Page 321 - The snake's pass

"

A GRIM WARNING. 309
" There's somethin' I was tould while I was away, that
I think ye* ought to know."
"
" Go on, Mr. Joyce
!
" Somebody has been sayin' hard things about Norah!"
" About Norah Surely there is nobody mad enough
!
or bad enough to speak evil of her."
" There's wan ! " He turned as he spoke, and looked
instinctively in the direction of Murdock's house.
" Oh, Murdock he threatened — what did he
! as
"
say ?
" Well, I don't know. I could only get it that some-
body was sayin' somethin', an' that it would be well to
have things so that no wan could say anythin' that we
couldn't prove. It was a frind tould me—and that's all
he would tell! Mayhap he didn't know any more himself;
"
but I knew him to be a frind !
" And it was a friendly act, Mr. Joyce. I have no
doubt that Murdock has been sending round wicked lies
about us all ! But thank God ! in a few days we will
be all moving, and it doesn't matter much what he can
do."
" No it won't matter much in wan way, but he's not
!
goin', all the same, to throw dirt on me child. If he
goes on I'll folly him up !
" He won't go on, Mr. Joyce. Before long, he'll be
out of the neighbourhood altogether. To tell you the
truth, I have bought the whole of his land, and I get
possession of it to-morrow ; and then I'll never let him
set foot here again. When once he is out of this,