Page 266 - The snake's pass

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CHAPTEE XIV.
A TRIP TO PARIS.
The next day was Sunaay ; and after church I came over
early to Knockcalltecrore, and had a long talk with Norah
about her school project. We decided that the sooner
she began the better—she because, as she at first
alleged, every month of delay made school a less suitable
place for her—I because, as I took care not only to
allege but to reiterate, as the period had to be put in,
the sooner it was begun the sooner it would end, and so
the sooner would my happiness come.
Norah was very sweet, and shyly told me that if such
was my decided opinion, she must say that she too had
something of the same view.
"I do not want you to be pained, dear, by any delay,"
she said, " made by your having been so good to me
and I love you too well to want myself to wait longer
than is necessary,"—an admission that was an intoxicat-
ing pleasure to me.
We agreed, that our engagement was, if not to be kept a
secret, at least not to be spoken of unnecessarily. Her
father was to tell her immediate relatives, so that there