Page:Darby O'Gill and the Good People by Herminie Templeton Kavanagh (1903).djvu/137

Rh to come up to the big house to spind an hour amusing the Misthress. There was the rock they all split on.

Every day afther for a month the little girl went visiting there. At the end of that time Misthress O’Brien grew so fond of her that Norah was brought to the big house to live. Ould Bob liked the little girl monsthrous well, so they put fine clothes on her until in a couple of years one couldn’t tell her from a rale lady, whether he met her in the house or at the cross-road.

Only every Saturday night she’d put on a little brown poplin dhress and go to her father’s cottage, and stay there helping her mother till Monday or maybe Chewsday. ‘For I mustn’t get proud-hearted,’ she’d say, ‘or lose the love I was born to, for who can tell whin I’ll need it,’ says she.

“A wise girl,” says Darby.

“A dear colleen,” says Maureen.

“Well, every summer me brave Roger came home from college, and the two rode together afther the hounds, or sailed his boat or roved the woods, and the longest summer days were too short entirely to suit the both of them.

“Although she had a dozen young fellows courting Rh