"God bless you, Hugh, for the words you have said to me! Poor Alley?
Hugh, God bless you! Would Maura consent? Will you consent, agra, to it,
Maura dear?"

Maura, who had been all this time weeping, now advanced, and, smiling
through her tears, embraced him tenderly. "Yes, Felix, darling, an' I'm
only heart-broken, that ever Hugh or myself refused to consent, or ever
set ourselves against it."

The boy's eyes sparkled with a light more brilliant than had ever shone
from them before: his whole face became animated, and the cloud
of sorrow which had rested on his pale brow melted away before the
effulgence of reviving hope. In a few minutes he arose and expressed
his determination to proceed and keep his appointment. Hugh and Maura
requested to accompany him, and the latter begged to be allowed the
privilege to give the bride away.

"Maura," said Felix, "will you desire the servants to have a decent
dinner prepared, and we'll eat it here. I intend, if you and Hugh will
let me, to bring her home at once!"

"Och, God help the poor boy!" exclaimed Maura--"yes, darling, all that
must be done."

When ready to depart, he again put his hand to his head--"It comes on
here," said he, "for about a minute or so--this confusion--I think I'll
tie a handkerchief about my head. It 'ill be an asy thing for me to make
some excuse, or I can take it off at the chapel."