do not know him, but I believe him to be a good man."

Then Lady Fitzgerald had expressed herself as satisfied--as
satisfied as she could be, seeing that her husband would not take
her into his confidence; and after this it was settled that Herbert
should at once ride over to Desmond Court, and explain that Clara's
visit had better be postponed.

Herbert got off his horse at the gate, and gave it to one of the
children at the lodge to lead after him. His horse would not follow
him, Clara said to herself as they walked back together towards the
house. She could not prevent her mind running off in that direction.
She would fain not have thought of Owen as she thus hung upon
Herbert's arm, but as yet she had not learned to control her
thoughts. His horse had followed him lovingly-the dogs about the
place had always loved him-the men and women of the whole country
round, old and young, all spoke of him with a sort of love:
everybody admired him. As all this passed through her brain, she was
hanging on her accepted lover's arm, and listening to his soft sweet
words.

"Oh, yes! it will be much better," she said, answering his proposal
that she should put off her visit to Castle Richmond. "But I am so
sorry that Sir Thomas should be ill. Mr. Prendergast is not a
doctor, is he?"

And then Herbert explained that Mr. Prendergast was not a doctor,
that he was a physician for the mind rather than for the body.
Regarding Clara as already one of his own family, he told her as
much as he had told his mother. He explained that there was some