"Oh, okay," said James, as if that resolved the confusion. "She's got darker hair than me and curly, and she's kinda skinny. Me dad says she looks like she's caught t' pox." He had seen children with the pox and Ruth didn't seem covered in red dots to him, but maybe it was something grown ups could see or maybe they had gone away already. Maybe the priest could see it.

They reached the pub and James stopped. It would be hard to get the cart through the door. He turned to the infants and put the handle on the ground. "Stay 'ere. We'll be right back."

"Oi, no beggin' 'ere!" said the barman as soon as James entered the pub.