Page 219 - The snake's pass

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UN MAUVAIS QUART D'HEURE. — — —
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young yit. God knows what may happen in a year!
Lave the girl free a bit to choose. She has not met
many gentlemen in her time ; and she may desave
herself. Me darlin' ! whativer is for your good shall be
done, plase God!
" And am I to have her in time ? " The instant I
had spoken I felt that I had made a mistake ; the
man's face grew hard as he turned to me:
" I think for me daughter, sir, not for you ! As it is,
her happiness seems to be mixed up with yours—lucky
for ye. I suppose ye must meet now and thin; but
ye must both promise me that ye' 11 not meet widout me
lave, or, at laste, me knowin' it. We 're not gentle-
folk, sir, and we don't undherstand their ways. If ye
were of Norah's and me own kind, I mightn't have to
say the same ; but ye' re not."
Things were now so definite that I determined to
make one more effort to fix a time when my happiness
might be certain, so I asked:
"Then if all be well, and you agree—as please God
you shall when you know me better—when may I claim
"
her ?
When he was face to face with a definite answer
Joyce again grew stern. He looked down at his daughter
and then up at me, and said, stroking her hair :
" Whin the threasure of Knockcalltecrore is found, thin
ye may claim her if ye will, an' I '11 freely let her
!
go " As he spoke, there came before my mind the
strong idea that we were all in the power of the Hill