Joyce paused a moment before answering:
“Is that all ye have to say?”
Murdock seemed nonplussed, but after a slight pause he answered:
“Yis.”
“An’ ye want me answer?”
“Iv coorse!”
“Thin, Murtagh Murdock, I’d like to ask ye for why me daughter would marry you orthe like of you? Is it because that yer beauty’d take a young girl’s fancy — you, that’s known as the likest thing to a divil in these parts? Or is it because of yer kind nature? You that tried to ruin her own father, and that drove both her and him out of the home she was born in, and where her poor mother died! Is it because yer characther is respicted in the counthry wheriver yer name is known? —” Here Murdock interrupted him:
“I tould ye it’s a warrum man I am” — he spoke decisively, as if his words were final — “an’ I can, an’ will, settle a fortin on her.”
Joyce answered slowly, and with infinite scorn:
“Thank ye, Mr. Murtagh Murdock, but me daughter is not for sale!”
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, but 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 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 suppose ye won’t luk at me because ye have a young shpark on yer hands. I’m no fool, an’ I know why ye’ve been down in the fields! I seen yez both more nor wance; an’ I’m makin’ me offer knowin’ what I know. I don’t want to be too hard on ye, an’ I’ll say nothin’ if ye don’t dhrive me to. But remimber ye’re in me power; an’ ye’ve got to plase me in wan way or another. I knew what I was doin’ whin I watched ye wid yer young shpark! Ye didn’t want yer father to see him nigh the house! Ye’d betther be careful, the both of ye. If ye don’t intind to marry me, well, ye won’t; but mind how ye thrate me or shpake to me, here or where there’s others by; or be th’ Almighty, I’ll send the ugly whisper round the counthry about ye —”
Flesh and blood could not stand this. In an instant I was out in the porch and ready to fly at his throat; but Norah put her arm between us.
“Mr. Severn,” she said, in a voice which there was no gainsaying, “my father is here. It is for him to protect me here, if any protection is required from a thing like that!” The scorn of her voice made even Murdock wince, and seemed to cool both Joyce and myself, and also Dick, who now stood beside us.
Murdock looked from one to another of us for a moment in amazement, and then, with a savage scowl, as though he were looking who and where to strike with venom, he fixed on Norah — God forgive him!
“An’ so ye have him at home already, have ye! An’ yer father present, too, an’ a witness. It’s the sharp girrul ye are, Norah Joyce, but I suppose this wan is not the first.” I restrained myself simply because Norah’s hand was laid on my mouth.
Murdock went on:
“An’ so ye thought I wanted ye for yerself! Oh no! It’s no bankrup’s daughther for me; but I may as well tell ye why I wanted ye. It was because I’ve had in me hands, wan time or another, ivery inch iv this mountain, bit be bit, all except the Cliff Fields; and thim I wanted for purposes iv me own — thim as knows why, has swore not to tell” — this with a scowl at Dick and me. “But I’ll have thim yit; an’ have thim, too, widout thinkin’ that me wife likes sthrollin’ there wid sthrange min!”
Here I could restrain myself no longer; and to my joy on the instant — and since then whenever I have thought of it — Norah withdrew her hand as if to set me free. I stepped forward, and with one blow fair in the lips knocked the foul-mouthed ruffian head over heels. He rose in an instant, his face covered with blood, and rushed at me. This time I stepped out, and with an old foot-ball trick, taking him on the breastbone with my open hand, again tumbled him over. He arose livid — but this time his passion was cold — and standing some yards off, said, while he wiped the blood from his face:
“Wait; ye’ll be sorry yit ye shtruck that blow! Aye, ye’ll both be sorry — sad an’ sorry — an’ for shame that ye don’t reckon on. Wait!”
I spoke out:
“Wait! yes, I shall wait, but only till the time comes to punish you. And let me warn you to be careful how you speak of this lady. I have shown you already how I can deal with you personally; next time — if there be a next time —”
Here Murdock interrupted sotto voce:
“There’ll be a next time; don’t fear! Be God, but there will!”
I went on:
“I shall not dirty my hands with you, but I shall have you in jail for slander.”
“Jail me, is it?” he sneered. “We’ll see. An’ so ye think ye’re going to marry a lady, whin ye make an honest woman iv Norah Joyce, do ye? Luk at her! an’ it’s a lady ye’re goin’ to make iv her, is it? An’ thim hands iv hers, wid the marks iv the milkin’ an’ the shpade onto them. My! but they’ll luk well among the quality, won’t they?”
I was going to strike him again, but Norah laid her hand on my arm; so, smothering my anger as well as I could, I said:
“Don’t dare to speak ill of people whose shoes you are not worthy to black; and be quick about your finishing your work at Shleenanaher, for you’ve got to go when the time is up. I won’t have the place polluted by your presence a day longer than I can help.”
Norah looked wonderingly at me and at him, for he had given a manifest start. I went on:
“And as for these hands” — I took Norah’s hands in mine — “perhaps the time may come when you will pray for the help of their honest strength — pray with all the energy of your dastard soul! But whether this may be or not, take you care how you cross her path or mine again, or you shall rue it to the last hour of your life. Come, Norah, it is not fit that you should contaminate your eyes or your ears with the presence of this wretch!” and I led her in.
As we went I heard Joyce say:
“An’ listen to me: niver you dare to put one foot across me mearin’ again, or I’ll take the law into me own hands!”
Then Dick spoke:
“And