Come, now."
They took the Carriglass road, but had not gone far when they met Dora
M'Mahon who, as she said, "came down to ask them up a while, as the
house was now so lonesome;" and she added, with artless naivete, "I
don't know how it is, Kathleen, but I love you better now than I ever
did before. Ever since my darlin' mother left us, I can't look upon you
as a stranger, and now that poor Bryan's in distress, my heart clings to
you more and more."
Hanna, the generous Hanna's eyes partook of the affection and admiration
which beamed in Dora's, as they rested on Kathleen; but notwithstanding
this, she was about to give Dora an ironical chiding for omitting to
say anything gratifying to herself, when happening to look back, she saw
Bryan at the turn of the road approaching them.
"Here's a friend of ours," she exclaimed; "no less than Bryan M'Mahon
himself. Come, Dora, we can't go' up to Carriglass, but we'll walk back
with you a piece o' the way."
Bryan, who was then on his return from Chevydale's, soon joined them,
and they proceeded in the direction of his father's, Dora and Hanna
having, with good-humored consideration, gone forward as an advanced
guard, leaving Bryan and Kathleen to enjoy their tete-a-tete behind
them.
"Dear Kathleen," said Bryan, "I was very anxious to see you. You've
h'ard of this unfortunate business that has come upon me?"
"I have," she replied, "and I need not say that I'm sorry for it.
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