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."