not
needing you to teach me my duty, I will say this, McQueen. You're a
good farmer, and I hate to see you do a foolish thing for yourself. If
you'll stay on the farm, I'll not raise the rent on you."

"You're too late, altogether," said Mr McQueen; "and as you said
yourself I'm not the fish to be caught with fine words. I know better
than to believe you. I'll be sailing from Queenstown in two weeks'
time."

And with that he stalked out of the room and slammed the door, leaving
Mr Conroy in a very bad state of mind.

All that Larry and Eileen could remember of the next two weeks was a
queer jumble of tears and good-byes, of good wishes and blessings, and
strange, strange feelings they had never had before. Their Mother went
about with a white face and red eyes, and their Father was very silent
as he packed the few household belongings they were to take with them to
their new home.

At last the great day came. The McQueens got up very early that
morning, ate their potatoes and drank their tea from a few cracked and
broken dishes which were to be left behind. Then, when they had tidied
up the hearth and put on their wraps ready to go, Mrs McQueen brought
some water to quench the fire on the hearth. She might almost have
quenched it with her tears. And as she poured the water upon the ashes
she crooned this little song [see Note 1] sadly to herself:--

"Vein of my heart, from the lone mountain
The smoke of the turf will die.
And the stream that sang to the young children
Run down alone from the sky--
On the doorstone, grass--and the
Cloud lying
Where they lie
In the old country."

Mr McQueen and the Twins stood still with their bundles in their hands
until she had finished and risen from her knees, then they went quietly
out the door, all four together, and closed it after them.

Mrs McQueen stooped to gather a little bunch of shamrock leaves which
grew by the doorstone, and then the McQueen family was quite, quite
ready for the long journey.

Mr Maguire had bought Colleen and the cows, and he was to have the few
hens that were left for taking the McQueen family to the train.

Larry and Eileen saw him coming up the road, "Here comes Mr Maguire
with the cart!" they cried, "and Dennis is driving the jaunting-car with
Michael and Grannie on it."

They soon reached the little group by the roadside, and then the luggage
was loaded into the cart. Mrs McQueen got up with Grannie on one si