her obstinacy and her pride.

At last she absolutely heard the front-door pushed open, and could
plainly see a man's figure standing on the threshold. It must be
Thady! They had discovered her departure, and he was already coming
to drag her back! She heard his feet descending the hall steps; but
they were as slow and as deliberate as usual; and she could perceive
that, instead of coming down the avenue, he turned towards the
stables. This was a slight relief to her--it was evident she was not
yet missed; but she was dreadfully cold, and what was she to do if
Thady heard the noise of the gig, and perceived that it had stopped
at their gate?

Ussher had driven over to Mohill early in the morning, and had gotten
everything ready for his departure in the manner he had proposed; but
when the time for starting came, he had been detained by business
connected with his official duties, and it was eight o'clock before
he was able to bid adieu to the interesting town of Mohill. He had
then, at the risk of his own neck, driven off as fast as Fred Brown's
broken-knee'd horse could take him, and was proceeding at a gallop
towards Ballycloran, when he was stopped near Mrs. Mehan's well-known
shop by Biddy, who was standing by the road-side opposite.

He stopped the horse as quick as he could, and Biddy came running to
him with Feemy's bundle.

"Is that yer honer, at last? Glory be to God! but I thought you wor
niver coming. The misthress 'll be perished with the could."

"Never mind--hurry--give me what you've got!" And Biddy handed in the
bundle and cloak, and Ussher again drove on.

"Musha then, but he's a niggardly baste!" soliloquised Biddy, "not to
give me the sign of a bit of money, after waiting there for him these
two hours by the road-side, and me with his sacret and all, that
could ruin him if I chose to spake the word, only I wouldn't for Miss
Feemy's sake. But maybe it was the hurry and all that made him be
forgitting, for he was niver the man for a mane action. I wish he may
trate her well, that's all; for he's a hard man, and it's bad for her
to be leaving the ould place without the priest's blessing."

Ussher was at the gateway; but when he got there, he could not see
Feemy. He waited about a minute, and then whistled--a minute more,
and he whistled again. What should he do? It would be so foolish now
for him to go without her! He knew the horse was steady and would
stand; so he got out and walked up the avenu