“It’s not gravel you have there,” she said. “It’s a curious thing,” said Joseph Antony in an offended tone, “for you to be saying the like of that and the boat up to the seats with gravel before your eyes.” “I don’t deny there’s gravel on top,” said Priscilla, “but there’s something else underneath.” Joseph Antony urged his boat further from the Tortoise. “What do you mean, at all?” he said. “I don’t know what you’ve got,” said Priscilla, “but I saw the rim of some sort of a wooden tub sticking out of the gravel in the fore part of the boat.” Joseph Antony began to row vigorously towards the quay. Priscilla hailed him. “Tell me this now,” she said, “Why did you take Mrs. Kinsella and the children off their island? Was it for fear of the rats?” Joseph Antony lay on his oars. “It was not rats,” he said. “Why would it?” “Was it for change of air after the fever?” “Fever! What fever?” “Was it because there was something on the island that it wouldn’t be nice for Mrs. Kinsella or any other woman to see?” “It was because of a young heifer,” said Joseph Antony, “that I was after buying at the fair of Rosnacree ere yesterday, the wickedest one I ever seen. She had her horn druv through Jimmy’s leg and pretty nearly trampled the life out of the baby before she was an hour on the island. If so be that you want to be scattered about, an arm here and a leg there, as soon as you set foot on the shore you can go to Inishbawn, you and the young gentleman along with you. But if it’s pleasure you’re looking for it would be better for you to go somewhere else for it, the two of yez.” He spoke truculently. It was evident that Priscilla’s questioning had seriously annoyed him. He began to row again while he was speaking and was out of earshot before Priscilla could reply. She waved her hand to him gaily.