Echoes by Maeve Binchy Read Free Book Online Page A

would, and that eejit of a Bernie Conway will probably buy a handbag or a whole lot of hairbands. What happened to those nice yellow ribbons you were wearing this morning?”
    â€œI took them off, and put them in my schoolbag. They seemed wrong.”
    â€œYes, well maybe they’ll seem right later on, you know.”
    â€œOh, they will, Miss O’Hara. Thank you for the beautiful book. Thank you, really. ”
    Miss O’Hara seemed to understand. Then she said suddenly, “You could get anywhere you wanted, Clare, you know, if you didn’t give up and say it’s all hopeless. You don’t have to turn out like the rest of them.”
    â€œI’d love to . . . well, to get on you know,” Clare admitted. It was out, this thing that had been inside for so long and never said in case it would be laughed at. “But it would be very hard, wouldn’t it?”
    â€œOf course, it would, but that’s what makes it worth doing. If it were easy, then every divil and dirt could do it. It’s because it’s hard it’s special.”
    â€œLike being a saint,” Clare said, eyes shining.
    â€œYes, but that’s a different road to go down. Let’s see if you can get you an education first. Be a mature saint, not a child saint, will you?”
    The bell rang, deafening them for a moment.
    â€œI’d prefer not to be a child saint all right. They’re usually martyred for their faith, aren’t they?”
    â€œAlmost invariably,” Miss O’Hara said, nearly sweeping the statue of the Sacred Heart with her as she gathered her books for class.
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    Chrissie and her two desperate friends Peggy and Kath had planned a visit to Miss O’Flaherty’s to apologize. Gerry Doyle had apparently told Chrissie last night that this was the best thing to do by far. After all, she knew it was them, they’d all been caught and punished by their parents, why not go in and say sorry, then Miss O’Flaherty would have to forgive them or else everyone would say she was a mean old bag who held a grudge. Chrissie hadn’t gone along with this in the beginning but Gerry had been very persuasive. What could they lose? he argued. They didn’t need to mean they were sorry, they only needed to say it, and then it would take the heat off them all so that they could get on with the plans for the party in the cave, otherwise they would all be under house arrest. Do it soon, and put your heart and soul into it, had been Gerry’s advice. Grown-ups loved what they thought were reformed characters. Lay it on good and thick.
    Clare was surprised to see the threesome stop outside Miss O’Flaherty’s shop. She was sure they’d have scurried past but they were marching in bold as brass. She pretended to be looking at the flyblown window display that had never changed as long as she knew it, but she wanted to hear what was coming from inside the shop.
    The bits that she heard were astonishing. Chrissie was saying something about not being able to sleep last night on account of it all, Peg was hanging her head and saying she thought it was a joke at the time but the more she thought of it, it wasn’t a bit funny to frighten anyone. And Kath said that she’d be happy to do any messages for Miss O’Flaherty to make up for it.
    Miss O’Flaherty was a big confused woman with hair like a bird’s nest. She was flabbergasted by the apology and had no idea how to cope.
    â€œSo, anyway, there it is,” Chrissie had said, trying to finish it up. “We’re all as sorry as can be.”
    â€œAnd, of course, we’re well punished at home,” added Kath. “But that’s no help to you, Miss O’Flaherty.”
    â€œAnd maybe if our mothers come in you might say that we . . .”
    Miss O’Flaherty had a jar of biscuits out. There would be no more said about it. They were harmless skitters of girls when all was said