"
"Dora," said her lover, "don't be harsh on Kathleen; you don't know what
she's sufferin'. Dora, her heart's broke--broke."
The tears were already upon Dora's cheeks, and her lover, too, was
silent for a moment.
"She has," resumed the warm-hearted girl, "neither brother nor sister
that loves her, or can love her, better than I do, afther all."
"But in our case, darling, what's to be done?" he asked, drawing her
gently towards him.
"I'll tell you then what I'd recommend you to do," she replied; "spake
to my brother Bryan, and be guided by him. I must go now, it's quite
dusk."
There was a moment's pause, then a gentle remonstrance on the part of
Dora, followed, however, by that soft sound which proceeds from the
pressure of youthful lips--after which she bade her lover a hasty
good-night and hurried home.
[Illustration: PAGE 623-- I must leave you--I must go]
CHAPTER XXV.--The Old Places--Death of a Patriarch.
As the day appointed for the auction of the M'Mahon's stock, furniture,
etc., etc., at Carriglass drew near, a spirit of deep and unceasing
distress settled upon the whole family. It had not been their purpose to
apprise the old man of any intention on their part to emigrate at all,
and neither indeed had they done so. The fact, however, reached him from
the neighbors, several of whom, ignorant that it was the wish of his
family to conceal the circumstance from him--at least as long as they
could--entered into conversation with him upon it, and by this means
he became acquainted with their determination.
Pages:
433
434
435
436
437
438
439
440
441
442
443
444
445
446
447
448
449
450
451
452
453
454
455
456
457