d which Eileen took from a cigarette case of platinum with
her name in turquoise at the corner. The cigarette case was a new
possession. Lady O'Gara supposed that it came from Terry. She had not
asked. A violet scent, so good that on its first introduction Lady
O'Gara had cried out that some one was wearing wet violets, now always
heralded Miss Creagh's coming into a room.

There were some things which had not come from Terry. When Lady O'Gara
had noticed them Eileen had said carelessly that they were given her by
Robin Gillespie, the son of the doctor at Inver, and a doctor himself
in the Indian Army. Anthony Creagh and his wife had an overflowing
quiverful. Lady O'Gara made excuses for the girl who must have had it
in her blood to do without. Still, Robin Gillespie, the doctor's son
at Inver, could not have much to spare, but apparently he had given
Eileen a good many trinkets.

"When does Terry join his regiment?" Sir Shawn asked his wife one day
with a certain sharpness.

"Not till September."

"And it is now August. A pity he should waste his time philandering."

"Does he philander?"

Lady O'Gara's voice had a hurt sound in it. She found nothing amiss in
her one child.

"He philandered with Eileen till Stella came. Now apparently he
inclines to Stella. He mustn't play fast and loose with girls."

"It sounds so ugly, Shawn. Terry is incapable of such a thing,--as
incapable as you yourself. He is not the flirting sort. He is just a
simple boy."

There was something piteous in her voice.

Her husband lifted her face by the chin till he looked down into her
eyes.

"If he were like me he would only have one love," he said. "You made
your own of me, Mary, altogether, from the first moment I saw you."

Stella had made friends with every one round about her. She was in and
out of the cottages. She knew all about the old people's ailments and
nursed all the children. Eileen complained with a fastidious disgust
that Stella did not seem to know whether the children were dirty or
clean. She kissed and hugged them all the same. In likewise she loved
and petted the animals and so commended herself hugely to Patsy Kenny.

"She's worth twenty of Miss Eileen," he said. "All I'm afeard of is
she'll run herself into danger. She doesn't know what fear is. She
ups and says to me the other day whin I bid her not make too free with
the mares that the only rayson the crathurs ever was wicked was tha