LITMIR.BIZ

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he the most consummate actor, that has been. As for Norah and myself, I know we were happy—as happy as it is given to mortals to be.

      When tea was over, and Norah fetched her father's pipe and lighted it for him, she said to me with a sweet blush, as she called me by my name for the first time before a stranger:—

      "I suppose, Arthur, you and Mr. Sutherland would like your own cigars best; but if you care for a pipe there are some new ones here," and she pointed them out. We lit our cigars, and sat round the fire; for in this damp weather the nights were getting a little chilly. Joyce sat on one side of the fire and Dick on the other. I sat next to Dick, and Norah took her place between her father and me, sitting on a little stool beside her father and leaning, her head against his knees, whilst she took the hand that was fondly laid over her shoulder and held it in her own. Presently, as the grey autumn twilight died away, and as the light from the turf fire rose and fell, throwing protecting shadows, her other hand stole towards my own—which was waiting to receive it; and we sat silent for a spell, Norah and I in an ecstasy of quiet happiness.

      By-and-by we heard a click at the latch of the gate, and firm, heavy footsteps coming up the path. Norah jumped up, and peeped out of the window.

      "Who is it, daughter?" said Joyce.

      "Oh father! it is Murdock! What can he want?"

      There was a knock at the door. Joyce rose up, motioning to us to sit still, laid aside his pipe, and went to the door and opened it. Every word that was spoken was perfectly plain to us all.

      "Good evenin', Phelim Joyce!"

      "Good evenin'! You want me?"

      "I do." Murdock's voice was fixed and firm, as of one who has made up his mind.

      "What is it?"

      "May I come in? I want to shpake to ye particular."

      "No, Murtagh Murdock! Whin a man comes undher me roof by me own consint, I'm not free wid him to spake me mind the same as whin he's outside. Ye haven't thrated me well, Murdock. Ye've been hard wid me; and there's much that I can't forgive!"

      "Well! if I did, ye gev me what no other man has ever gave me yit widout repintin' it sore. Ye sthruck me a blow before all the people, an' I didn't strike ye back."

      "I did, Murtagh; an' I'm sorry for it. That blow has been hangin' on me conscience iver since. I would take it back if I could; God knows that is thrue. Much as ye wronged me, I don't want such a thing as that to remimber when me eyes is closin'. Murtagh Murdock, I take it back, an' gladly. Will ye let me?"

      "I will—on wan condition."

      ''What is it?"

      "That's what I've kem here to shpake about; but I'd like to go in."

      "No! ye can't do that—not yit, at any rate, till I know what ye want. Ye must remimber, Murtagh, that I've but small ray son to thrust ye!"

      "Well, Phelim, I'll tell ye; tho' it's mortial hard to name it shtandin' widout the door like a thramp! I'm a warrum man; I've a power iv money put by, an' it brings me in much."

      "I know! I know!" said the other bitterly. " Grod help me! but I know too well how it was gother up."

      "Well! niver mind that now; we all know that. Anyhow, it is gother up. An' them as finds most fault wid the manes, mayhap 'd be the first to get hould iv it av they could. Well, anyhow, I'm warrum enough to ask any girrul in these parts to share it wid me. There's many min and weemin between this and Gal way, that'd like to talk over the fortin iv their daughter wid Murtagh Murdock—for all he's a gombeen man."

      As he spoke, the clasp of Norah's hand and mine grew closer. I could feel in her clasp both a clinging, as for protection, and a restraining power on myself. Murdock went on:—

      "But there's none of thim girls what I've set me harrt on—except wan!" He paused. Joyce said quietly:—

      "An' who, now, might that be?"

      "Yer own daughther, Norah Joyce!" Norah's hand restrained me as I was instinctively rising.

      "Go on!" said Joyce, and I could notice that there was a suppressed passion in his voice:—

      "Well, I've set me harrt on her; and I'm willin' to settle a fortin on her, on wan condition."

      "And wliat, now, might that be?"—the tone was of veiled sarcasm.

      "She'll have all the money that I settle on her to dale wid as she likes—that is, the intherest iv it—as long as she lives; an' I'm to have the Cliff Fields that is her's, as me own to do what I like wid, an' that them an' all in them belongs to me." Joyce paused a moment before answering:—

      "Is that all ye have to say?" Murdock seemed nonplussed, but after a slight pause he answered:—

      "Yis!"

      "An' ye want me answer?"

      "Iv coorse!"

      "Thin, Murtagh Murdock, I'd like to ask ye for why me daughter would marry you or the like of you? Is it because that yer beauty 'd take a young girl's fancy—you that's known as the likest thing to a divil in these parts! Or is it because of yer kind nature? You that tried to ruin her own father, and that drove both her and him out of the home she was born in, and where her poor mother died! Is it because yer cha-racther is respicted in the counthry wheriver yer name is known?" Here Murdock interrupted him:—

      "I tould ye it's a warrum man I am"—he spoke decisively, as if his words were final—" an' I can, an' will, settle a fortin on her." Joyce answered slowly and with infinite scorn:—

      "Thank ye, Mr. Murtagh Murdock, but me daughter is not for sale!"

      There was a long pause. Then Murdock spoke again, and both suppressed hate and anger were in his voice:—

      "Ye had betther have a care wid me. I've crushed ye wance, an' I'll crush ye agin! Ye can shpake scornful yerself, bat mayhap the girrul would give a different answer."

      "Then, ye had betther hear her answer from herself. Norah! Come here, daughter! Come here!"

      Norah rose, making an imperative sign to me to keep my seat, and with the bearing of an empress passed across to the door and stood beside her father. She took no notice whatever of her wooer.

      "What is it, father?"

      "Now, Murdock, spake away! Say what ye have to say; an' take yer answer from her own lips." Murdock spoke with manifest embarrassment:—

      "I've been tellin' yer father that I'd like ye for me wife!"

      "I've heard all you said!"

      "An' yer answer?"

      "My father has answered for me!"

      "But I want me answer from yer own lips. My! but it's the handsome girrul ye are this night!"

      "My answer is ' No!'" and she turned to come back.

      "Shtay!" Murdock's voice was nasty, so nasty that instinctively I stood up. No person should speak like that to the woman I loved. Norah stopped. "I suppose ye won't luk at ine because ye have a young slipark on yer hands. I'm no fool! an' I know why ye've been down in the Fields. I seen yez both more nor wance; an' I'm makin' me offer knowin' what I know. I don't want to be too hard on ye, an' I'll say nothin' if ye dont dhrive me to. But remimber ye're in me power; an' ye've got to plase me in wan way or another. I knew what I was doin' whin I watched ye wid yer young shpark! Ye didn't want yer father to see him nigh the house! Ye'd betther be careful, the both of ye. If ye don't intind to marry me, well, ye won't; but mind how ye thrate me or shpake to me, here or where there's others by; or be th' Almighty! I'll send the ugly whisper round the counthry about ye "

      Flesh and blood could not stand this. In an instant I was out in the porch, and ready to fly at his throat;^ but Norah put her arm between us.

      "Mr. Severn!" she said in a voice which there was no gainsaying, " my father is here. It is for him to protect me here, if any protection is required from a thing like

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