Page 326 - The snake's pass

314 — ! the snake's pass. —
glamour of moonlight or starlight, or of the pitchy dark-
ness of the night
It had been arranged that we were not on this day
to go over to Knockcalltecrore, as JSTorah and her father
wanted the day together. Miss Joyce, Norah's aunt, who
usually had lived with them, was coming back to look
after the house. So after breakfast Dick and I smoked
and lounged about, and went over some business matters,
and we arranged many things to be done during my
absence. The rain still continued to pour down in a per-
fect deluge—the roadway outside the hotel was running
like a river, and the wind swept the rain-clouds so
that the drops struck like hail. Every now and again,
as the gusts gathered in force, the rain seemed to drive
past like a sheet of water; and looking out of the
window, we could see dripping men and women trying
to make headway against the storm. Dick said to me :
" If this rain holds on much longer it will be a bad
job for Murdock. There is every fear that if the bog
should break under the flooding he will suffer at once.
What an obstinate fool he is — he won't take any
warning! I almost feel like a criminal in letting him
go to his death — ruffian though he is ; and yet what
can one do? We are all powerless if anything should
happen." After this we were silent. I spoke the
next :
" Tell me, Dick, is there any earthly possibility of any
harm coming to Joyce's house in case the bog should
shift again? Is it quite certain that they are all safe?"