Page 314 - The snake's pass

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302 THE snake's pass. —
" He is quite right, Norah, my darling—and you are
quite right, too—all shall be just as you wish. Now
tell me all about everything since I went away."
" May I bring in Turco ? he is so quiet with me
; and
he must learn to know you and love you, or he wouldn't
be any friend of mine." She looked at me lovingly, and
went and brought in the mastiff, by whom I was forth-
with received into friendship.
That was indeed a happy day ! We had a family
consultation about the school the time of beginning
;
was arranged, and there was perfect accord amongst us.
As Dick and I drove back through the darkness, I
could not but feel that, even if evil were looming ahead
of us, at least some of us had experienced what it is to
be happy.
It had been decided that after a week's time—on the
28th October — Norah was to leave for school. Her
father was to bring her as far as London, and Mr. Chap-
man was to take her over to Paris. This was Joyce's
own wish ; he said :
" 'Twill be betther for ye, darlin', to go widout me.
Ye' 11 have quite enough to do for a bit, to keep even
wid the girls that have been reared in betther ways
nor you, widout me there to make little iv ye."
" But, father," she remonstrated, " I don't want to
appear any different from what I am ! And I am too
fond of you, and too proud of you, not to want to appear
as your daughter."
Her father stroked her hair gently as he answered :