There was a long pause. Then Murdock spoke again, and both suppressed hate and anger were in his voice:—
"Ye had betther have a care wid me. I've crushed ye wance, an' I'll crush ye agin! Ye can shpake scornful yerself, bat mayhap the girrul would give a different answer."
"Then, ye had betther hear her answer from herself. Norah! Come here, daughter! Come here!"
Norah rose, making an imperative sign to me to keep my seat, and with the bearing of an empress passed across to the door and stood beside her father. She took no notice whatever of her wooer.
"What is it, father?"
"Now, Murdock, spake away! Say what ye have to say; an' take yer answer from her own lips." Murdock spoke with manifest embarrassment:—
"I've been tellin' yer father that I'd like ye for me wife!"
"I've heard all you said!"
"An' yer answer?"
"My father has answered for me!"
"But I want me answer from yer own lips. My! but it's the handsome girrul ye are this night!"
"My answer is 'No!'" and she turned to come back.
"Shtay!" Murdock's voice was nasty, so nasty that instinctively I stood up. No person should speak like that to the woman I loved. Norah stopped. "I sup-
