"On Kilkenny ridge, beyond the ravine. A small path
winds up to it from the Standing Stone, one branch left, then two to
the right. We quarreled, and the girl has gone off to live with her.
It is the whole truth, I swear it. God have mercy on us!"
"I believe you speak the truth at that," he said coolly. And reaching
inside his unbuttoned officer's coat, he drew out a felt purse.
Loosing the strand with his fingers, he reached inside and removed
several gold coins, which he placed gently on a table beside her.
"Thank you, Mrs. Scott. I will take that as permission to pay court
upon your daughter. I fancy I may even marry her, if she is the girl
I'm thinking of. Good day to you."
He stepped past her, out through the open door, and remounted his
beautiful bay.
Seven
Towards evening the weather did in fact turn foul, with heavy clouds
blowing in from the sea. Laden with rain, and stirred to inner
violence by the turbulent upland airs, they discharged their burden
with a vengeance among deep cracks of thunder. Bolts of white fire
stabbed the earth as the deluge broke, turning good roads to bad, and
bad to treacherous and impassible quagmire.
Pages:
25
26
27
28
29
30
31
32
33
34
35
36
37
38
39
40
41
42
43
44
45
46
47
48
49