It was just then that people in the county were also beginning to
talk of the Hay House orgies; and the double scandal reached Owen's
ears, one shortly after the other. That orgies scandal did not hurt
him much. It is, alas! too true that consciousness of such a
reputation does not often hurt a young man's feelings. But the other
rumour did wound him. What! he sell himself to a widowed countess
almost old enough to be his mother; or bestow himself rather--for
what was there in return that could be reckoned as a price? At any
rate, he had given no one cause to utter such falsehood, such
calumny as that. No; it certainly was not probable that he should
marry the countess.

But this set him to ask himself whether it might or might not be
possible that he should marry some one else. Might it not be well
for him if he could find a younger bride at Desmond Court? Not for
nothing had he ridden over there through those bleak mountains; not
for nothing, nor yet solely with the view of tying flies for the
young earl's summer fishing, or preparing the new nag for his
winter's hunting. Those large bright eyes had asked him many
questions. Would it not be well that he should answer them?

For many months of that year Clara Desmond had hardly spoken to him.
Then, in the summer evening, as he and her brother would lie
sprawling together on the banks of the little Desmond river, while
the lad was talking of his fish, and his school, and his cricket
club, she would stand by and listen, and so gradually she learned to
speak.

And the mother also would sometimes be there; or else she would
welcome Fitzgerald in to tea, and let him stay there talking as