"What will the greensward be like, child of my heart, when your foot no more shall press it? What will the hills be like when your eyes—asthore machree!—shall not look upon them? And the Glen of the Dargle shall have lost its charm when you are not there, its spirit!"
He tossed his arms above his head and rushed wildly from the cabin. I waited for a time; but as he did not return, I slowly followed the homeward path, content with what I had accomplished for one day, but wondering much at the strange revelations which Niall had made.
Before I reached home I suddenly met Winifred. Her face was clouded, and at first she scarcely noticed me.
"What is the matter with Niall?" she asked. "I met him and he would not look at me. I called his name, but he ran away and would not speak."
"He will tell you all in good time," I answered soothingly.
"It is you!" she said, looking at me keenly, with a glance like that of her kinsman. "You have been vexing him: saying something that he did not like."
"We must all have things said to us that we do not like, when it is for our good," I remarked gravely.
"I wish you had never come here! I wish you would go away!" Winifred exclaimed, stamping her little foot till it stuck in the soft earth.
"See, how useless is ill-temper!" I said; for I was rather annoyed by her petulance. "You have spoiled your pretty shoe. And as for going away, when I go, you will go too."