brush with the green velvet back was for Parnell. Dante gave him a chachou every time he brought her a piece of tissue paper.

The Vances lived in number seven. They had a different father and mother. The were Eileen's father and mother. When they were grown up he was going to marry Eileen. He hid under the table. His mother said:

----O, Stephen will apologise.

Dante said:

----O, if not, the eagles will come and pull out his eyes.


Pull out his eyes,
Apologise,
Apologise,
Pull out his eyes.

Apologise,
Pull out his eyes,
Pull out his eyes,
Apologise.

*    *   *

The wide playgrounds were swarming with boys. All were shouting and the prefects urged them on with strong cries. The evening air was pale and chilly and after every charge and thud of the footballers the greasy leather orb flew like a heavy bird through the grey light. He kept on the fringe of his line, out of sight of his prefect, out of the reach of the rude feet, feigning to run now and then. He felt his body small and weak amid the throng of players and his eyes were weak and watery. Rody Kickham was not like that: he would be captain of the third line all the fellows said.

Rody Kickham was a decent fellow but Nasty Roche was a stink. Rody Kickham had greaves in his number