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THE SNAKE'S PASS.

as though she did not know me. I could see in the moonlight the happy smile on her face as she turned towards me.

"Yes, I see him!" she answered.

"Well, Miss Norah, the fairies got him on the top iv Knocknacar, and ivir since he's been wandherin' round lukin' fur wan iv thim. I thried to timpt him away be tellin' him iv nice girruls iv these parts—real girruls, not fairies. But he's that obstinate he wouldn't luk at wan iv thim—no, nor listen to me, ayther."

"Indeed!" she said, her eyes dancing with fun.

"An', Miss Norah, dear, what kind iv a girrul d'ye think he wanted to find?"

"I don't know, Andy—what kind?"

"Oh, begor! but it's meself can tell ye! Shure, it's a long, yalla, dark girrul, shtreaky—like—like he knows what—not quite a faymale nagur, wid a rid petticoat, an' a quare kind iv an eye!"

"Oh, Andy!" was all she said, as she turned to me smiling.

"Get along, you villain!" said I, and I shook my fist at him in fun; and then I took Norah aside, and told her what the "quare kind iv an eye" was that I had sought—and found.

Then we two said "Good-night" in peace, whilst the others in front went through the gate. We took—afterwards—a formal and perfectly decorous farewell, only shaking hands all round, before Dick and I mounted the car. Andy started off at a gallop, and his "Git