that was inaudible.

He stood for a moment with the door in his hand, meditating whether
he might not say good morning to the countess without returning into
the room; but as he so stood she called him. "Mr. Fitzgerald," she
said; and so he therefore came back, and once more closed the door.

And then he saw that the countenance of Lady Desmond was much
changed. Hitherto she had been every inch the countess, stern and
cold and haughty; but now she looked at him as she used to look in
those old winter evenings when they were accustomed to talk together
over the evening fire in close friendliness, while she, Lady Desmond,
would speak to him in the intimacy of her heart of her children,
Patrick and Clara.

"Mr. Fitzgerald," she said, and the tone of her voice also was
changed. "You are hardly fair to us; are you?"

"Not fair, Lady Desmond?"

"No, not fair. Sit down now, and listen to me for a moment. If you
had a child, a penniless girl like Clara, would you be glad to see
her married to such a one as you are yourself?"

"In what way do you mean? Speak out, Lady Desmond."

"No; I will not speak out, for I would not hurt you. I myself am too
fond of you--as an old friend, to wish to do so. That you may marry
and live happily, live near us here, so that we may know you, I most
heartily desire. But you cannot marry that child."

"And why not, if she loves me?"

"Nay, not even if she did. Wealth and position are necessary to
the station in which she has been born. She is an earl's daughter,
penniless as she is. I will have no secrets from you. As a mother, I
could not give her to one whose career is such as yours. As the widow
of an earl, I could not give her to one whose means of maintaining
her are so small. If you will think of this, you will hardly be angry
with me."

"Love is nothing then?"

"Is all to be sacrificed to your love? Think of it, Mr. Fitzgerald,
and let me have the happiness of knowing that you consent to this
match."

"Never!" said he. "Never!" And so he left the room, without wishing
her further farewell.

CHAPTER XV.

DIPLOMACY.

About a week after the last conversation that has been related as
having taken place at the Kanturk Hotel, Mr. Mollett junior was
on his way to Castle Richmond. He had on that occasion stated his
intention of making such a journey with the view of "freshening the
old gentleman up a bit;" and although his father did all in his power
to prevent the jour