I'm not
meself to-day. I'm a regular ould gomeril. Sure it had to come sooner
or later. It's meself knew very well I'd have to stan' by and see ye
carried off some fine day by whoever was lucky enough to get ye. Some
fellows has all the luck in this world, and maybe they're no better
nor others that hasn't any luck at all."

But Elleney scarcely heeded the latter part of this speech; it seemed
to her she could never lift up her head again. Pat knew--Pat had seen!

"Oh dear," she sobbed inarticulately, after a pause, "I think I'll die
with the shame of it. I don't know how I come to let him do it at all,
but I didn't rightly know--I didn't think--an'--an' he said he was so
fond of me an' 'twas me he wanted for his wife."

"Faith," retorted Pat, "it's himself's the gentleman doesn't let the
grass grow under his feet--an' why would he? Well, alanna," he
continued in an altered tone, "don't be frettin' yourself anyway.
Bedad, I wouldn't blame--"

"Ah, but I blame myself," interrupted Elleney, wringing her poor
little hands. "I'll--I'll never look up again afther the disgrace he's
afther puttin' on me. Sure 'twas all a mistake--he thought I was one
of the family, an' when me a'nt tould him the way it is with me, he
just tossed me away the same as an ould shoe. I b'lieve he's makin' up
to Juliana now."

Pat emitted a kind of roar, but, before he could ventilate his
feelings further, the door communicating with the house was quickly
opened and Mr. Brian Brennan walked in.

"Are ye there, darlint?" he inquired, in a tone of melancholy
tenderness; "I'm just come to tell ye the poor case I'm in--"

"Then ye'll be in a poorer case in something less than no time if ye
don't behave yourself, me brave young gentleman!" cried a choked voice
in his ear, and almost before he could realise what was taking place,
Brian Brennan found his six-foot length laid low upon the dusty shop
floor, while his beautiful head of hair rolled aimlessly about amid a
collection of boots and tin buckets. Pat Rooney was sitting on his
chest, his knees pinioning his arms, and clutching each of his broad
shoulders with a vigorous hand. He was not half the size of the
prostrate giant, but love and fury lent him unnatural strength. His
flour-bedecked face worked convulsively, his eyes gleamed under their
powdered lashes.

Elleney uttered a stifled scream, and then stood transfixed with
horror.

"Ye passed your word to Miss Elleney a while ago that i