no brother of an age to speak to him, and that
consideration alone should have saved you from such an attack."

Clara said nothing more, for she knew that she could not speak out to
him the feelings of her heart. She could not plead to him that she
had injured Owen, that she had loved him and then given him up; that
she had been false to him: she could not confess that, after all,
the tribute of such a man's love could not be regarded by her as
an offence. So she said nothing further, but walked on in silence,
leaning on his arm.

They were now close to the house, and as they drew near to it Lady
Desmond met them on the door-step. "I dare say you have heard that
we had a visitor here this morning," she said, taking Herbert's hand
in an affectionate motherly way, and smiling on him with all her
sweetness.

Herbert said that he had heard it, and expressed an opinion that
Mr. Owen Fitzgerald would have been acting far more wisely to have
remained at home at Hap House.

"Yes, perhaps so; certainly so," said Lady Desmond, putting her arm
within that of her future son, and walking back with him through
the great hall. "He would have been wiser; he would have saved dear
Clara from a painful half-hour, and he would have saved himself from
perhaps years of sorrow. He has been very foolish to remember Clara's
childhood as he does remember it. But, my dear Herbert, what can we
do? You lords of creation sometimes will be foolish even about such
trifling things as women's hearts."

And then, when Herbert still persisted that Owen's conduct had been
inexcusable and ungentlemanlike, she softly flattered him into
quiescence. "You must not forget," she said, "that he perhaps has
loved Clara almost as truly as you do. And then what harm can he do?
It is not very probable that he should succeed in winning Clara away
from you!"

"Oh no, it is not that I mean. It is for Clara's sake."

"And she, probably, will never see him again till she is your wife.
That event will, I suppose, take place at no very remote period."

"As soon as ever my father's health will admit. That is if I can
persuade Clara to be so merciful."

"To tell the truth, Herbert, I think you could persuade her to
anything. Of course we must not hurry her too much. As for me, my
losing her will be very sad; you can understand that; but I would not
allow any feeling of my own to stand in her way for half-an-hour."

"She will be very near you, you know."

"Yes, s