“Are you sorry, father, because God has taken my mother to Himself?  Would you wish to have her here, in pain and suffering?  Do you grudge her heaven?  Father, you were always a brave and strong, fearless man, but what are you now?  Is this the example you are settin’ to us, who ought to look up to you for support?  Don’t you know my mother’s in heaven?  Why, one would think you’re sorry for it?  Come, come, father, set your childre’ an example now when they want it, that they can look up to—­be a man, and don’t forget that she’s in God’s Glory, Come in now, and comfort the rest.”

“Ay, but when I think of what she was, Bryan; of what she was to me, Bryan, from the first day I ever called her my wife, ay, and before it, when she could get better matches, when she struggled, and waited, and fought for me, against all opposition, till her father an’ mother saw her heart was fixed upon me; hould your tongue, Bryan, I’ll have no one’ to stop my grief for her, where is she? where’s my wife, I tell you? where’s Bridget M’Mahon?—­Bridget, where are you? have you left me, gone from me, an’ must I live here widout you? must I rise in the mornin,’ and neither see you nor hear you? or must I live here by myself an’ never have your opinion nor advice to ask upon anything as I used to do—­Bridget M’Mahon, why did you leave me? where are you from me?”

“Here’s Dora,” said a sweet but broken voice; “here’s Dora M’Mahon—­your own Dora, too—­and that you love bekaise I was like her.  Oh, come with me, father, darlin’.  For her sake, compose yourself and come with me.  Oh, what are we to feel! wasn’t she our mother?  Wasn’t she?—­wasn’t she?  What am I sayin’?  Ay, but, now—­we have no mother, now!”

M’Mahon still leaned upon his son’s neck, but on hearing his favorite daughter’s voice, he put his arm round to where she stood, and clasping her in, brought her close to him and Bryan, so that the three individuals formed one sorrowing group together.

“Father,” repeated Dora, “come with me for my mother’s sake.”

He started.  “What’s that you say, Dora?  For your mother’s sake?  I will, darlin’—­for her sake, I will.  Ay, that’s the way to manage me—­for her sake.  Oh, what wouldn’t I do for her sake?  Come, then, God bless you, darlin’, for puttin’ that into my head.  You may make me do anything now, Dora, jewel—­if you just ax it for her sake.  Oh, my God! an is it come to this?  An’ am I talkin’ this way?—­but—­well, for her sake, darlin’—­for her sake.  Come, I’ll go in—­but—­but—­oh, Bryan, how can I?”

“You know father,” replied Bryan, who now held his arm, “we must all die, and it will be well for us if we can die as she died.  Didn’t father Peter say that if ever the light of heaven was in a human heart, it was in hers?”

“Ay, but when I go in an’ look upon her, an’ call Bridget, she won’t answer me.”

“Father dear, you are takin’ it too much to heart.”

“Well, it’ll be the first time she ever refused to answer me—­the first time that ever her lips will be silent when I spake to her.”