“Meenaul has threatened to strike me, has he?  An’ I, a Lamh Laudher, am to take a blow from a Neil, an’ to thank him, I suppose, for givin’ it.”

Ellen rose up and stood before him.

“Lamh Laudher,” said she, “I must now try your love for me in earnest.  A lie I cannot tell no more than I can cover the truth.  My brother has threatened to strike you, an’ as I said afore, you must bear it for his sister’s sake.”

“No, dher Chiernah, never.  That, Ellen, is goin’ beyant what I’m able to bear.  Ask me to cut off my right hand for your sake, an’ I’ll do it; ask my life, an’ I’ll give it:  but to ask a Lamh Laudher to bear a blow from a Neil—­never.  What! how could I rise my face afther such a disgrace?  How could I keep the country wid a Neil’s blow, like the stamp of a thief upon my forehead, an’ me the first of my own faction, as your brother is of his.  No—­never!”

“An’ you say you love me, John?”

“Betther than ever man loved woman.”

“No, man—­you don’t,” she replied; “if you did, you’d give up something for me.  You’d bear that for my sake, an’ not think it much.  I’m beginin’ to believe, Lamh Laudher, that if I was a poor portionless girl, it wouldn’t be hard to put me out of your thoughts.  If it was only for my own sake you loved me, you’d not refuse me the first request I ever made to you; when you know, too, that if I didn’t think more of you than I ought, I’d never make it.”

“Ellen, would you disgrace me?  Would you wish me to bear the name of a coward?  Would you want my father to turn me out of the house?  Would you want my own faction to put their feet upon me, an’ drive me from among them?”

“John,” she replied, bursting into tears, “I do know that it’s a sore obligation to lay upon you, when everything’s taken into account; but if you wouldn’t do this for me, who would you do it for?  Before heaven, John, I dread a meetin’ between you an’ my brother, afther what he tould me; an’ the only way of preventin’ danger is for you not to strike him.  Oh, little you know what I have suffered these two days for both your sakes!  Lamh Laudher Oge, I doubt it would be well for me if I had never seen your face.”

“Anything undher heaven but what you want me to do, Ellen.”

“Oh! don’t refuse me this, John.  I ask it, as I said, for both your sake, an’ for my own sake.  Meehaul wouldn’t strike an unresistin’ man.  I won’t lave you till you promise; an’ if that won’t do, I’ll go down on my. knees an’ ask you for the sake of heaven above, to be guided by me in this.”

“Ellen, I’ll lave the country to avoid him, if that’ll plase you.”

“No—­no—­no, John:  that doesn’t plase me.  Is it to lave your father an’ family, an’ you the staff of their support?  Oh, John, give me your promise.  Here on my two knees I ask it from you, for my own, for your own, and for the sake of God above us!  I know Meehaul.  If he got a blow from you on my account, he’d never forgive it to either you or me.”