"I hope so."

"And if you will love me I shall be very happy for long, long years."

"I will love you."

"But there will be no passion of ecstasy such as this. Father says
that Home Rule won't be passed because the people will be thinking of
my singing. Of course it is all vanity, but there is an enjoyment in
it."

But all this was wormwood to Mr. Moss. He had put out his hand so
as to clutch this girl now two years since, understanding all her
singing qualities, and then in truth loving her. She had taken a
positive hatred to him, and had rejected him at every turn of her
life. But he had not at all regarded that. He had managed to connect
her with his theatre, and had perceived that her voice had become
more and more sweet in its tones, and more and more rich in its
melody. He had still hoped that he would make her his wife. Madame
Socani's abominable proposal had come from an assurance on her part
that he could have all that he wished for without paying so dear for
it. There had doubtless been some whispering between them over the
matter, but the order for the proposal had not come from him. Madame
Socani had judged of Rachel as she might have judged of herself. But
all that had come to absolute failure. He felt now that he should be
paying by no means too dear by marrying the girl. It would be a great
triumph to marry her; but he was told that this absurd earl wished to
triumph in the same manner.

He set afloat all manner of reports, which, in truth, wounded Lord
Castlewell sorely. Lord Castlewell had given her money, and had then
failed in his object. So said Mr. Moss. Lord Castlewell had promised
marriage, never intending it. Lord Castlewell had postponed the
marriage because as the moment drew nearer he would not sacrifice
himself. If the lady had a friend, it would be the friend's duty to
cudgel the lord, so villainous had been the noble lord's conduct. But
yet, in truth, who could have expected that the noble lord would have
married the singing girl? Was not his character known? Did anybody
in his senses expect that the noble lord would marry Miss Rachel
O'Mahony?

"If I have a friend, is my friend to cudgel you, my lord?" she said,
clinging on to his arm in her usual manner. "My friend is papa, who
thinks that you are a very decent fellow, considering your misfortune
in being a lord at all. I know where all these words come from;--it
is Mahomet M. Moss. There is nothing for it but to live them down