THE	O
SISTERS	O
There	O
was	O
no	O
hope	O
for	O
him	O
this	O
time	O
:	O
it	O
was	O
the	O
third	O
stroke	EVENT
.	O

Night	O
after	O
night	O
I	O
had	O
passed	O
the	O
house	O
(	O
it	O
was	O
vacation	O
time	O
)	O
and	O
studied	O
the	O
lighted	O
square	O
of	O
window	O
:	O
and	O
night	O
after	O
night	O
I	O
had	O
found	O
it	O
lighted	O
in	O
the	O
same	O
way	O
,	O
faintly	O
and	O
evenly	O
.	O

If	O
he	O
was	O
dead	O
,	O
I	O
thought	O
,	O
I	O
would	O
see	O
the	O
reflection	O
of	O
candles	O
on	O
the	O
darkened	O
blind	O
for	O
I	O
knew	O
that	O
two	O
candles	O
must	O
be	O
set	O
at	O
the	O
head	O
of	O
a	O
corpse	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
often	O
said	O
to	O
me	O
:	O
“	O
I	O
am	O
not	O
long	O
for	O
this	O
world	O
,	O
”	O
and	O
I	O
had	O
thought	O
his	O
words	O
idle	O
.	O

Now	O
I	O
knew	O
they	O
were	O
true	O
.	O

Every	O
night	O
as	O
I	O
gazed	O
up	O
at	O
the	O
window	O
I	O
said	O
softly	O
to	O
myself	O
the	O
word	O
paralysis	O
.	O

It	O
had	O
always	O
sounded	O
strangely	O
in	O
my	O
ears	O
,	O
like	O
the	O
word	O
gnomon	O
in	O
the	O
Euclid	O
and	O
the	O
word	O
simony	O
in	O
the	O
Catechism	O
.	O

But	O
now	O
it	O
sounded	EVENT
to	O
me	O
like	O
the	O
name	O
of	O
some	O
maleficent	O
and	O
sinful	O
being	O
.	O

It	O
filled	O
me	O
with	O
fear	O
,	O
and	O
yet	O
I	O
longed	O
to	O
be	O
nearer	O
to	O
it	O
and	O
to	O
look	O
upon	O
its	O
deadly	O
work	O
.	O

Old	O
Cotter	O
was	O
sitting	O
at	O
the	O
fire	EVENT
,	O
smoking	EVENT
,	O
when	O
I	O
came	EVENT
downstairs	O
to	O
supper	O
.	O

While	O
my	O
aunt	O
was	O
ladling	EVENT
out	O
my	O
stirabout	O
he	O
said	EVENT
,	O
as	O
if	O
returning	O
to	O
some	O
former	O
remark	O
of	O
his	O
:	O
“	O
No	O
,	O
I	O
would	O
n’t	O
say	O
he	O
was	O
exactly	O
...	O
but	O
there	O
was	O
something	O
queer	O
...	O
there	O
was	O
something	O
uncanny	O
about	O
him	O
.	O

I	O
’ll	O
tell	O
you	O
my	O
opinion	O
....	O
”	O
He	O
began	O
to	O
puff	EVENT
at	O
his	O
pipe	O
,	O
no	O
doubt	O
arranging	O
his	O
opinion	O
in	O
his	O
mind	O
.	O

Tiresome	O
old	O
fool	O
!	O

When	O
we	O
knew	O
him	O
first	O
he	O
used	O
to	O
be	O
rather	O
interesting	O
,	O
talking	O
of	O
faints	O
and	O
worms	O
;	O
but	O
I	O
soon	O
grew	O
tired	O
of	O
him	O
and	O
his	O
endless	O
stories	O
about	O
the	O
distillery	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
have	O
my	O
own	O
theory	O
about	O
it	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
said	EVENT
.	O

“	O
I	O
think	O
it	O
was	O
one	O
of	O
those	O
...	O
peculiar	O
cases	O
...	O
.	O

But	O
it	O
’s	O
hard	O
to	O
say	O
....	O
”	O
He	O
began	O
to	O
puff	EVENT
again	O
at	O
his	O
pipe	O
without	O
giving	O
us	O
his	O
theory	O
.	O

My	O
uncle	O
saw	EVENT
me	O
staring	EVENT
and	O
said	EVENT
to	O
me	O
:	O
“	O
Well	O
,	O
so	O
your	O
old	O
friend	O
is	O
gone	O
,	O
you	O
’ll	O
be	O
sorry	O
to	O
hear	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Who	O
?	O
”	O

said	EVENT
I.	O
“	O
Father	O
Flynn	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
Is	O
he	O
dead	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
Mr	O
Cotter	O
here	O
has	O
just	O
told	EVENT
us	O
.	O

He	O
was	O
passing	EVENT
by	O
the	O
house	O
.	O
”	O

I	O
knew	O
that	O
I	O
was	O
under	O
observation	EVENT
so	O
I	O
continued	O
eating	EVENT
as	O
if	O
the	O
news	O
had	O
not	O
interested	O
me	O
.	O

My	O
uncle	O
explained	EVENT
to	O
old	O
Cotter	O
.	O

“	O
The	O
youngster	O
and	O
he	O
were	O
great	O
friends	O
.	O

The	O
old	O
chap	O
taught	O
him	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
,	O
mind	O
you	O
;	O
and	O
they	O
say	O
he	O
had	O
a	O
great	O
wish	O
for	O
him	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
God	O
have	O
mercy	O
on	O
his	O
soul	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
my	O
aunt	O
piously	O
.	O

Old	O
Cotter	O
looked	EVENT
at	O
me	O
for	O
a	O
while	O
.	O

I	O
felt	EVENT
that	O
his	O
little	O
beady	O
black	O
eyes	O
were	O
examining	O
me	O
but	O
I	O
would	O
not	O
satisfy	O
him	O
by	O
looking	O
up	O
from	O
my	O
plate	O
.	O

He	O
returned	EVENT
to	O
his	O
pipe	O
and	O
finally	O
spat	EVENT
rudely	O
into	O
the	O
grate	O
.	O

“	O
I	O
would	O
n’t	O
like	O
children	O
of	O
mine	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
said	EVENT
,	O
“	O
to	O
have	O
too	O
much	O
to	O
say	O
to	O
a	O
man	O
like	O
that	O
.	O
”	O

“	O
How	O
do	O
you	O
mean	O
,	O
Mr	O
Cotter	O
?	O
”	O

asked	EVENT
my	O
aunt	O
.	O

“	O
What	O
I	O
mean	O
is	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
old	O
Cotter	O
,	O
“	O
it	O
’s	O
bad	O
for	O
children	O
.	O

My	O
idea	O
is	O
:	O
let	O
a	O
young	O
lad	O
run	O
about	O
and	O
play	O
with	O
young	O
lads	O
of	O
his	O
own	O
age	O
and	O
not	O
be	O
...	O
.	O

Am	O
I	O
right	O
,	O
Jack	O
?	O
”	O

“	O
That	O
’s	O
my	O
principle	O
,	O
too	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
my	O
uncle	O
.	O

“	O
Let	O
him	O
learn	O
to	O
box	O
his	O
corner	O
.	O

That	O
’s	O
what	O
I	O
’m	O
always	O
saying	O
to	O
that	O
Rosicrucian	O
there	O
:	O
take	O
exercise	O
.	O

Why	O
,	O
when	O
I	O
was	O
a	O
nipper	O
every	O
morning	O
of	O
my	O
life	O
I	O
had	O
a	O
cold	O
bath	O
,	O
winter	O
and	O
summer	O
.	O

And	O
that	O
’s	O
what	O
stands	O
to	O
me	O
now	O
.	O

Education	O
is	O
all	O
very	O
fine	O
and	O
large	O
...	O
.	O

Mr	O
Cotter	O
might	O
take	O
a	O
pick	O
of	O
that	O
leg	O
mutton	O
,	O
”	O
he	O
added	EVENT
to	O
my	O
aunt	O
.	O

“	O
No	O
,	O
no	O
,	O
not	O
for	O
me	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
old	O
Cotter	O
.	O

My	O
aunt	O
brought	EVENT
the	O
dish	O
from	O
the	O
safe	O
and	O
put	EVENT
it	O
on	O
the	O
table	O
.	O

“	O
But	O
why	O
do	O
you	O
think	O
it	O
’s	O
not	O
good	O
for	O
children	O
,	O
Mr	O
Cotter	O
?	O
”	O

she	O
asked	EVENT
.	O

“	O
It	O
’s	O
bad	O
for	O
children	O
,	O
”	O
said	EVENT
old	O
Cotter	O
,	O
“	O
because	O
their	O
minds	O
are	O
so	O
impressionable	O
.	O

When	O
children	O
see	O
things	O
like	O
that	O
,	O
you	O
know	O
,	O
it	O
has	O
an	O
effect	O
....	O
”	O
I	O
crammed	EVENT
my	O
mouth	O
with	O
stirabout	O
for	O
fear	EVENT
I	O
might	O
give	O
utterance	O
to	O
my	O
anger	O
.	O

Tiresome	O
old	O
red-nosed	O
imbecile	O
!	O

It	O
was	O
late	O
when	O
I	O
fell	O
asleep	EVENT
.	O

Though	O
I	O
was	O
angry	O
with	O
old	O
Cotter	O
for	O
alluding	EVENT
to	O
me	O
as	O
a	O
child	O
,	O
I	O
puzzled	EVENT
my	O
head	O
to	O
extract	O
meaning	O
from	O
his	O
unfinished	O
sentences	O
.	O

In	O
the	O
dark	O
of	O
my	O
room	O
I	O
imagined	EVENT
that	O
I	O
saw	O
again	O
the	O
heavy	O
grey	O
face	O
of	O
the	O
paralytic	O
.	O

I	O
drew	EVENT
the	O
blankets	O
over	O
my	O
head	O
and	O
tried	EVENT
to	O
think	O
of	O
Christmas	O
.	O

But	O
the	O
grey	O
face	O
still	O
followed	EVENT
me	O
.	O

It	O
murmured	EVENT
;	O
and	O
I	O
understood	EVENT
that	O
it	O
desired	EVENT
to	O
confess	O
something	O
.	O

I	O
felt	EVENT
my	O
soul	O
receding	O
into	O
some	O
pleasant	O
and	O
vicious	O
region	O
;	O
and	O
there	O
again	O
I	O
found	EVENT
it	O
waiting	EVENT
for	O
me	O
.	O

It	O
began	O
to	O
confess	EVENT
to	O
me	O
in	O
a	O
murmuring	O
voice	O
and	O
I	O
wondered	EVENT
why	O
it	O
smiled	EVENT
continually	O
and	O
why	O
the	O
lips	O
were	O
so	O
moist	O
with	O
spittle	O
.	O

But	O
then	O
I	O
remembered	EVENT
that	O
it	O
had	O
died	EVENT
of	O
paralysis	O
and	O
I	O
felt	EVENT
that	O
I	O
too	O
was	O
smiling	O
feebly	O
as	O
if	O
to	O
absolve	O
the	O
simoniac	O
of	O
his	O
sin	O
.	O

The	O
next	O
morning	O
after	O
breakfast	EVENT
I	O
went	EVENT
down	O
to	O
look	O
at	O
the	O
little	O
house	O
in	O
Great	O
Britain	O
Street	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
an	O
unassuming	O
shop	O
,	O
registered	O
under	O
the	O
vague	O
name	O
of	O
Drapery	O
.	O

The	O
drapery	O
consisted	O
mainly	O
of	O
children	O
’s	O
bootees	O
and	O
umbrellas	O
;	O
and	O
on	O
ordinary	O
days	O
a	O
notice	O
used	O
to	O
hang	O
in	O
the	O
window	O
,	O
saying	O
:	O
Umbrellas	O
Re-covered	O
.	O

No	O
notice	O
was	O
visible	O
now	O
for	O
the	O
shutters	O
were	O
up	O
.	O

A	O
crape	O
bouquet	O
was	O
tied	O
to	O
the	O
door-knocker	O
with	O
ribbon	O
.	O

Two	O
poor	O
women	O
and	O
a	O
telegram	O
boy	O
were	O
reading	EVENT
the	O
card	O
pinned	O
on	O
the	O
crape	O
.	O

I	O
also	O
approached	EVENT
and	O
read	EVENT
:	O
July	O
1st	O
,	O
1895	O
The	O
Rev.	O
James	O
Flynn	O
(	O
formerly	O
of	O
S.	O
Catherine	O
’s	O
Church	O
,	O
Meath	O
Street	O
)	O
,	O
aged	O
sixty-five	O
years	O
.	O

R.	O
I.	O
P	O
.	O

The	O
reading	EVENT
of	O
the	O
card	O
persuaded	EVENT
me	O
that	O
he	O
was	O
dead	O
and	O
I	O
was	O
disturbed	EVENT
to	O
find	O
myself	O
at	O
check	EVENT
.	O

Had	O
he	O
not	O
been	O
dead	O
I	O
would	O
have	O
gone	O
into	O
the	O
little	O
dark	O
room	O
behind	O
the	O
shop	O
to	O
find	O
him	O
sitting	O
in	O
his	O
arm-chair	O
by	O
the	O
fire	O
,	O
nearly	O
smothered	O
in	O
his	O
great-coat	O
.	O

Perhaps	O
my	O
aunt	O
would	O
have	O
given	O
me	O
a	O
packet	O
of	O
High	O
Toast	O
for	O
him	O
and	O
this	O
present	O
would	O
have	O
roused	O
him	O
from	O
his	O
stupefied	O
doze	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
always	O
I	O
who	O
emptied	O
the	O
packet	O
into	O
his	O
black	O
snuff-box	O
for	O
his	O
hands	O
trembled	O
too	O
much	O
to	O
allow	O
him	O
to	O
do	O
this	O
without	O
spilling	O
half	O
the	O
snuff	O
about	O
the	O
floor	O
.	O

Even	O
as	O
he	O
raised	O
his	O
large	O
trembling	O
hand	O
to	O
his	O
nose	O
little	O
clouds	O
of	O
smoke	O
dribbled	O
through	O
his	O
fingers	O
over	O
the	O
front	O
of	O
his	O
coat	O
.	O

It	O
may	O
have	O
been	O
these	O
constant	O
showers	O
of	O
snuff	O
which	O
gave	O
his	O
ancient	O
priestly	O
garments	O
their	O
green	O
faded	O
look	O
for	O
the	O
red	O
handkerchief	O
,	O
blackened	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
always	O
was	O
,	O
with	O
the	O
snuff-stains	O
of	O
a	O
week	O
,	O
with	O
which	O
he	O
tried	O
to	O
brush	O
away	O
the	O
fallen	O
grains	O
,	O
was	O
quite	O
inefficacious	O
.	O

I	O
wished	O
to	O
go	O
in	O
and	O
look	O
at	O
him	O
but	O
I	O
had	O
not	O
the	O
courage	O
to	O
knock	O
.	O

I	O
walked	EVENT
away	O
slowly	O
along	O
the	O
sunny	O
side	O
of	O
the	O
street	O
,	O
reading	EVENT
all	O
the	O
theatrical	O
advertisements	O
in	O
the	O
shop-windows	O
as	O
I	O
went	EVENT
.	O

I	O
found	EVENT
it	O
strange	O
that	O
neither	O
I	O
nor	O
the	O
day	O
seemed	O
in	O
a	O
mourning	O
mood	O
and	O
I	O
felt	O
even	O
annoyed	EVENT
at	O
discovering	EVENT
in	O
myself	O
a	O
sensation	EVENT
of	O
freedom	O
as	O
if	O
I	O
had	O
been	O
freed	O
from	O
something	O
by	O
his	O
death	O
.	O

I	O
wondered	EVENT
at	O
this	O
for	O
,	O
as	O
my	O
uncle	O
had	O
said	EVENT
the	O
night	O
before	O
,	O
he	O
had	O
taught	O
me	O
a	O
great	O
deal	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
studied	O
in	O
the	O
Irish	O
college	O
in	O
Rome	O
and	O
he	O
had	O
taught	O
me	O
to	O
pronounce	O
Latin	O
properly	O
.	O

He	O
had	O
told	O
me	O
stories	O
about	O
the	O
catacombs	O
and	O
about	O
Napoleon	O
Bonaparte	O
,	O
and	O
he	O
had	O
explained	O
to	O
me	O
the	O
meaning	O
of	O
the	O
different	O
ceremonies	O
of	O
the	O
Mass	O
and	O
of	O
the	O
different	O
vestments	O
worn	O
by	O
the	O
priest	O
.	O

Sometimes	O
he	O
had	O
amused	O
himself	O
by	O
putting	O
difficult	O
questions	O
to	O
me	O
,	O
asking	O
me	O
what	O
one	O
should	O
do	O
in	O
certain	O
circumstances	O
or	O
whether	O
such	O
and	O
such	O
sins	O
were	O
mortal	O
or	O
venial	O
or	O
only	O
imperfections	O
.	O

His	O
questions	O
showed	O
me	O
how	O
complex	O
and	O
mysterious	O
were	O
certain	O
institutions	O
of	O
the	O
Church	O
which	O
I	O
had	O
always	O
regarded	O
as	O
the	O
simplest	O
acts	O
.	O

The	O
duties	O
of	O
the	O
priest	O
towards	O
the	O
Eucharist	O
and	O
towards	O
the	O
secrecy	O
of	O
the	O
confessional	O
seemed	O
so	O
grave	O
to	O
me	O
that	O
I	O
wondered	O
how	O
anybody	O
had	O
ever	O
found	O
in	O
himself	O
the	O
courage	O
to	O
undertake	O
them	O
;	O
and	O
I	O
was	O
not	O
surprised	O
when	O
he	O
told	O
me	O
that	O
the	O
fathers	O
of	O
the	O
Church	O
had	O
written	O
books	O
as	O
thick	O
as	O
the	O
Post	O
Office	O
Directory	O
and	O
as	O
closely	O
printed	O
as	O
the	O
law	O
notices	O
in	O
the	O
newspaper	O
,	O
elucidating	O
all	O
these	O
intricate	O
questions	O
.	O

Often	O
when	O
I	O
thought	O
of	O
this	O
I	O
could	O
make	O
no	O
answer	O
or	O
only	O
a	O
very	O
foolish	O
and	O
halting	O
one	O
upon	O
which	O
he	O
used	O
to	O
smile	O
and	O
nod	O
his	O
head	O
twice	O
or	O
thrice	O
.	O

Sometimes	O
he	O
used	O
to	O
put	O
me	O
through	O
the	O
responses	O
of	O
the	O
Mass	O
which	O
he	O
had	O
made	O
me	O
learn	O
by	O
heart	O
;	O
and	O
,	O
as	O
I	O
pattered	O
,	O
he	O
used	O
to	O
smile	O
pensively	O
and	O
nod	O
his	O
head	O
,	O
now	O
and	O
then	O
pushing	O
huge	O
pinches	O
of	O
snuff	O
up	O
each	O
nostril	O
alternately	O
.	O

When	O
he	O
smiled	O
he	O
used	O
to	O
uncover	O
his	O
big	O
discoloured	O
teeth	O
and	O
let	O
his	O
tongue	O
lie	O
upon	O
his	O
lower	O
lip	O
—	O
a	O
habit	O
which	O
had	O
made	O
me	O
feel	O
uneasy	O
in	O
the	O
beginning	O
of	O
our	O
acquaintance	O
before	O
I	O
knew	O
him	O
well	O
.	O

As	O
I	O
walked	EVENT
along	O
in	O
the	O
sun	O
I	O
remembered	EVENT
old	O
Cotter	O
’s	O
words	O
and	O
tried	EVENT
to	O
remember	O
what	O
had	O
happened	O
afterwards	O
in	O
the	O
dream	O
.	O

I	O
remembered	EVENT
that	O
I	O
had	O
noticed	EVENT
long	O
velvet	O
curtains	O
and	O
a	O
swinging	O
lamp	O
of	O
antique	O
fashion	O
.	O

I	O
felt	EVENT
that	O
I	O
had	O
been	O
very	O
far	O
away	O
,	O
in	O
some	O
land	O
where	O
the	O
customs	O
were	O
strange	O
—	O
in	O
Persia	O
,	O
I	O
thought	EVENT
...	O
.	O

But	O
I	O
could	O
not	O
remember	O
the	O
end	O
of	O
the	O
dream	O
.	O

In	O
the	O
evening	O
my	O
aunt	O
took	EVENT
me	O
with	O
her	O
to	O
visit	O
the	O
house	O
of	O
mourning	O
.	O

It	O
was	O
after	O
sunset	EVENT
;	O
but	O
the	O
window-panes	O
of	O
the	O
houses	O
that	O
looked	O
to	O
the	O
west	O
reflected	O
the	O
tawny	O
gold	O
of	O
a	O
great	O
bank	O
of	O
clouds	O
.	O

Nannie	O
received	EVENT
us	O
in	O
the	O
hall	O
;	O
and	O
,	O
as	O
it	O
would	O
have	O
been	O
unseemly	O
to	O
have	O
shouted	O
at	O
her	O
,	O
my	O
aunt	O
shook	EVENT
hands	O
with	O
her	O
for	O
all	O
.	O

The	O
old	O
woman	O
pointed	EVENT
upwards	O
interrogatively	O
and	O
,	O
on	O
my	O
aunt	O
’s	O
nodding	EVENT
,	O
proceeded	O
to	O
toil	EVENT
up	O
the	O
narrow	O
staircase	O
before	O
us	O
,	O
her	O
bowed	O
head	O
being	O
scarcely	O
above	O
the	O
level	O
of	O
the	O
banister-rail	O
.	O

At	O
the	O
first	O
landing	O
she	O
stopped	EVENT
and	O
beckoned	EVENT
us	O
forward	O
encouragingly	O
towards	O
the	O
open	O
door	O
of	O
the	O
dead-room	O
.	O

My	O
aunt	O
went	EVENT
in	O
and	O
the	O
old	O
woman	O
,	O
seeing	EVENT
that	O
I	O
hesitated	EVENT
to	O
enter	O
,	O
began	O
to	O
beckon	EVENT
to	O
me	O
again	O
repeatedly	O
with	O
her	O
hand	O
.	O