Dr. Toole bowed low, and grinned with real satisfaction, reminded him of
their interview at the 'Phoenix,' and made by way of apology for his
appearance at the 'Tiled House,' a light and kind allusion to poor old
Tim, of whose toothache he spoke affectionately, and with water in his
eyes--for he half believed for the moment what he was saying--declared
how he remembered him when he did not come up to Tim's knee-buckle, and
would walk that far any day, and a bit further too, he hoped, to relieve
the poor old boy in a less matter. And finding that Mr. Mervyn was going
toward Chapelizod, he begged him not to delay on his account, and
accompanied him down the Ballyfermot road, entertaining him by the way
with an inexhaustible affluence of Chapelizod anecdote and scandal, at
which the young man stared a good deal, and sometimes even appeared
impatient: but the doctor did not perceive it, and rattled on; and told
him moreover, everything about himself and his belongings with a minute
and voluble frankness, intended to shame the suspicious reserve of the
stranger. But nothing came; and being by this time grown bolder, he
began a more direct assault, and told him, with a proper scorn of the
village curiosity, all the theories which the Chapelizod gossips had
spun about him.
Pages:
220
221
222
223
224
225
226
227
228
229
230
231
232
233
234
235
236
237
238
239
240
241
242
243
244