More sarcasm! Come, Miss Hickey, help me to spend a pleasant
evening. It will only cost you a smile. I am somewhat cast down. Four
Mile Water is a paradise; but without you it would be lonely."

"It must be very lonely for you. I wonder why you came here."

"Because I heard that the women here were all Zerlinas, like you, and
the men Masettos, like Mr. Phil--where are you going to?"

"Let me pass, Mr. Legge, I had intended never speaking to you again
after the way you went on about Mr. Langan today; and I wouldn't
either, only my uncle made me promise not to take any notice of you,
because you were--no matter; but I won't listen to you any more on the
subject."

"Don't go. I swear never to mention his name again. I beg your pardon
for what I said: you shall have no further cause for complaint. Will
you forgive me?"

She sat down evidently disappointed by my submission. I took a chair,
and placed myself near her. She tapped the floor impatiently with her
foot. I saw that there was not a movement that I could make, not a
look, not a tone of voice, which did not irritate her.

"You were remarking," I said, "that your uncle desired you take no
notice of me because----"

She closed her lips and did not answer.

"I fear that I have offended you again by my curiosity. But indeed, I
had no idea that he had forbidden you to tell me the reason."

"He did not forbid me. Since you are so determined to find out----"

"No; excuse me. I do not wish to know, I am sorry I asked."

"Indeed! Perhaps you would be sorrier if you were told I only made a
secret of it out of consideration for you."

"Then your uncle has spoken ill of me behind my back. If that be so
there is no such thing as a true man in Ireland, I would not have
believed it on the word of any woman alive save yourself."

"I never said my uncle was a backbiter. Just to shew you what he
thinks of you, I will tell you, whether you want to know or not, that
he bid me not mind you because you were only a poor mad creature, sent
down here by your family to be out of harm's way."

"Oh, Miss Hickey!"

"There now! you have got it out of me; and I wish I had bit my tongue
out first. I sometimes think--that I mayn't sin!--that you have a bad
angel in you."

"I am glad you told me this," I said gently. "Do not reproach yourself
for having done so, I beg. Your uncle has been misled by what he has
heard of my family, who are all more or less insane. Far from being
mad,