in England would
hold him to be bound by such a promise. Of course he would do whatever
he could for his dear Kate; but, even after all that had passed, he
could not pollute himself by marriage with the child of so vile a
father. Poor Kate! Her sufferings would have been occasioned not by him,
but by her father.

In the meantime Kate's letters to him became more and more frequent,
more and more sad,--filled ever with still increasing warmth of
entreaty. At last they came by every post, though he knew how difficult
it must be for her to find daily messengers into Ennistimon. Would he
not come and see her? He must come and see her. She was ill and would
die unless he came to her. He did not always answer these letters, but
he did write to her perhaps twice a week. He would come very soon,--as
soon as Johnstone had come back from his fishing. She was not to fret
herself. Of course he could not always be at Ardkill. He too had things
to trouble him. Then he told her he had received letters from home which
caused him very much trouble; and there was a something of sharpness
in his words, which brought from her a string of lamentations in
which, however, the tears and wailings did not as yet take the form
of reproaches. Then there came a short note from Mrs. O'Hara herself.
"I must beg that you will come to Ardkill at once. It is absolutely
necessary for Kate's safety that you should do so."

When he received this he thought that he would go on the morrow. When
the morrow came he determined to postpone the journey another day! The
calls of duty are so much less imperious than those of pleasure! On that
further day he still meant to go, as he sat about noon unbraced, only.
partly dressed in his room at the barracks. His friend Johnstone was back
in Ennis, and there was also a Cornet with the troop. He had no excuse
whatever on the score of military duty for remaining at home on that
day. But he sat idling his time, thinking of things. All the charm of
the adventure was gone. He was sick of the canoe and of Barney Morony.
He did not care a straw for the seals or wild gulls. The moaning of the
ocean beneath the cliff was no longer pleasurable to him,--and as to the
moaning at their summit, to tell the truth, he was afraid of it. The
long drive thither and back was tedious to him. He thought now more of
the respectability of his family than of the beauty of Kate O'Hara.

But still he meant to go,--certainly would go on this ver