Page 205 - The snake's pass

—
IN THE CLIFF FIELDS. " 193 ;
nothing else had taken me to Shleenanaher ; and that
whilst there I had learned that my own unknown love
and Norah were one and the same—of my proposal to
her ; and here I told him humbly how in the tumult
of my own passion I had forgotten his—whereat he
shrugged his shoulders—and of my long anxiety till her
answer was given. I told him that I had stayed away
the first night at Roundwood, lest I should be betrayed
into any speech which would lack in loyalty to him as
well as to her. And then I told him of her decision not
to leave her father—touching but lightly on the con-
fession of her love, lest I should give him needless pain
I did not dare to avoid it lest I should mislead him
to his further harm. When I had finished he said
softly :
" Art, I have been in much doubt !
I thought a moment, and then remembered that I had
in my pocket the letters which had been handed to
me at the hotel, and that amongst them there was one
from Mr. Caicy at Galway. This letter I took out and
handed to Dick.
" There is a letter unopened. Open it and it may tell
you something. I know my word will suffice you ; but
this is in justice to us both."
Dick took the letter and broke the seal. He read the
letter from Caicy, and then holding up the deed so that
The
the dying light of the west should fall on it, read it.
deed was not very long. When he finished it he stood
for a moment with his hands down by his sides ; then
o