ment which your--your
vehemence may occasion her."

"Lady Desmond," he replied, "you are quite at liberty, as far as I
am concerned, to hear all that passes between us. Your daughter is
betrothed to me, and I have come to claim from her the fulfilment of
her promise."

"For shame, Mr. Fitzgerald, for shame! When she was a child you
extracted from her one word of folly; and now you would take
advantage of that foolish word; now, when you know that she is
engaged to a man she loves with the full consent of all her friends.
I thought I knew you well enough to feel sure that you were not so
ungenerous."

"Ungenerous! no; I have not that generosity which would enable me to
give up my very heart's blood, the only joy of my soul, to such a one
as my cousin Herbert."

"You have nothing to give up, Mr. Fitzgerald: you must have known
from the very first that my daughter could not marry you--"

"Not marry me! And why not, Lady Desmond? Is not my blood as good
as his?--unless, indeed, you are prepared to sell your child to the
highest bidder!"

"Clara, my dear, I think you had better leave the room," said the
countess; "no doubt you have assured Mr. Fitzgerald that you are
engaged to his cousin Herbert."

"Yes, mamma."

"Then he can have no further claim on your attendance, and his
vehemence will terrify you."

"Vehement! how can I help being vehement when, like a ruined gambler,
I am throwing my last chance for such a stake?"

And then he intercepted Clara as she stepped towards the drawing-room
door. She stopped in her course, and stood still, looking down upon
the ground.

"Mr. Fitzgerald," said the countess, "I will thank you to let Lady
Clara leave the room. She has given you the answer for which you have
asked, and it would not be right in me to permit her to be subjected
to further embarrassment."

"I will only ask her to listen to one word. Clara--"

"Mr. Fitzgerald, you have no right to address my daughter with that
freedom," said the countess; but Owen hardly seemed to hear her.

"I here, in your hearing, protest against your marriage with Herbert
Fitzgerald. I claim your love as my own. I bid you think of the
promise which you gave me; and I tell you that as I loved you then
with all my heart, so do I love you at this moment; so shall I love
you always. Now I will not hinder you any longer."

And then he opened the door for her, and she passed on, bowing to
him, and muttering some word of farewell