Castle Richmond | Page 9

was not probable that he would let her do so. "Why should I not
go with you?" he said. "When I get there I have nothing to do but see
him fish. Only if we were to leave him by himself he would not be
happy."
"Oh, Mr. Fitzgerald, how very kind you are are! I do so often think of it.
How dull his holidays would be in this place if it were not for you!"
"And what a godsend his holidays are to me!" said Owen. "When they
come round I can ride over here and see him, and you--and your mother.
Do you think that I am not dull also, living alone at Hap House, and
that this is not an infinite blessing to me?"
He had named them all--son, daughter, and mother; but there had been
a something in his voice, an almost inappreciable something in his tone,
which had seemed to mark to Clara's hearing that she herself was not
the least prized of the three attractions. She had felt this rather than
realized it, and the feeling was not unpleasant.
"I only know that you are very goodnatured," she continued, "and that

Patrick is very fond of you. Sometimes I think he almost takes you for
a brother." And then a sudden thought flashed across her mind, and she
said hardly a word more to him that evening.
This had been at the close of the summer holidays. After that he had
been once or twice at Desmond Court, before the return of the boy from
Eton; but on these occasions he had been more with the countess than
with her daughter On the last of these visits, just before the holidays
commenced, he had gone over respective a hunter he had bought for
Lord Desmond, and on this occasion he did not even see Clara.
The countess, when she had thanked him for his trouble in the matter of
the purchase, hesitated a moment, and then went on to speak of other
matters.
"I understand, Mr. Fitzgerald," said she. "that you have been very gay
at Hap House since the hunting commenced."
"Oh, I don't know," said Owen, half laughing and half blushing. "It's a
convenient place for some of the men, and one must be sociable."
"Sociable! yes, one ought to be sociable certainly. But I am always
afraid of the sociability of young men without ladies. Do not be angry
with me if I venture as a friend to ask you not to be too sociable."
"I know what you mean, Lady Desmond. People have been accusing us
of--of being rakes. Isn't that it?"
"Yes, Mr. Fitzgerald, that is it. But then I know that I have no right to
speak to you on such a--such a subject."
"Yes, yes; you have every right," said he, warmly; "more right than any
one else."
"Oh no; Sir Thomas, you know----"
"Well, yes, Sir Thomas. Sir Thomas is very ill, and so also is Lady
Fitzgerald; but I do not feel the same interest about them that I do about
you. And they are such humdrum, quiet-going people. As for Herbert,
I'm afraid he'll turn out a prig."
"Well, Mr. Fitzgerald, if you give me the right I shall use it." And
getting up from her chair, and coming to him where he stood, she
looked kindly into his face. It was a bonny, handsome face for a woman
to gaze on, and there was much kindness in hers as she smiled on him.
Nay, there was almost more than kindness, he thought, as he caught her
eye. It was like,--almost like the sweetness of motherly love. "And I
shall scold you," she continued. "People say that for two or three nights

running men have been playing cards at Hap House till morning."
"Yes, I had some men there for a week. I could not take their candles
away, and put them to bed; could I, Lady Desmond?"
"And there were late suppers, and drinking of toasts, and headaches in
the morning, and breakfast at three o'clock, and gentlemen with very
pale faces when they appeared rather late at the meet--eh, Mr.
Fitzgerald?" And she held up one finger at him, as she upbraided him
with a smile. The smile was so sweet, so unlike her usual look; that, to
tell the truth, was often too sad and careworn for her age.
"Such things do happen, Lady Desmond."
"Ah, yes; they do happen. And with such a one as you, heaven knows I
do not begrudge the pleasure, if it were but now and then,--once again
and then done with. But you are too bright and too good for such things
to continue." And she took his hand and pressed it, as a mother or