A Fair Emigrant, Chapter XXVIII-XXXI [pp. 173-200]

A FAIR EMIGRANT.
frittering away his time walking and talking with a low farming
girl who happened to have a striking face and that peculiar color
of hair which Lady Flora would have given three new gowns a
year to possess-that Rory should so behave went to illustrate
the fact that men are unaccountable and reckless in their ways,
and often need to be managed for by the Lady Floras of the
world. She would talk to him by and by, and meantime she
thought it no harm that Manon should be a little jealous, just to
keep her from tiring of the monotony of life at Tor. At present
her object was to humble Miss Ingram and to gain a pretext for
barring her out from all future association with the family.
"There must be something in the air to-day that draws the
feet of friends one way," said Rory. "First I encounter Miss
Ingram in this out-of-the-way place, and now we have another
meeting quite as unexpected-"
"I suppose those are your cows," said Manon to Bawn sweetly, having shaken off her frown, and once more making the most
of her beauty and her attire, "and you have come here to look
after them. That must be a troublesome part of your business."
"I am sorry to say they are not my cows," said Bawn, laughing; "I wish they were-especially that red one. But I cannot
indulge in the extravagance of a herd." She would not give any
explanation of her presence there. Rory, she thought, had said
enough. But Manon was no longer attending to her. She had
caught sight of Sorley Boy.
"Oh! what a beautiful dog!" she exclaimed. "Mr. Fingall,
it is yours, I know, for I have seen it with you. I am going to
ask you to give it to me for my own."
"He is no longer mine," said Fingall, smiling; "I have given
him to Miss Ingram. He looks after cows and sheep even better
than his mistress."
"Oh! but I am sure another dog will do as well for that, and
I have taken a fancy to this one. Miss Ingram will give him to
me, of course, if you wish it."
It was her little way of snubbing Bawn. She thought her
host could not, even for politeness' sake, refuse anything to a
guest in his house. Here would be a triumph, however little it
might really mean.
"Can't be done," said Ror quietly. "The fellow would bite
any one who attempted the transfer. I will get you a dog, if you
wish, Miss de St. Claire."~
"I don't care for dogs in general, only this one," said Manon,
[May,
I98