s
herself had of course been made aware that he had so refused. But she
was too keenly awake to the affairs of the world to suppose that such
a refusal could continue long in force; neither, as she knew well,
could Herbert accept of that which was offered to him. It might be
that for some years to come the property might be unenjoyed; the rich
fruit might fall rotten from the wall; but what would that avail to
her or to her child? Herbert would still be a nameless man, and could
never be master of Castle Richmond.

Nevertheless Clara carried her point, and went over to her friends,
leaving the countess all alone. She had now permitted her son to
return to Eton, finding that he was powerless to aid her. The young
earl was quite willing that his sister should marry Owen Fitzgerald;
but he was not willing to use any power of persuasion that he might
have, in what his mother considered a useful or legitimate manner.
He talked of rewarding Owen for his generosity; but Clara would have
nothing to do either with the generosity or with the reward. And so
Lady Desmond was left alone, hearing that even Owen, Owen himself,
had now given up the quest, and feeling that it was useless to have
any further hope. "She will make her own bed," the countess said to
herself, "and she must lie on it."

And then came this rumour that after all Herbert was to be the man.
It first reached her ears about the same time that Herbert arrived at
his own house, but it did so in such a manner as to make but little
impression at the moment. Lady Desmond had but few gossips, and in
a general way heard but little of what was doing in the country.
On this occasion the Caleb Balderston of her house came in, making
stately bows to his mistress, and with low voice, and eyes wide
open, told her what a gossoon running over from Castle Richmond had
reported in the kitchen of Desmond Court. "At any rate, my lady,
Mr. Herbert is expected this evening at the house;" and then Caleb
Balderston, bowing stately again, left the room. This did not make
much impression, but it made some.

And then on the following day Clara wrote to her: this she did after
deep consideration and much consultation with her friends. It would
be unkind, they argued, to leave Lady Desmond in ignorance on such
a subject; and therefore a note was written very guardedly, the
joint production of the three, in which, with the expression of many
doubts, it was told that perhaps after all Herbe