Maureen nodded.
"It war the mountains," said Grace.
Maureen nodded again.
Immediately after breakfast, the Rector paid the old woman a handsome sum for her services, and he, Maureen, and Dominic went back to Templemore. Maureen was quiet and pale, but the happy light still filled her eyes, and nothing else mattered. Nothing else truly, although the Rector knew he had a task before him. He had got his darling back; she was safe. The awful shock to her reason was averted, but, yes, according to his promise, he must lose her or give her the opportunity of leaving him.
When they got to Templemore, Maureen rushed into the kitchen and hugged Pegeen.
"Look in my eyes, Pegeen," she said.
"Glory be to the Vargin," said Pegeen, "I thought mayhap it might be so, and now ye'll look afther the masther, blessed man."
"Of course," replied the child.
As she went from the kitchen to the dining-room, she sang a few lines of that glorious song, too well known to be repeated—"My heart is like a singing-bird."
She saw Dominic and his father anxiously talking together. She went and stood in front of them, her whole face lit up with sweetness.