In more than one house, children, off from school, ran out to greet him, as though he was Santa Claus, just bringing the bag of coal.
More than a few times, Furlong stopped to leave a bag of logs at the doors of those who had given him the business, when they could afford it.
In one of these, a little boy ran out to the lorry and picked up a lump of coal but his big sister came out and slapped him, telling him to put it down, that it was dirty. - P91
People could be good, Furlong reminded himself, as he drove back to town; it was a matter of learning how to manage and balance the give-and-take in a way that let you get on with others as well as your own. But as soon as the thought came to him, he knew the thought itself was privileged and wondered why he hadn‘t given the sweets and other things he‘d been gifted at some of the houses to the less well-off he had met in others. Always, Christmas brought out the best and the worst in people. - P91
Furlong didn‘t wish to linger; all he wanted, now, was to get home, but he stayed on as it felt proper to idle there for a while, to thank and wish his men well, to spend time on what he seldom made the time for. Already, they had been given their Christmas bonuses. Before he went to settle the bill, they shook hands. - P93
‘You must be worn out,‘ Mrs Kehoe said, when he went up to pay. ‘At it all day, every day.‘
‘No more than yourself, Mrs Kehoe.‘
‘Heavy is the head that wears the crown.‘ She laughed. - P93
‘Tis no affair of mine, you understand, but you know you‘d want to watch over what you‘d say about what‘s there? Keep the enemy close, the bad dog with you and the good dog will not bite. You know yourself.‘ - P94
"Take no offence, Bill,‘ she said, touching his sleeve. ‘Tis no business of mine, as I‘ve said, but surely you must know these nuns have a finger in every pie.‘ - P94
He stood back then and faced her. ‘Surely they‘ve only as much power as we give them, Mrs Kehoe?‘ - P94
"They belong to different orders,‘ she went on,
‘but believe you me, they‘re all the one. You can‘t side against one without damaging your chances with the other.‘ - P95
Passing the tree outside the Town Hall, he caught his toe on a paving stone and almost tripped and found himself blaming Mrs Kehoe, who‘d made him take a hot whiskey, for his cold, and had given him a huge bowl of sherry trifle. - P97
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