, and
die the oracle of the Duhallow hunt; but Herbert would be a member
of Parliament, with a house in London. A daughter of the house of
Desmond might marry the heir of Sir Thomas Fitzgerald, and be thought
to have done well; whereas, she would disgrace herself by becoming
the mistress of Hap House. Lady Desmond, therefore, had been
delighted to see this intimacy.

It had been in no spirit of fault-finding that she had remarked to
her daughter as to her use of that Christian name. What would be
better than that they should be to each other as Herbert and Clara?
But the cautious mother had known how easy it would be to frighten
her timid fawn-like child. It was no time, no time as yet, to
question her heart about this second lover--if lover he might be. The
countess was much too subtle in her way to frighten her child's heart
back to its old passion. That passion doubtless would die from want
of food. Let it be starved and die; and then this other new passion
might spring up.

The Countess of Desmond had no idea that her daughter, with severe
self-questioning, had taken her own heart to task about this former
lover; had argued with herself that the man who could so sin, could
live such a life, and so live in these fearful times, was unworthy of
her love, and must be torn out of her heart, let the cost be what it
might. Of such high resolves on her daughter's part, nay, on the part
of any young girl, Lady Desmond had no knowledge.

Clara Desmond had determined, slowly determined, to give up the man
whom she had owned to love. She had determined that duty and female
dignity required her to do so. And in this manner it had been done;
not by the childlike forgetfulness which her mother attributed to
her.

And so it was arranged that she should stay the following night at
Castle Richmond.

CHAPTER VIII.

GORTNACLOUGH AND BERRYHILL.

And now at last we will get to Castle Richmond, at which place,
seeing that it gives the title to our novel, we ought to have arrived
long since.

As had been before arranged, the two Miss Fitzgeralds did call at
Desmond Court early on the following day, and were delighted at being
informed by Lady Desmond that Clara had changed her mind, and would,
if they would now allow her, stay the night at Castle Richmond.

"The truth was, she did not like to leave me," said the countess,
whispering prettily into the ear of the eldest of the two girls; "but
I am delighted that she sho