by the perturbation of his spirit to give a
stronger assurance than he had intended.

"Then must her son if she have one be the future Earl of Scroope. He may
be Protesthant,--or what you will?"

"You don't understand me, Father Marty."

"Faith, and that's thrue. But we are at the baich, Mr. Neville, and I've
two miles along the coast to Liscannor."

"Shall I make Barney take you round in the canoe?"

"I believe I may as well walk it. Good-bye, Mr. Neville. I'm glad at any
rate to hear you say so distinctly that you are resolved at all hazards
to make that dear girl your wife." This he said, almost in a whisper,
standing close to the boat, with his hand on Neville's shoulder. He
paused a moment as though to give special strength to his words, and
Neville did not dare or was not able to protest against the assertion.
Father Marty himself was certainly not romantic in his manner of
managing such an affair as this in which they were now both concerned.

Neville went back to Ennis much depressed, turning the matter over in
his mind almost hopelessly. This was what had come from his adventures!
No doubt he might marry the girl,--postponing his marriage till after
his uncle's death. For aught he knew as yet that might still be
possible. But were he to do so, he would disgrace his family, and
disgrace himself by breaking the solemn promise he had made. And in such
case he would be encumbered, and possibly be put beyond the pale of that
sort of life which should be his as Earl of Scroope, by having Captain
O'Hara as his father-in-law. He was aware now that he would be held by
all his natural friends to have ruined himself by such a marriage.

On the other hand he could, no doubt, throw the girl over. They could
not make him marry her though they could probably make him pay very
dearly for not doing so. If he could only harden his heart sufficiently
he could escape in that way. But he was not hard, and he did feel that
so escaping, he would have a load on his breast which would make his
life unendurable. Already he was beginning to hate the coast of Ireland,
and to think that the gloom of Scroope Manor was preferable to it.

CHAPTER III.

FRED NEVILLE RECEIVES A VISITOR AT ENNIS.

For something over three weeks after his walk with the priest Neville
saw neither of the two ladies of Ardkill. Letters were frequent between
the cottage and the barracks at Ennis, but,--so said Fred himself,
military duties detained