"I'm very sorry, miss, if ye think I'm afther takin' a liberty," returned Pat firmly; "but I'd knock any man down who went to insult Miss Elleney."
Elleney dropped her arms from her aunt's neck and whisked round, her blue eyes blazing through her tears.
"I'll thank ye not to be mixin' yerself up with my business at all, Pat Rooney. Nobody asked you to meddle."
"Was it Mr. Brennan ye were cryin' about, me poor child?" said Mrs. McNally, in a compassionate but distinctly audible whisper.
Brian shot a melting glance towards her.
"Upon me word," he was beginning plaintively, when Elleney interrupted him with a little shriek of exasperation, and a stamp of her foot.
"Oh dear, oh dear, everything is contrairy this day! I'd have ye to know, Mr. Brennan, that I'd be long sorry to cry for you—if ye was to go down on your two knees I'd never have ye! I know the kind o' young man ye are now, an' I'll not fret after ye. I couldn't help cryin' at first at the disrespectful way ye were afther treatin' me, but I wouldn't have anything to say to ye now for the whole world."
"Well done!" cried Pat approvingly, while Anna Maria giggled.
"Maybe there's others that thinks different," said Brian in a nettled tone.
"Oh yes," put in Anna Maria quickly, "her elders and betters—was that what you were goin' to say? Juliana's to be had, Mr. Brian. She'd be a mother to ye."