Paddy gave a great braying laugh.
'Laugh?' Raunce shouted and sprang up. All except for Miss Burch wilted and his lad's jaw dropped. 'You would would you?' he went on but the lampman had returned to wooden silence and Raunce subsided back into his seat again. 'Well,' he went on, 'if it should ever come to it there's guns and ammo in the gunroom.'
Edith gave a cry and Kate looked serious. But Miss Burch displayed impatience.
'Whatever's come over you?' she asked. 'You're never thinking you could knock down one of the Mark something tanks as you would a rabbit with one of those shot guns they've got locked up here,' she said.
'What I had in mind was a cartridge each for you ladies,' he replied in a low voice. Utterly serious he was.
'Would you spare one for Mrs Welch?' Miss Burch enquired tart and Kate let out a yell of laughter. Edith laughed also and after a minute Raunce himself joined in shamefaced. Paddy stayed impassive.
'You want to go delicate you know,' Miss Burch went on, 'you've no game licence.'
'You mean you wouldn't hesitate…?' Edith began to ask him seriously but Charley interrupted her.
'I'd like to see 'em up in Dublin issue a permit over Mrs Welch as they do with the salmon trout,' he said to Miss Burch. At this they all laughed once more when Kate broke in with, 'Speakin' for myself I'd rather have the Jerry.'
'Under 'er bed,' Raunce made comment and even Miss Burch tee-hee'd wholehearted.
There's the telephone,' Raunce announced. Bert got up to answer it away in the pantry.
Miss Burch fixed a stern eye on Kate so much as to say a minute or so ago just now you were about to be actually coarse.
'Well I don't aim to be shot dead. On no account I don't.' the girl explained.
There's worse things than death my girl,' Miss Burch repeated. 'As anyone can tell you who remembers the last war.'
'I saw in the papers they behave themselves most correct towards the French people,' Edith said, still looking at Charley.
'What can you believe in these Irish rags?' Raunce asked.
'Well, there's one thing,' Miss Burch told him, 'they're neutral enough, they print what both sides say against one another.'
'Ah,' said Raunce, 'that's nothing but propaganda these days. It's human nature you've got to keep count of. Why it stands to reason with an invadin' army…' he was going on as Edith watched him open eyed when Albert came back.
'It was a wire for you,' he said to Raunce.
'Where is it then?' this man asked.
'Well there ain't no telegram,' was the answer he got. They read it out over the phone.'
'Ow many times have I told you never to take nothin' over that instrument without you write it down,' Raunce demanded in rising tones. 'Why I remember once at a place I was in, that very thing occasioned the death of a certain Mrs Harris. There you are. Killed her it did as if she had been blown in smithereens with a shotgun.'
'Go on,' the boy said respectful.
'Don't give me no go ons,' Raunce almost shouted at him. 'D'you know what you're about?'
'Yes Mr Raunce.'
'All right then.' The authority Raunce seemed to have acquired since Mr Eldon's death must have impressed them all. Even Kate gave him earnest attention. 'Now,' he went on, 'take your time. Don't rush it. What did the thing say?'
'Staying on for a few days Tennant, Mr Raunce.'
'Ho,' said Raunce, 'stayin' on a few days eh? That would be Mrs Tennant then. Mrs Jack she signs herself different. Staying over eh? Leavin' us to face the music that's about the long and short of it.'
'D'you consider there's something likely to occur then?' Edith asked.
'I feel responsible,' he replied.
'For two pins I'd give in my notice,' Kate told them.
'How would you do that?' Edith enquired, 'when they aren't here?'
'Why I'd send it by post or I'd put it on a post card if I was in the mood,' the girl answered and there was a pause. 'I'm game if you are Edie,' Kate added, giving Edith a look that seemed highly inquisitive. But long before she could get an answer Charley was speaking, had so to speak thrown himself into a breach to stop the rot.
'Here,' he cried, 'what's all this, tell me that, what is it? I know the name it could be given, runnin' away, that's two words for it make no mistake. We're British aren't we? Turn tail and flee?' he asked in a loud voice. He glanced in menacing fashion at the lamp-man.
'Is it running away to get back to your own country to lend a hand?' Miss Burch enquired almost with amusement.
'And block the roads getting there?' Raunce asked.
'Why certainly,' she said, 'and block the roads, why not? If it's in the path of the enemy,' she said.
'But suppose they wished to evacuate the Governor General? Or the gold in the Bank of Ireland?' Raunce objected.
Paddy murmured something.
'There 'e goes again,' Raunce said and looked at Kate. 'What is it this time?'
'He says the Governor General is an Irishman an' would never go to England.'
That's a bloody lie,' Raunce announced with finality. 'There's always been a Britisher in that job. Excuse me,' he added to Miss Burch, 'I seem to have forgot myself. Well what d'you know?' he went on. There's that telephone again.' Bert left the room. This time they kept uneasy silence till he returned.
'Well?' Charley asked the lad when he got back. He was handed a scrap of paper. He examined it. 'I can't read this,' he said.
'You should write down the messages neatly on a proper bit of paper,' Miss Burch told Albert. Raunce sat staring at what he held. There's times I despair of you my lad,' he moaned. Kate winked at Albert. 'Well come on, don't stand there dumb,' Charley went on, 'I can tell it's from Mrs Jack an' that's all.'
'Not returning for few days Violet Tennant,' the lad recited.
A silence fell over them once more. Then Kate saw fit to comment with what seemed like satisfaction, 'And that's the last we shall see or even 'ear of her if you ask me.'
'Why Kate,' Edith said, 'I never heard such a thing.'
'It was uncalled for,' Miss Burch pronounced, 'and what's more I don't wish another word spoken,' she added very grim. Silence fell yet again. At last Raunce broke the spell.
'Left all on our own,' he said with genuine emotion, seeming to ignore the others. 'How do you like that?'