Page:The Snake's Pass (Stoker).djvu/165

 lingering glance around, and noting the gathering of the rain clouds, I descended the hill.

When I got up on the car I was not at all in a talkative humour, and said but little to the group surrounding me. I heard Andy account for it to them:—

"Whisht! don't notice his 'an'r's silence! It's stupid wid shmokin' he is. He lit no less nor siventeen cigars this blissed day. Ax the neighbours av ye doubt me. Gee up!"

The evening was spent with Dick as the last had been. I knew that he had seen his girl; he knew that I had not seen mine, but neither had anything to tell. Before parting he told me that he expected to shortly finish his work at Knockcalltecrore, and asked me if I would come over.

"Do come," he said, when I expressed a doubt. "Do come, I may want a witness," so I promised to go.

Andy had on his best suit, and a clean wash, when he met us smiling in the early morning, "Look at him," I said, "wouldn't you know he was going to meet his best girl?"

"Begor," he answered, "mayhap we'll all do that same!"

It was only ten o'clock when we arrived at Knockcalltecrore, and went up the boreen to Murdock's new farm. The Gombeen Man was standing at the gate with his watch in his hand. When we came up, he said:—

"I feared you would be late. It's just conthract time now. Hadn't ye betther say good-bye to your frind an'