The  librarian  reads  the  note  and  says  ’tis  an  awful  pity  about Mr. Griffin, he’s  a  true  gentleman  and  a  man  of  great  learning, you wouldn’t believe the books he reads, sometimes four a week, that one day he took home a book in French, French, if you don’t mind, on the history of the rudder, the rudder, if you don’t mind, she’d give anything for a look inside his head for it must be packed with all sorts of learn- ing, packed, if you don’t mind. She picks out a gorgeous book with colored pictures about English gardens. She says, I know what he likes in the fishing department, and chooses a book called In Search of the Irish Salmon by Brigadier General Hugh Colton. Oh, says the librarian, he reads hundreds of books about English officers fishing in Ireland. I’ve read some myself out of pure curiosity and you can see why those officers are glad to be in Ireland after all they put up with in India and Africa and other desperate places. At least the people here are polite.We’re known for that, the politeness, not running around throwing spears at people. Laman lies in the bed, reads his books, talks down from the loft about the day his legs will heal and he’ll be out there in the back plant- ing a garden which will be famous far and wide for color and beauty and when he’s not gardening he’ll be roaming the rivers around Lim- erick and bringing home salmon that will make your mouth water. His mother left a recipe for salmon that’s a family secret and if he had the time  and  his  legs  weren’t  killing  him  he’d  find  it  someplace  in  this house. He says now that I’m reliable I can get a book for myself every week but don’t be bringing home filth. I want to know what the filth is but he won’t tell me so I’ll have to find out for myself. Mam says she wants to join the library too but it’s a long walk from Laman’s house, two miles, and would I mind getting her a book every week, a romance by Charlotte M. Brame or any other nice writer. She doesn’t want any books about English officers looking for salmon or books about people shooting each other.There’s enough trouble in the world without reading about people bothering fish and each other. Grandma caught a chill the night we had the trouble in the house in Roden Lane and the chill turned into pneumonia.They shifted her to the City Home Hospital and now she’s dead. Her oldest son, my uncle Tom, thought he’d go to England to work 282