In October there were yellow trees. Then the clockswent back the hour and the long November windscame in and blew, and stripped the trees bare. Inthe town of New Ross, chimneys threw out smokewhich fell away and drifted off in hairy, drawn-outstrings before dispersing along the quays, and soonthe River Barrow, dark as stout, swelled up with rain. - P1
It would be the easiest thing in the world to loseeverything, Furlong knew. Although he did notventure far, he got around - and many an unfor-tunate he‘d seen around town and out the countryroads. The dole queues were getting longer andthere were men out there who couldn‘t pay theirESB bills, living in houses no warmer than bunkers, sleeping in their overcoats. Women, on the firstFriday of every month, lined up at the post-officewall with shopping bags, waiting to collect theirchildren‘s allowances. And farther out the country, he‘d known cows to be left bawling to be milked because the man who had their care had upped, suddenly, and taken the boat to England. Once, aman from St Mullins got a lift into town to payhis bill, saying that they‘d had to sell the Jeep asthey couldn‘t get a wink of sleep knowing what wasowing, that the bank was coming down on them. And early one morning, Furlong had seen a youngschoolboy drinking the milk out of the cat‘s bowl behind the priest‘s house. - P13
How still it was up here but why was it not everpeaceful? The day had not yet dawned, and Fur-long looked down at the dark shining river whosesurface reflected equal parts of the lighted town. - P57
The Mass, that day, felt long. Furlong didn‘t joinin so much as listen, distractedly, while watchingthe morning light falling through the stained-glasswindows. During the sermon, his gaze followed the Stations of the Cross: Jesus taking up hiscross and falling, meeting his mother, the womenof Jerusalem, falling twice more before beingstripped of his garments, being nailed to the crossand dying, being laid in the tomb. When the con-secration was over and it came time to go up andreceive Communion, Furlong stayed contrarilywhere he was, with his back against the wall. - P78
‘Tis no affair of mine, you understand, but youknow you‘d want to watch over what you‘d sayabout what‘s there? Keep the enemy close, the baddog with you and the good dog will not bite. Youknow yourself.‘ - P94
‘You‘ll come home with me now, Sarah.‘ brsEasily enough he helped her along the frontdrive and down the hill, past the fancy houses andon towards the bridge. Crossing the river, his eyesagain fell on the stout-black water flowing darklyalong - and a part of him envied the Barrow‘s know-ledge of her course, how easily the water followedits incorrigible way, so freely to the open sea. The air was sharper now, without his coat, and he felt hisself-preservation and courage battling against eachother and thought, once more, of taking the girl tothe priest‘s house - but several times, already, hismind had gone on ahead, and met him there, andhad concluded that the priests already knew. Surehadn‘t Mrs Kehoe as much as told him so? They‘re all the one. - P106
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