r?" and Martin drew a little
nearer to her--"who's talking of fighting? I never wish to spake
another word to Barry the longest day that ever comes. Av' he'll get
out of my way, I'll go bail he'll not find me in his."

"But he wouldn't get out of your way, nor get out of mine, av' you and
I got married: he'd be in our way, and we'd be in his, and nothing
could iver come of it but sorrow and misery, and maybe bloodshed."

"Them's all a woman's fears. Av' you an I were once spliced by the
priest, God bless him, Barry wouldn't trouble Dunmore long afther."

"That's another rason, too. Why should I be dhriving him out of his own
house? you know he's a right to the house, as well as I."

"Who's talking of dhriving him out? Faith, he'd be welcome to stay
there long enough for me! He'd go, fast enough, without dhriving,
though; you can't say the counthry wouldn't have a good riddhance of
him. But never mind that, Anty: it wasn't about Barry, one way or the
other, I was thinking, when I first asked you to have me; nor it wasn't
about myself altogether, as I could let you know; though, in course,
I'm not saying but that myself's as dear to myself as another, an'
why not? But to tell the blessed truth, I was thinking av' you too;
and that you'd be happier and asier, let alone betther an' more
respecthable, as an honest man's wife, as I'd make you, than being
mewed up there in dread of your life, never daring to open your mouth
to a Christian, for fear of your own brother, who niver did, nor niver
will lift a hand to sarve you, though he wasn't backward to lift it to
sthrike you, woman and sisther though you were. Come, Anty, darlin," he
added, after a pause, during which he managed to get his arm behind
her back, though he couldn't be said to have it fairly round her
waist--"Get quit of all these quandaries, and say at once, like an
honest girl, you'll do what I'm asking--and what no living man can
hindher you from or say against it.--Or else jist fairly say you won't,
and I'll have done with it."

Anty sat silent, for she didn't like to say she wouldn't; and she
thought of her brother's threats, and was afraid to say she would.
Martin advanced a little in his proceedings, however, and now succeeded
in getting his arm round her waist--and, having done so, he wasn't slow
in letting her feel its pressure. She made an attempt, with her hand,
to disengage herself--certainly not a successful, and, probably, not a
very energetic a