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have plenty of apples and nuts. It was hard to know what to buy and all
she could think of was cake. She decided to buy some plumcake but
Downes’s plumcake had not enough almond icing on top of it so she went
over to a shop in Henry Street. Here she was a long time in suiting
herself and the stylish young lady behind the counter, who was
evidently a little annoyed by her, asked her was it wedding-cake she
wanted to buy. That made Maria blush and smile at the young lady; but
the young lady took it all very seriously and finally cut a thick slice
of plumcake, parcelled it up and said:

“Two-and-four, please.”

She thought she would have to stand in the Drumcondra tram because none
of the young men seemed to notice her but an elderly gentleman made
room for her. He was a stout gentleman and he wore a brown hard hat; he
had a square red face and a greyish moustache. Maria thought he was a
colonel-looking gentleman and she reflected how much more polite he was
than the young men who simply stared straight before them. The
gentleman began to chat with her about Hallow Eve and the rainy
weather. He supposed the bag was full of good things for the little
ones and said it was only right that the youngsters should enjoy
themselves while they were young. Maria agreed with him and favoured
him with demure nods and hems. He was very nice with her, and when she
was getting out at the Canal Bridge she thanked him and bowed, and he
bowed to her and raised his hat and smiled agreeably, and while she was
going up along the terrace, bending her tiny head under the rain, she
thought how easy it was to know a gentleman even when he has a drop
taken.

Everybody said: “O, here’s Maria!” when she came to Joe’s house. Joe
was there, having come home from business, and all the children had
their Sunday dresses on. There were two big girls in from next door and
games were going on. Maria gave the bag of cakes to the eldest boy,
Alphy, to divide and Mrs Donnelly said it was too good of her to bring
such a big bag of cakes and made all the children say:

“Thanks, Maria.”

But Maria said she had brought something special for papa and mamma,
something they would be sure to like, and she began to look for her
plumcake. She tried in Downes’s bag and then in the pockets of her
waterproof and then on the hallstand but nowhere could she find it.
Then she asked all the children had any of them eaten it—by mistake, of
course—but the children all said no and looked as if they did not like
to eat cakes if they were to be accused of stealing. Everybody had a
solution for the mystery and Mrs Donnelly said it was plain that Maria
had left it behind her in the tram. Maria, remembering how confused the
gentleman with the greyish moustache had made her, coloured with shame
and vexation and disappointment. At the thought of the failure of her
little surprise and of the two and fourpence she had thrown away for
nothing she nearly cried outright.

But Joe said it didn’t matter and made her sit down by the fire. He was
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