nsent to
leave him. She met all his arguments with counter-arguments. Nothing
would move her for hours.

"Why should I go to a man I have never seen and hate the name of?"

"He's your uncle, Peg."

"It's a fine uncle he's been to me all me life. And it was a grand way
he threated me mother when she was starvin'."

"He wants to do somethin' for ye now, Peg."

"I'll not go to him."

"Now listen, dear; it's little I'll have to lave ye when I'm gone,"
pleaded O'Connell.

"I'll not listen to any talk at all about yer goin'. Yer a great strong
healthy man--that's what ye are. What are ye talkin' about? What's got
into yer head about goin'?"

"The time must come, some day, Peg."

"All right, we'll know how to face it when it does. But we're not goin'
out all the way to meet it," said Peg, resolutely.

"It's very few advantages I've been able to give ye, me darlin'," and
O'Connell took up the argument again.

"Advantages or no advantages, what can anybody be more than be happy?
Answer me that? An' sure it's happy I've been with you. Now, why should
ye want to dhrive it all away from me?"

To these unanswerable reasons O'Connell would remain silent for a
while, only to take up the cudgels again. He realised what it would
mean to Peg to go to London to have the value of education and of
gentle surroundings. He knew her heart was loyal to him: nothing
strangers might teach her would ever alter that. And he felt he owed it
to her to give her this chance of seeing the great world. HE would
never be able to do it for her. Much as he hated the name of Kingsnorth
he acknowledged the fact that he had made an offer O'Connell had no
real right to refuse.

He finally persuaded Peg that it was the wise thing: the right thing:
and the thing he wished for the most.

"I don't care whether it's wise or right," said poor Peg, beaten at
last, "but if you wish it--" and she broke off.

"I do wish it, Peg."

"Ye'll turn me away from ye, eh?"

"No, Peg. Ye'll come back to me a fine lady."

"I'd like to see anybody thry THAT with me. A lady, indeed! Ye love me
as I am. I don't want to be any different."

"But ye'll go?"

"If ye say so."

"Then it's all settled?"

"I suppose it is."

"Good, me darlin'. Ye'll never regret it" O'Connell said this with a
cheery laugh, though his heart was aching at the thought of being
separated from her.

Peg looked at him reproachfully. Then she said:

"It's surprised I am at ye turn