“What’s astray with ye?”
“Nothing in life,” she said, raising her eyes to Patsy’s face, and he looked so smiling and careless that she could not stop herself from going on, “only I’m of the opinion that every one should mind their own business!”
“I’ll be making off with meself, in that case,” said Ratigan.
“You might do worse,” said Margaret.
And all the time, she could have bitten her tongue out, that said such bitter things to him.
Ratigan was said to be a “bit short in the temper.” But any one might have been vexed at what Marg had said then. He just turned off, and went away, without another word. And not long afterwards, Margaret heard that he, too, had quitted out for America.
There were people to say, that Patsy Ratigan had reasons of his own for going, and that he didn’t leave until he could not do anything else. But Margaret knew nothing of that. Girls never do know half the queer things that the boys are up to! If they did, there would be more of them sitting contentedly at home, and better off there, than marrying. But they won’t believe that, nor wouldn’t, if you were to put your eyes upon sticks!
No, Marg knew nothing of Patsy’s wild doings. She thought he went away because she had spoken so coldly to him that evening. And though she often said to herself, that it was better so, and that anyway, on account of the money being gone, she would have had to give him up, still...!
Many and many a night, when all the world was asleep around her, Margaret would be lying awake, and would cry a sackful, thinking of Patsy, and wondering would he meet Larry, for weren’t they both in America! And had she any right to be short with him?
She had done it all for the best, but even that won’t keep you from fretting, when a thing is past, and you feel that you went against your own heart, and still, you have room to wonder, were you right? or would it have been better to have left it alone?