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234 Sometimes he used to drive on at his work so violently that he would be in streams of perspiration. At other times he would remain ever so long with his left elbow on his knee, and his left hand under his jaw, looking out of the door and over at the hill, and not making a single motion any more than if he had been without life or breath. Often, when he used to be in that brown study, people would see him holding his right hand in his bosom as if he had a hard grip of something that he had there, hidden. When he used to come out of that sort of trance, a deep breath would come from his chest, and a sigh out of his heart, that you would not be the better of hearing. The workmen were filled with wonder, but they did not pretend to notice anything. To tell the truth, they felt afraid of him. They did not know what in all the world was the matter with him. They could only say, as Michael said to his mother the first time he noticed the state of things, that it must be that there was some very grievous trouble upon him. But as to what the trouble was, or what was the cause of it, they knew absolutely nothing.

John Kittach noticed the change. He noticed the strain that was upon the heart and mind of the man, but he was more puzzled than ever as to what was the cause of it. There was Sive married and not a word from anybody about any promise of marriage between herself and Shiana. From the day when Shiana himself was west at the house speaking to Short Mary, she had not uttered as much as a single word about the match, nor about the talk that took place between them. Other messages came to them regarding matches, but she did not let her father take any notice of them. She used