Page 337 - The snake's pass

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THE CATASTROPHE. 325
he could remain in the cottage where he was, if he would
tell her where her father was, so that she could go to
look for him ; but that he had sworn most solemnly that
he did not know, but that Murdock knew, for he told
him that there would be no chance of seeing him at his
own house for hours yet that night. This had determined
Norah that she would go out herself, although the storm
was raging wildly, to look for her father. Moynahan,
however, would not stay in the cottage, as he said he would
be afraid to, unless Joyce himself were there to protect
him ; for if there were no one but women in the house
Murdock would come and murder him and throw his
body into the bog, as he had often threatened. So
Moynahan had gone out into the night by himself, and
Norah had shortly after gone out also, and from that
moment she—Miss Joyce—had not set eyes on her, and
feared that some harm had happened.
This the poor soul told us in such an agony of dread
and grief that it was pitiful to hear her, and we could not
but forgive the terrible delay. I was myself in deadly
fear, for every kind of harrowing possibility rose before
me as the tale was told. It was quite evident that
Murdock was bent on some desperate scheme of evil
he either intended to murder Norah or to compromise
her in some terrible way. I was almost afraid to think
of the subject. It was plain to me that by this
means he hoped, not only to gratify his revenge, but
to get some lever to use against us, one and all, so as
to secure his efforts in searching for the treasure. In