ed into her arms
and kissed her, and have talked to her of what was coming, as a
daughter loves to talk to a loving mother. But Lady Desmond's heart
was sore and sad and harsh, and she preferred to be alone.

"You will be better at Castle Richmond, my dear: you will be much
happier there, of course. There can be no reason why you should come
again into the gloom of this prison."

"But I should be with you, dearest mamma."

"It is better that you should be with the Fitzgeralds now; and as
for me--I must learn to live alone. Indeed I have learned it, so you
need not mind for me." Clara was rebuffed by the tone rather than the
words, but she still looked up into her mother's face wistfully. "Go,
my dear," said the countess--"I would sooner be alone at present."
And so Clara went. It was hard upon her that even now her mother
would not accept her love.

But Lady Desmond could not be cordial with her daughter. She made
more than one struggle to do so, but always failed. She could,--she
thought that she could, have watched her child's happiness with
contentment had Clara married Owen Fitzgerald--Sir Owen, as he would
then have been. But now she could only remember that Owen was lost to
them both, lost through her child's fault. She did not hate Clara:
nay, she would have made any sacrifice for her daughter's welfare;
but she could not take her lovingly to her bosom. So she shut herself
up alone, in her prison as she called it, and then looked back upon
the errors of her life. It was as well for her to look back as to
look forward, for what joy was there for which she could dare to
hope?

In the days that were coming, however, she did relax something of
her sternness. Clara was of course married from Desmond Court, and
the very necessity of making some preparations for this festivity
was in itself salutary. But indeed it could hardly be called
a festivity,--it was so quiet and sombre. Clara had but two
bridesmaids, and they were Mary and Emmeline Fitzgerald. The
young earl gave away his sister, and Aunt Letty was there, and Mr.
Prendergast, who had come over about the settlements; Mr. Somers
also attended, and the ceremony was performed by our old friend Mr.
Townsend. Beyond these there were no guests at the wedding of Sir
Herbert Fitzgerald.

The young earl was there, and at the last the wedding had been
postponed a week for his coming. He had left Eton at Midsummer in
order that he might travel for a couple of years