out of absolute apathy, if not
despair, and sick besides of their endless importunities, she at last
said--"If Edward Burke can be satisfied with a wife that has no heart to
give him, or that cannot love him, I don't care much how I am disposed
of; he may as well call me wife as another, and better, for if I cannot
love, I can at least respect him."

These circumstances, together with the period allowed to M'Mahon for
setting himself, if possible, right with Kathleen, in due time reached
his ears. It soon appeared, however, that Kathleen had not all the
pride--if pride it could be called--to herself. M'Mahon, on being made
acquainted with what had occurred, which he had heard from his sister
Dora, simply said--"Since she has not afforded myself any opportunity
of tellin' her the truth, I won't attempt to undeceive her. I will be as
proud as she is. That is all I say."

"And you are right, Tom," replied Dora, "the name of M'Mahon mustn't be
consarned with anything that's mane or discreditable. The pride of our
old blood must be kept up, Tom; but still when we think of what she's
sufferin' we musn't open our lips against her."

"Oh, no," he replied; "I know that it's neither harshness nor weakness,
nor useless pride that makes her act as she's doin', but a great mind
and a heart that's full of truth, high thoughts, and such a love for her
religion and its prosperity as I never saw in any one. Still, Dora, I'm
not the person that will ever sneak back to entreat and plead at her
feet like a slave, and by that means make myself look still worse in her
eyes; I know very well that if I did so she'd despise me. God bless her,
at all events, and make her happy! that's the worst I wish her."

"Amen," replied Dora; "you have said nothing but the truth about her,
and indeed. I see, Tom, that you know her well."

Thus ended the generous dialogue of Dora and her affectionate brother,
who after all might have been induced by her to remain in his native
country and share whatever fate it might allot him, were it not that in
a few days afterwards, his father found that the only terms on which he
could obtain his farm were such as could scarcely be said to come within
the meaning and spirit of the landlord's adage, "live and let live."
It is true that for the terms on which his farm was offered him he was
indebted to Chevydale himself, who said that as he knew his father had
entertained a high respect for old M'Mahon, he would not su