"
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.
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