of the women SANS REPROCHE! None!--without one exception,' said
Lord Colambre to himself; 'and Grace Nugent's mother a St. Omar!--Is it
possible? Lady Dashfort seems certain. She could not assert a positive
falsehood--no motive. She does not know that Miss Nugent is the person
to whom I am attached she spoke at random. And I have heard it first
from a stranger--not from my mother. Why was it kept secret from me?
Now I understand the reason why my mother evidently never wished that I
should think of Miss Nugent--why she always spoke so vehemently against
the marriages of relations, of cousins. Why not tell me the truth? It
would have had the strongest effect, had she known my mind.'

Lord Colambre had the greatest dread of marrying any woman whose mother
had conducted herself ill. His reason, his prejudices, his pride, his
delicacy, and even his limited experience, were all against it. All
his hopes, his plans of future happiness, were shaken to their very
foundation; he felt as if he had received a blow that stunned his mind,
and from which he could not recover his faculties. The whole of that
day he was like one in a dream. At night the painful idea continually
recurred to him; and whenever he was falling asleep, the sound of Lady
Dashfort's voice returned upon his ear, saying the words, 'What could
he expect when he married one of the St. Omars? None of the women SANS
REPROCHE.'

In the morning he rose early; and the first thing he did was to write a
letter to his mother, requesting (unless there was some important reason
for her declining to answer the question) that she would immediately
relieve his mind from a great UNEASINESS (he altered the word four
times, but at last left it UNEASINESS). He stated what he had heard, and
besought his mother to tell him the whole truth, without reserve.

CHAPTER VIII

One morning Lady Dashfort had formed an ingenious scheme for leaving
Lady Isabel and Lord Colambre TETE-A-TETE; but the sudden entrance of
Heathcock disconcerted her intentions. He came to beg Lady Dashfort's
interest with Count O'Halloran, for permission to hunt and shoot on his
grounds.--'Not for myself, 'pon honour, but for two officers who are
quartered at the next town here, who will indubitably hang or drown
themselves if they are debarred from sporting.'

'Who is this Count O'Halloran?' said Lord Colambre. Miss White, Lady
Killpatrick's companion, said 'he was a great oddity;' Lady Dashfort,
'that h