Page 323 - The snake's pass

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A GRIM WARNING. 311
she said, as she put her arms round my neck, and leaning
her head on my bosom, began to cry.
" Hush ! Norah. Hush, my darling ! " I said, "you
must not say such things to me. You, who are worthy
of all the good gifts of life. Oh, my dear! my dear !
I am only fearful that you may be snatched away from
me by some terrible misfortune—I shall not be happy till
you are safely away from the shadow of this fateful
mountain and are beginning your new life."
" Only one more day ! " she said. " To-morrow we must
settle up everything—and I have much to do for father
—poor father ! how good he is to me. Please G-od
Arthur, we shall be able some day to repay him for all his
goodness to me ! " How inexpressibly sweet it was to
me to hear her say " we " shall be able, as she nestled
up close to me.
Ah ! that night ! Ah ! that night —the end of the
!
day when, for the last time, I sat on the table-rock
with the old Norah that I loved so well. It almost
seemed as if Fate, who loves the keen contrasts of glare
and gloom, had made on purpose that day so bright,
and of such flawless happiness !
As we went back to Carnaclif Dick told me what had
been exercising his mind all the afternoon. When he
had got to the bog he found that it had risen so much
that he thought it well to seek the cause. He had gone
at once to the place where Murdock had dammed up the
stream that ran over into the Cliff Fields, and had found
that the natural position of the ground had so far aided