All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity, Chapters XXX-XXXVI [pp. 241-263]

All-Hallow Eve; or, The Test of Futurity.
deed, Whinny, I should not wish to be giveness; but the old man gave it not.
the person so soon to add that sad At length, with that impatience haceremony to the still sadder one I was bitual to her disposition, she rushed
engaged in to-dlay." into his arms and wept upon his
"Before God or man, Father Far- breast.
rell, you will never have cause to re- "Oh, father!" she exclaimed, "I
gret that act. It was my own choos- could never be the wife of any man
ing after deliberate consideration, and living after poor Emon's death in deI was best judge of my own feelings. fence of my life; ay, more than my
I can be happy now. I never could life, of my honor."
be happy if it were otherwise." "But oh, Winny, Winny! to sac "God grant it, my love," said the rifice yourself for a man so near the
priest. grave! There was no hope for him,
"But still, Father Farrell," she I heerd."
continued, "I have something more "None, father. I was aware of
for you to do for me. Will you not, that. Had there been, I should have
like a good man, take all the arrange- waited patiently. I told Father Farment of the funeral upon yourself? I rell here my plans, and the same
will pay every penny of the expenses, thing as swore that I would not alter
andlet them not be niggardly. Thank them. He will now tell them to you,
God, Father Farrell, I can do so now father dear; and I shall lie down for
without reproach." a couple of hours, for indeed I want
The kind, sympathizing priest en- rest of both body and mind."
gaged to do everything which was re- She then kissed her father again
quisite in the most approved of man- and again, and blessed him, or rather
ner. The more he reflected upon she prayed God to do so, and went to
what he had done, the less fault he her room.
had to find with himself. There was Father Farrell then explained all
a calm, resigned tone about all that Winny's views to her distracted faWinny now said very different from ther, observing, as he had been enjoinwhat he might have anticipated from ed to do, the tenderest love and rehis knowledge of her temper and dis- spect for the old man; taking nothing
position, had the fatal moment taken " for granted;" but at the same time
place when the shot was fired, or even showing the utmost confidence that all
subsequently before she became Ed- matters would still be arranged for his
ward Lennon's wife. Bitter revenge, daughter in the same manner he had
he thought, would have seized her often explained to her to be his inten.
soul toward the man who had deprived tion. "One step she was determined
her of all hope or source of happiness on," Father Farrell said; "and that
in this world. Now the only time she was to join a religious sisterhood of
trusted her tongue to speak of him charity in the north. Nothing should
was an exclamation-" May God for- ever tempt her to marry."
give him!" "I'll sell this place at wance," said
They soon arrived at Rathcash old Ned. "It's not a month since I
house, where Father Farrell paid a had a rattlin' bid for it; but my landlong visit to old Ned Cavana. His lord-and he's member forthe county,
kindness quite gained upon the old you know-tould me with his own
man, and, before he left, he acquainted lips, that if ever I had a mind to part
him with the facts of his daughter's with it, he'd give me a hundred
position and the death of her husband. pounds more for it than any one else."
The old man sat silent for some "That was Winny's wish, Ned;
time after the truth had been made and that you should remove with her
known to him. Winny stood hoping to the north, where she would settle
for a look of encouragement and for- you comfortably, and where she could
252