uple coming up the path; presently they were in my view,
and I saw to my grief and amazement that the man was Richard Dawson--I
had known it, indeed, from the first--and the girl who walked with him
was Nora Brady, the pretty little girl who had interested me at Araglin
Creamery. Richard Dawson walked with his arm about her. She was looking
up at him as though she adored him. Just as they passed he bent his head
and kissed her and again I heard him laugh. The laugh made me hate him,
if possible, more than ever.

I guessed that they had come in by the postern gate and would return
that way, and I did not dare to stir till they had come back again. They
did not, however, take so long. They came back again very soon,
whispering as they had gone; and as soon as I judged it safe I left the
glade and hurried home as fast as ever I could resolving to have the
postern gate bolted so that Richard Dawson should not dare to come into
our woods, and resolving also to see and speak with Nora Brady as soon
as ever I had a chance. Perhaps, indeed, she would not listen to me, but
I could only do my best.

As it happened, my opportunity came sooner than I had expected; for it
was only next day that I met her coming with a basket of eggs to the
Abbey.

She dropped me a curtsey and would have passed on, but I stopped her. We
were all alone in the wide avenue, as much alone to all intents and
purposes as we could have been anywhere. I went straight to the point,
feeling the painfulness of having to speak and doing it as directly as
possible.

"Nora," I said, "I am only a girl like yourself, so don't be frightened
of me. I always thought you a good girl, Nora, but I saw you walking
yesterday in the wood with Mr. Dawson of Damerstown, and you were like
lovers, and that ought not to be so unless you are going to marry him."

"Oh, Miss Bawn!"

Poor Nora's face was covered with confusion, and I am sure I blushed as
hotly as she did, yet I was conscious of a cold, shrinking feeling from
this courtship between her and Richard Dawson which I was sure could
lead to no good.

"It isn't right, Nora," I said.

"God help me! I know that, Miss Bawn," she said, looking at me with
frightened eyes. "I've tried to give it up; I've tried to resist him,
but I can't. There's something stronger than myself that drives me to
him. I love him, Miss Bawn, so I do; and I can't help it that he's a
rich gentleman and I'm only a poor girl. If you ever loved a