There was something in the expression of her eyes which caused Janet, as she afterward expressed it, "to shake in her shoes."
"Norah," continued Bridget, "you must stay here too. Now, father, I will tell you something. I will tell you why your Biddy can never, never again be the old Bridget you used to know and to love."
"Oh, don't," interrupted Janet. "See how hysterical you are, Bridget. Don't you think, squire——"
"Hush!" thundered the squire. "Let the colleen speak."
"Father," continued Bridget, "I am a very unhappy girl. I have behaved badly. I have been wicked; I have been dishonorable and—and deceitful."
"No, no, I don't believe that," said the squire. "Whatever you are, you are not deceitful." Once again his face turned white, and an angry light leaped out of his eyes.
"It is true," continued Bridget, "and—and she tempted me—she, Janet May. I never met anyone like her before. She tempted me; I don't know with what motive. It isn't right to tell tales of a visitor; but I—I can't bear things any longer, and I have got so confused in my mind that I don't know what is right and what is wrong. I don't wish to excuse myself, but I do not think I'd have done the dreadful things but for her. I wouldn't have done them, because they never would have occurred to me. Perhaps that is because I am not clever enough. I don't want to excuse myself, but she tempted me to do wrong, and I did wrong, frightfully wrong, and I have been, oh, so miserable! And Norah here—poor Norah—she guessed at my trouble, and she thought she'd punish Janet. That's why Janet was away last night. It was very wrong of Norah, too, but she did it out of love to me. Oh, father, how miserable I am! Why did you send me to that English school? I can never, never, never again be your old Biddy; never again, father, never as long as I live."
Here poor Bridget burst into such convulsive weeping that her words became inaudible.
Suddenly she felt a pair of arms round her neck, and, looking up, her lips touched her father's cheek.
"Let me go on," she said; "let me get it over."