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 the very hours until that happy time shall come. But all shall be as you wish. You will go to the schools we spoke of, and your father shall pay for them. He will not refuse, I know, and what is needed he shall have. If there be any way that he would prefer—that suits your wishes—it shall be done. More than this! if he thinks it right, we can be married before you go, and you can keep your own name until my time comes to claim you."

"No! no! Arthur. When once I shall bear your name I shall be too proud of it to be willing to have any other. But I want, when I do bear it, to bear it worthily—I want to come to you as I think your wife should come."

"My dear, dear Norah—my wife to be—all shall be as you wish."

Here we heard the footsteps of Joyce approaching.

"I had better tell him," she said.

When he came in she had his dinner ready. He greeted me warmly.

"Won't ye stay?" he said. "Don't go unless ye wish to!"

"I think, sir, Norah wants to have a chat with you when you have had your dinner."

Norah smiled a kiss at me as I went out. At the door I turned and said to toto [sic] her:—

"I shall be in the Cliff Field in case I am wanted."

I went there straightway, and sat on the table rock in the centre of the fields, and thought and thought.