A police sergeant visits old Dan Bride, and what seems at first to be a rather innocuous conversation turns out to be something else. I like the concept of the story, and I find O’Connor’s descriptive passages good, both as pure description and as a way of reflecting Dan’s character in the state of his house. However, the core of the tale is its dialogue, and it seems to me that this meanders in the middle, rather than providing a solid foundation for the ending. Nevertheless, I look forward to reading the second of O’Connor’s stories in the anthology.

Rating: ***½