would marry the young couple as soon as look
at them, and very likely had done so already. "I cannot say," continued
Lady Mary, "that I actually know anything against the character of Miss
O'Hara. Of the mother we have very strange stories here. They live in a
little cottage with one maid-servant, almost upon the cliffs, and nobody
knows anything about them except the priest. If he should be seduced
into a marriage, nothing could be more unfortunate." Lady Mary probably
intended to insinuate that were young Neville prudently to get out of
the adventure, simply leaving the girl behind him blasted, ruined, and
destroyed, the matter no doubt would be bad; but in that case the great
misfortune would have been avoided. She could not quite say this in
plain words; but she felt, no doubt, that Lady Scroope would understand
her. Then Lady Mary went on to assure her friend that though she and her
father and sisters very greatly regretted that Mr. Neville had not again
given them the pleasure of seeing him at Castle Quin, no feeling of
injury on that score had induced her to write so strongly as she had
done. She had been prompted to do so simply by her desire to prevent _a
most ruinous alliance_.

Lady Scroope acknowledged entirely the truth of these last words. Such
an alliance would be most ruinous! But what could she do? Were she to
write to Fred and tell him all that she heard,--throwing to the winds
Lady Mary's stupid injunctions respecting secrecy, as she would not have
scrupled to do could she have thus obtained her object,--might it not be
quite possible that she would precipitate the calamity which she desired
so eagerly to avoid? Neither had she nor had her husband any power over
the young man, except such as arose from his own good feeling. The Earl
could not disinherit him;--could not put a single acre beyond his reach.
Let him marry whom he might he must be Earl Scroope of Scroope, and the
woman so married must be the Countess of Scroope. There was already a
Lady Neville about the world whose existence was a torture to them; and
if this young man chose also to marry a creature utterly beneath him and
to degrade the family, no effort on their part could prevent him. But
if, as seemed probable, he were yet free, and if he could be got to come
again among them, it might be that he still had left some feelings on
which they might work. No doubt there was the Neville obstinacy about
him; but he had seemed to both of them