ole family of us, box and dice,--as indeed we
have pretty well already--if some of us did not begin to look about
us. I don't suppose I shall ever marry and have a family. I couldn't
afford it, you know. And in that case Clara's son would be Earl of
Desmond; or if I died she would be Countess of Desmond in her own
right." And the young lord looked the personification of family
prudence.

"I know all that," said Owen; "but you do not suppose that I was
thinking of it?"

"What; as regards yourself. No; I am sure you never did. But, looking
to all that, it would never have done for her to marry a man as
poor as you were. It is not a comfortable thing to be a very poor
nobleman, I can tell you."

Owen again remained silent. He wanted to talk the earl over into
favouring his views, but he wanted to do so as Owen of Hap House, not
as Owen of Castle Richmond. He perceived at once from the tone of
the boy's voice, and even from his words, that there was no longer
anything to be feared from the brother's opposition; and perceiving
this, he thought that the mother's opposition might now perhaps also
be removed. But it was quite manifest that this had come from what
was supposed to be his altered position. "A man as poor as you were,"
Lord Desmond had said, urging that though now the marriage might be
well enough, in those former days it would have been madness. The
line of argument was very clear; but as Owen was as poor as ever, and
intended to remain so, there was nothing in it to comfort him.

"I cannot say that I, myself, have so much worldly wisdom as you
have," said he at last, with something like a sneer.

"Ah, that is just what I knew you would say. You think that I am
coming to you now, and offering to make up matters between you and
Clara because you are rich!"

"But can you make up matters between me and Clara?" said Owen,
eagerly.

"Well, I do not know. The countess seems to think it might be so."

And then again Owen was silent, walking about the room with his hands
behind his back. Then after all the one thing of this world which
his eye regarded as desirable was within his reach. He had then been
right in supposing that that face which had once looked up to his so
full of love had been a true reflex of the girl's heart,--that it
had indicated to him love which was not changeable. It was true that
Clara, having accepted a suitor at her mother's order, might now be
allowed to come back to him! As he though