account of my foot. Gracie came the next day or
so, and surely I was amazed at the glory of her
dress! My stepmother, who did not like her,
left us alone together, and Grade's news came
out. She was going to be married on next
Tuesday.

"I know that," said I.

"How do you know it?" said she.

''Donnell's mother told me."

"Donnell's mother! Nothing but Donnell
and Donnell's mother from you for ever! How
should she know?"

"Oh, Gracie, his own——"

"Why," she burst in, "you don't imagine that
he's the man? Why, it's Squire Hannan! Only
think, Bet, of your Gracie being the Squire's
lady!"

I was quite confounded. "Oh, oh, Gracie!"
I stammered.

"Well," said she, sulking, "are you not
glad?"

"Oh yes," I said, "very, on your account;
but what will become of Donnell?"

"Donnell again. Now listen to me, Bet. I
know when a man likes me, and when he doesn't
like me, just as well as any other girl; and I've
seen this many a day, that Donnell didn't care
a pin about me. Not he. He only wanted me
to marry him that the people might not say I
jilted him. I told him that the other day, when
he asked me to have him. 'No matter what
I want you for,' said he; 'I want you.'
'Thank you' said I. And then what had
he the impudence to say! If I changed my
mind before Sunday I was to send him word,
that he might come to the consecration with
me. Then he would set off for the Glens on
Monday, and settle some business there, and
be home for our wedding in a week!"

I screamed out, seeing what I had done.

"The poor foot!" cried Gracie, thinking I
was in pain. "Is it bad?"

"Never mind it!" said I. "And what did
you say?"

"I said," Gracie went on, "that whatever
morning he got up and saw black snow on the
ground, that day he might look for a message
from me. And yet he had the meanness to
walk with me on Sunday, after all. And the
best fun of it, is, that they say he's gone to the
Glens."

"Oh, oh!" said I, beginning to groan again,
and pretending it was all my foot. After that,
Gracie talked about herself and Squire Hannan
until she went away. And somehow I never
had felt as little sorry to part with her before.
She seemed not to be my own Gracie any
longer.

And now I was nearly put of my senses,
thinking what mischief might come of my
meddling. I was sure that Donnell and Squire
Hannan would fight and kill one another, and
all through me. I thought I would give all I
had in the world to see Donnell before any one
else had told him the news, and confess to him
what I had done. On Tuesday, about mid-day,
a countryman from the Glens came in to light
his pipe, and he said he had passed McDonnell,
of Buckey Farm, on the way.

"An' I think things must be goin' badly
with him," said he, "for he has a look on his
face as black as the potato blight."

"Somebody has told him, maybe!" said I to
myself. And I put on my shawl, and, borrowing
a stick from an old neighbour, I hobbled off
secretly up the road towards the Glens. I soon
got tired and dreadfully cold, as I could not walk
fast, and I sat down on a bit of an old grey
bridge to watch for Donnell coming past. At
last he came thundering along, and although it
was getting dusk I could see that he had his
head down, and looked dreadfully dark and
unhappy.

"Donnell!" said I, calling out to him.

"Who's that?" he said. "Why, it's never
little Bet!"

"But indeed it is," said I. "Oh, Donnell,
did you hear? I came to tell you. Gracie was
married this morning to Squire Hannan."

"Whew!" he gave a long whistle. "The
jilt!" said he, and he snapped his fingers. But
his whole face brightened up.

"She's not so much a jilt as you think,
Donnell," said I, "for—-oh, how can I ever tell
you!—-it was I who wrote you the note you got
last week, and she had nothing to do with it.
I did it for the best, I did indeed, for I thought
that Gracie liked you; I did indeed! And oh,
Donnell, sure you won't go and kill Squire
Hannan?"

"Won't I," said he, looking awfully savage.
"I cut a great blackthorn this morning in the
Glens for no other purpose but to beat out his
brains."

I gave a great scream, and, dropping my stick,
fell along with it; but Donnell picked me up,
and set me safe on his horse behind him.

"Now," said he, "I'll tell you what it is
little Bet. I'll make a bargain. You'll marry
me, and I won't touch Squire Hannan."

"I marry you?" cried. I, "after—-after
Gracie. Indeed I will not, Donnell McDonnell."

"I've behaved badly," said he, "but I'm very
sorry. It's long since I liked you better than
Gracie, but the devil of pride was in me, and
the people were saying she would jilt me. When
I got your bit of a note, I felt as if I was goin'
to be hung. God bless Squire Hannan! Now
will you marry me, little Bet?"

"No," said I. And with that he whipped
up his horse, and dashed off with me at the
speed of a hunt.

"Stop, stop!" cried I. "Where are you taking
me to? You've passed the turn of our road."

But I might as well shout to the wind. On
we dashed, up hill and down hill, through fields
and through bogs, with the hedges running
along by our side, and the moon whizzing past
us among the bare branches of the trees. He
never drew rein till the horse stopped at
the dear Buckey Farm house door, when he
carried me straight into the bright warm kitchen
where his mother had the tea set out, and the
cakes smoking ready for his return.