Willy Burke, or, The Irish orphan in America - Digital Repository ...

THE IRISH ORPHAN IN AMERICA. 97
sumed the Litany, as though nothing had happened.
Again the laugh was raised outside, and Peter got up
from his kneeling posture, saying, in a low voice, " Don't
you hear them niakin' game of us ? let it alone, I tell
you'.
But Willy, without heeding his remonstrance, went
steadily on with his prayer, nor stopped till he had
reached the conclusion. Then he stood up and quietly
began to prepare for bed.
" Why, what in the world", said Peter, "made you go
on when you heard them laughin' at us that way? Sure
you 're the quarest fellow ever I seen".
" I *11 jist tell you, Pether, why I went on", returned
Willy, and he spoke rather louder than usual, having a
suspicion that some of the listeners were still lingering
in the passage.
" Didn't you often hear my mother and the priest himself
say, that we ought never be afraid or ashamed to say
our prayers ? What for should we be ashamed of pray in'
to the Blessed Mother o' God to intercede for us ? An'
when we know we 're doin' only what 's right, I wouldn't
care if they were laughin' at us till this time the morrow
night. Jist let them laugh away, an' when they find that
we disregard their laughin', then I suppose they '11 soon
tire. Let us go to bed now in the name of God".
Next morning, at breakfast, there was not the slightest
allusion to what had passed the night before, the presence
of Mrs. Malcolm making the scoffers fear to ridicule
the young Catholics. Even when the housekeeper left
the room, not a word was spoken on the subject ; but,
from the signs exchanged, and the sly, derisive glances directed
at the brothers—the younger in particular—it was
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