bright blue badges in their coats, stood idle in the

vestibule; none of them wore evening dress. She passed by with her

daughter and a quick glance through the open door of the hall showed

her the cause of the stewards’ idleness. At first she wondered had she

mistaken the hour. No, it was twenty minutes to eight.

In the dressing-room behind the stage she was introduced to the

secretary of the Society, Mr Fitzpatrick. She smiled and shook his

hand. He was a little man, with a white vacant face. She noticed that

he wore his soft brown hat carelessly on the side of his head and that

his accent was flat. He held a programme in his hand and, while he was

talking to her, he chewed one end of it into a moist pulp. He seemed to

bear disappointments lightly. Mr Holohan came into the dressing-room

every few minutes with reports from the box-office. The _artistes_

talked among themselves nervously, glanced from time to time at the

mirror and rolled and unrolled their music. When it was nearly

half-past eight, the few people in the hall began to express their

desire to be entertained. Mr Fitzpatrick came in, smiled vacantly at

the room, and said:

“Well now, ladies and gentlemen. I suppose we’d better open the ball.”

Mrs Kearney rewarded his very flat final syllable with a quick stare of

contempt, and then said to her daughter encouragingly:

“Are you ready, dear?”

When she had an opportunity, she called Mr Holohan aside and asked him

to tell her what it meant. Mr Holohan did not know what it meant. He

said that the Committee had made a mistake in arranging for four

concerts: four was too many.

“And the _artistes_!” said Mrs Kearney. “Of course they are doing their

best, but really they are not good.”

Mr Holohan admitted that the _artistes_ were no good but the Committee,

he said, had decided to let the first three concerts go as they pleased

and reserve all the talent for Saturday night. Mrs Kearney said

nothing, but, as the mediocre items followed one another on the

platform and the few people in the hall grew fewer and fewer, she began

to regret that she had put herself to any expense for such a concert.

There was something she didn’t like in the look of things and Mr

Fitzpatrick’s vacant smile irritated her very much. However, she said

nothing and waited to see how it would end. The concert expired shortly

before ten, and everyone went home quickly.

The concert on Thursday night was better attended, but Mrs Kearney saw

at once that the house was filled with paper. The audience behaved

indecorously, as if the concert were an informal dress rehearsal. Mr

Fitzpatrick seemed to enjoy himself; he was quite unconscious that Mrs

Kearney was taking angry note of his conduct. He stood at the edge of

the screen, from time to time jutting out his head and exchanging a

laugh with two friends in the corner of the balcony. In the course of

the evening, Mrs Kearney learned that the Friday concert was to be

abandoned and that the Committee was going to move heaven and earth to

secure a bumper house on Saturday night. When she heard this, she

sought out Mr Holohan. She buttonholed him as he was limping out

quickly with a glass of lemonade for a young lady and asked him was it

true. Yes, it was true.

“But, of course, that doesn’t alter the contract,” she said. “The

contract was for four concerts.”

Mr Holohan seemed to be in a hurry; he advised her to speak to Mr

Fitzpatrick. Mrs Kearney was now beginning to be alarmed. She called Mr

Fitzpatrick away from his screen and told him that her daughter had

signed for four concerts and that, of course, according to the terms of

the contract, she should receive the sum originally stipulated for,

whether the society gave the four concerts or not. Mr Fitzpatrick, who

did not catch the point at issue very quickly, seemed unable to resolve

the difficulty and said that he would bring the matter before the

Committee. Mrs Kearney’s anger began to flutter in her cheek and she

had all she could do to keep from asking:

“And who is the _Cometty_ pray?”

But she knew that it would not be ladylike to do that: so she was

silent.

Little boys were sent out into the principal streets of Dublin early on

Friday morning with bundles of handbills. Special puffs appeared in all

the evening papers, reminding the music-loving public of the treat

which was in store for it on the following evening. Mrs Kearney was

somewhat reassured, but she thought well to tell her husband part of

her suspicions. He listened carefully and said that perhaps it would be

better if he went with her on Saturday night. She agreed. She respected

her husband in the same way as she respected the General Post Office,

as something large, secure and fixed; and though she knew the small

number of his talents she appreciated his abstract value as a male. She

was glad that he had suggested coming with her. She thought her plans

over.

The night of the grand concert came. Mrs Kearney, with her husband and

daughter, arrived at the Antient Concert Rooms three-quarters of an

hour before the time at which the concert was to begin. By ill luck it

was a rainy evening. Mrs Kearney placed her daughter’s clothes and

music in charge of her husband and went all over the building looking

for Mr Holohan or Mr Fitzpatrick. She could find neither. She asked the

stewards was any member of the Committee in the hall and, after a great

deal of trouble, a steward brought out a little woman named Miss Beirne

to whom Mrs Kearney explained that she wanted to see one of the

secretaries. Miss Beirne expected them any minute and asked could she

do anything. Mrs Kearney looked searchingly at the oldish face which

was screwed into an expression of trustfulness and enthusiasm and

answered:

“No, thank you!”

The little woman hoped they would have a good house. She looked out at

the rain until the melancholy of the wet street effaced all the

trustfulness and enthusiasm from her twisted features. Then she gave a

little sigh and said:

“Ah, well! We did our best, the dear knows.”

Mrs Kearney had to go back to the dressing-room.

The _artistes_ were arriving. The bass and the second tenor had already

come. The bass, Mr Duggan, was a slender young man with a scattered

black moustache. He was the son of a hall porter in an office in the

city and, as a boy, he had sung prolonged bass notes in the resounding

hall. From this humble state he had raised himself until he had become

a first-rate _artiste_. He had appeared in grand opera. One night, when

an operatic _artiste_ had fallen ill, he had undertaken the part of the

king in the opera of _Maritana_ at the Queen’s Theatre. He sang his

music with great feeling and volume and was warmly welcomed by the

gallery; but, unfortunately, he marred the good impression by wiping

his nose in his gloved hand once or twice out of thoughtlessness. He

was unassuming and spoke little. He said _yous_ so softly that it

passed unnoticed and he never drank anything stronger than milk for his

voice’s sake. Mr Bell, the second tenor, was a fair-haired little man

who competed every year for prizes at the Feis Ceoil. On his fourth

trial he had been awarded a bronze medal. He was extremely nervous and

extremely jealous of other tenors and he covered his nervous jealousy

with an ebullient friendliness. It was his humour to have people know

what an ordeal a concert was to him. Therefore when he saw Mr Duggan he

went over to him and asked:

“Are you in it too?”

“Yes,” said Mr Duggan.

Mr Bell laughed at his fellow-sufferer, held out his hand and said:

“Shake!”

Mrs Kearney passed by these two young men and went to the edge of the

screen to view the house. The seats were being filled up rapidly and a

pleasant noise circulated in the auditorium. She came back and spoke to

her husband privately. Their conversation was evidently about Kathleen

for they both glanced at her often as she stood chatting to one of her

Nationalist friends, Miss Healy, the contralto. An unknown solitary

woman with a pale face walked through the room. The women followed with

keen eyes the faded blue dress which was stretched upon a meagre body.

Someone said that she was Madam Glynn, the soprano.

“I wonder where did they dig her up,” said Kathleen to Miss Healy. “I’m

sure I never heard of her.”

Miss Healy had to smile. Mr Holohan limped into the dressing-room at

that moment and the two young ladies asked him who was the unknown

woman. Mr Holohan said that she was Madam Glynn from London. Madam

Glynn took her stand in a corner of the room, holding a roll of music

stiffly before her and from time to time changing the direction of her

startled gaze. The shadow took her faded dress into shelter but fell

revengefully into the little cup behind her collar-bone. The noise of

the hall became more audible. The first tenor and the baritone arrived

together. They were both well dressed, stout and complacent and they

brought a breath of opulence among the company.

Mrs Kearney brought her daughter over to them, and talked to them

amiably. She wanted to be on good terms with them but, while she strove

to be polite, her eyes followed Mr Holohan in his limping and devious

courses. As soon as she could she excused herself and went out after

him.

“Mr Holohan, I want to speak to you for a moment,” she said.

They went down to a discreet part of the corridor. Mrs Kearney asked

him when was her daughter going to be paid. Mr Holohan said that Mr

Fitzpatrick had charge of that. Mrs Kearney said that she didn’t know

anything about Mr Fitzpatrick. Her daughter had signed a contract for

eight guineas and she would have to be paid. Mr Holohan said that it

wasn’t his business.

“Why isn’t it your business?” asked Mrs Kearney. “Didn’t you yourself

bring her the contract? Anyway, if it’s not your business it’s my

business and I mean to see to it.”

“You’d better speak to Mr Fitzpatrick,” said Mr Holohan distantly.

“I don’t know anything about Mr Fitzpatrick,” repeated Mrs Kearney. “I

have my contract, and I intend to see that it is carried out.”

When she came back to the dressing-room her cheeks were slightly

suffused. The room was lively. Two men in outdoor dress had taken

possession of the fireplace and were chatting familiarly with Miss

Healy and the baritone. They were the _Freeman_ man and Mr O’Madden

Burke. The _Freeman_ man had come in to say that he could not wait for

the concert as he had to report the lecture which an American priest

was giving in the Mansion House. He said they were to leave the report

for him at the _Freeman_ office and he would see that it went in. He

was a grey-haired man, with a plausible voice and careful manners. He

held an extinguished cigar in his hand and the aroma of cigar smoke

floated near him. He had not intended to stay a moment because concerts

and _artistes_ bored him considerably but he remained leaning against

the mantelpiece. Miss Healy stood in front of him, talking and

laughing. He was old enough to suspect one reason for her politeness

but young enough in spirit to turn the moment to account. The warmth,

fragrance and colour of her body appealed to his senses. He was

pleasantly conscious that the bosom which he saw rise and fall slowly

beneath him rose and fell at that moment for him, that the laughter and

fragrance and wilful glances were his tribute. When he could stay no

longer he took leave of her regretfully.

“O’Madden Burke will write the notice,” he explained to Mr Holohan,

“and I’ll see it in.”

“Thank you very much, Mr Hendrick,” said Mr Holohan, “you’ll see it in,

I know. Now, won’t you have a little something before you go?”

“I don’t mind,” said Mr Hendrick.

The two men went along some tortuous passages and up a dark staircase

and came to a secluded room where one of the stewards was uncorking

bottles for a few gentlemen. One of these gentlemen was Mr O’Madden

Burke, who had found out the room by instinct. He was a suave, elderly

man who balanced his imposing body, when at rest, upon a large silk

umbrella. His magniloquent western name was the moral umbrella upon

which he balanced the fine problem of his finances. He was widely

respected.

While Mr Holohan was entertaining the _Freeman_ man Mrs Kearney was

speaking so animatedly to her husband that he had to ask her to lower

her voice. The conversation of the others in the dressing-room had

become strained. Mr Bell, the first item, stood ready with his music

but the accompanist made no sign. Evidently something was wrong. Mr

Kearney looked straight before him, stroking his beard, while Mrs

Kearney spoke into Kathleen’s ear with subdued emphasis. From the hall

came sounds of encouragement, clapping and stamping of feet. The first

tenor and the baritone and Miss Healy stood together, waiting

tranquilly, but Mr Bell’s nerves were greatly agitated because he was

afraid the audience would think that he had come late.

Mr Holohan and Mr O’Madden Burke came into the room. In a moment Mr

Holohan perceived the hush. He went over to Mrs Kearney and spoke with

her earnestly. While they were speaking the noise in the hall grew

louder. Mr Holohan became very red and excited. He spoke volubly, but

Mrs Kearney said curtly at intervals:

“She won’t go on. She must get her eight guineas.”

Mr Holohan pointed desperately towards the hall where the audience was

clapping and stamping. He appealed to Mr Kearney and to Kathleen. But

Mr Kearney continued to stroke his beard and Kathleen looked down,

moving the point of her new shoe: it was not her fault. Mrs Kearney

repeated:

“She won’t go on without her money.”

After a swift struggle of tongues Mr Holohan hobbled out in haste. The

room was silent. When the strain of the silence had become somewhat

painful Miss Healy said to the baritone:

“Have you seen Mrs Pat Campbell this week?”

The baritone had not seen her but he had been told that she was very

fine. The conversation went no further. The first tenor bent his head

and began to count the links of the gold chain which was extended

across his waist, smiling and humming random notes to observe the

effect on the frontal sinus. From time to time everyone glanced at Mrs

Kearney.

The noise in the auditorium had risen to a clamour when Mr Fitzpatrick

burst into the room, followed by Mr Holohan, who was panting. The

clapping and stamping in the hall were punctuated by whistling. Mr

Fitzpatrick held a few banknotes in his hand. He counted out four into

Mrs Kearney’s hand and said she would get the other half at the

interval. Mrs Kearney said:

“This is four shillings short.”

But Kathleen gathered in her skirt and said: _“Now, Mr Bell,”_ to the

first item, who was shaking like an aspen. The singer and the

accompanist went out together. The noise in hall died away. There was a

pause of a few seconds: and then the piano was heard.

The first part of the concert was very successful except for Madam

Glynn’s item. The poor lady sang _Killarney_ in a bodiless gasping

voice, with all the old-fashioned mannerisms of intonation and

pronunciation which she believed lent elegance to her singing. She

looked as if she had been resurrected from an old stage-wardrobe and

the cheaper parts of the hall made fun of her high wailing notes. The

first tenor and the contralto, however, brought down the house.

Kathleen played a selection of Irish airs which was generously

applauded. The first part closed with a stirring patriotic recitation

delivered by a young lady who arranged amateur theatricals. It was

deservedly applauded; and, when it was ended, the men went out for the

interval, content.

All this time the dressing-room was a hive of excitement. In one corner

were Mr Holohan, Mr Fitzpatrick, Miss Beirne, two of the stewards, the

baritone, the bass, and Mr O’Madden Burke. Mr O’Madden Burke said it

was the most scandalous exhibition he had ever witnessed. Miss Kathleen

Kearney’s musical career was ended in Dublin after that, he said. The

baritone was asked what did he think of Mrs Kearney’s conduct. He did

not like to say anything. He had been paid his money and wished to be

at peace with men. However, he said that Mrs Kearney might have taken

the _artistes_ into consideration. The stewards and the secretaries

debated hotly as to what should be done when the interval came.

“I agree with Miss Beirne,” said Mr O’Madden Burke. “Pay her nothing.”

In another corner of the room were Mrs Kearney and her husband, Mr

Bell, Miss Healy and the young lady who had to recite the patriotic

piece. Mrs Kearney said that the Committee had treated her

scandalously. She had spared neither trouble nor expense and this was

how she was repaid.

They thought they had only a girl to deal with and that, therefore,

they could ride roughshod over her. But she would show them their

mistake. They wouldn’t have dared to have treated her like that if she

had been a man. But she would see that her daughter got her rights: she

wouldn’t be fooled. If they didn’t pay her to the last farthing she

would make Dublin ring. Of course she was sorry for the sake of the

_artistes_. But what else could she do? She appealed to the second

tenor who said he thought she had not been well treated. Then she

appealed to Miss Healy. Miss Healy wanted to join the other group but

she did not like to do so because she was a great friend of Kathleen’s

and the Kearneys had often invited her to their house.

As soon as the first part was ended Mr Fitzpatrick and Mr Holohan went

over to Mrs Kearney and told her that the other four guineas would be

paid after the Committee meeting on the following Tuesday and that, in

case her daughter did not play for the second part, the Committee would

consider the contract broken and would pay nothing.

“I haven’t seen any Committee,” said Mrs Kearney angrily. “My daughter

has her contract. She will get four pounds eight into her hand or a

foot she won’t put on that platform.”

“I’m surprised at you, Mrs Kearney,” said Mr Holohan. “I never thought

you would treat us this way.”

“And what way did you treat me?” asked Mrs Kearney.

Her face was inundated with an angry colour and she looked as if she

would attack someone with her hands.

“I’m asking for my rights,” she said.

“You might have some sense of decency,” said Mr Holohan.

“Might I, indeed?… And when I ask when my daughter is going to be

paid I can’t get a civil answer.”

She tossed her head and assumed a haughty voice:

“You must speak to the secretary. It’s not my business. I’m a great

fellow fol-the-diddle-I-do.”

“I thought you were a lady,” said Mr Holohan, walking away from her

abruptly.

After that Mrs Kearney’s conduct was condemned on all hands: everyone

approved of what the Committee had done. She stood at the door, haggard

with rage, arguing with her husband and daughter, gesticulating with

them. She waited until it was time for the second part to begin in the

hope that the secretaries would approach her. But Miss Healy had kindly

consented to play one or two accompaniments. Mrs Kearney had to stand

aside to allow the baritone and his accompanist to pass up to the

platform. She stood still for an instant like an angry stone image and,

when the first notes of the song struck her ear, she caught up her

daughter’s cloak and said to her husband:

“Get a cab!”

He went out at once. Mrs Kearney wrapped the cloak round her daughter

and followed him. As she passed through the doorway she stopped and

glared into Mr Holohan’s face.

“I’m not done with you yet,” she said.

“But I’m done with you,” said Mr Holohan.

Kathleen followed her mother meekly. Mr Holohan began to pace up and

down the room, in order to cool himself for he felt his skin on fire.

“That’s a nice lady!” he said. “O, she’s a nice lady!”

“You did the proper thing, Holohan,” said Mr O’Madden Burke, poised

upon his umbrella in approval.