Page:Shiana - Peadar Ua Laoghaire.djvu/140

126 "Well, John," said he, "your question is solved, at all events."

"How is that, Father?" said he.

"Sive is going to be married," said the priest.

"How well I knew!" said John. "Wasn't I sure she had a hard and fast grip of him, and that she would never let him go!"

"It is not to Shiana she is to be married," said the priest.

John stood still, and his eyes opened wide.

"Not to Shiana, do you say?" said he.

"No," said the priest. "I cannot make out who the man is. Dermot says he is a gentleman, and that he comes from some place near Dublin, and that it is amazing what an amount of gold and silver and riches he has. He says they will be married in Dublin. He only wanted leave from me for the priest there to marry them. I make him a present of them most willingly, I assure you. I am not sorry to have no hand in the business. I am afraid it is a bad business. I asked him to put the thing off for a few days till I should have time to enquire about the place down there, and to make out who this great gentleman is who has all this wealth, and what is the reason why he couldn't find a wife down in his own country, and not come so far from home to look for one. The poor man himself is not very well pleased with the thing, but he says that Sive and the gentleman have settled the whole business."

"'Turning of horses brings change of tidings,' said John. "I no more expected such a thing to happen than I would expect the sky above us to fall down. Whatever may be the end of this