106
SHIANA
Sheila.—How is that, Peg?
Peg.—One who crushes down his own desire, and gives up his own will for God's sake, or for the Saviour's sake, or for justice and right's sake, will have the remembrance of that act in his heart; and when grief comes upon him it will not take a strong grip of his heart.
Abbie.—And I suppose, the greater the desire, the greater the act.
Peg.—Yes. And that was why the woman said that Shiana had done that day the noblest act that had been done in Ireland for many a day before it "to put away from his heart the best woman in Ireland rather than do her so great a wrong."
Nora.—I think it was a great pity that they were parted from one another.
Kate.—Hush, Nora! Wouldn't it have been a much greater pity if they had married, seeing how things stood?
Nora.—Well, Kate, indeed I suppose it is true for you. Things were in a sad state, one way or the other. It was a terrible pity that he didn't look before him.
Kate.—Stop a moment, Nora. I wouldn't say things were quite so bad as that. Shiana had got that jewel, and the great grief had gone away out of his heart. He was humming away as gaily as ever. Even if the thirteen years were passing along at a hand-gallop, he had one consolation; when the final day came no one would suffer but himself. And as for Short Mary, I think she came out of it very well. How would it have been with her if Shiana had done as the Yellow
