ht be fitly received by her predecessor. It might be that the Lord
would still show him a way out of the two evils.

But his brother was more clear of purpose with him, as they walked
together out to the yard in which the young Earl was to get into his
carriage. "Upon the whole, Fred, if I were you I should marry that
girl." This he said quite abruptly. The young lord shook his head. "It
may be that I do not know all the circumstances. If they be as I have
heard them from you, I should marry her. Good-bye. Let me hear from you,
when you have settled as to going anywhere."

"I shall be sure to write," said Fred as he took the reins and seated
him in the phaeton.

His brother's advice he understood plainly, and that of his aunt he
thought that he understood. But he shook his head again as he told
himself that he could not now be guided by either of them.

CHAPTER IX.

AT LISCANNOR.

The young lord slept one night at Ennis, and on the third morning after
his departure from Scroope, started in his gig for Liscannor and the
cliffs of Moher. He took a servant with him and a change of clothes. And
as he went his heart was very heavy. He could not live a coward in his
own esteem. Were it not so how willingly would he have saved himself
from the misery of this journey, and have sent to his Kate to bid her
come to him in England! He feared the priest, and he feared his Kate's
mother;--not her dagger, but her eyes and scorching words. He altogether
doubted his own powers to perform satisfactorily the task before him. He
knew men who could do it. His brother Jack would do it, were it possible
that his brother Jack should be in such a position. But for himself, he
was conscious of a softness of heart, a feminine tenderness, which,--to
do him justice,--he did not mistake for sincerity, that rendered him
unfit for the task before him. The farther he journeyed from Scroope
and the nearer that he found himself to the cliffs the stronger did
the feeling grow within him, till it had become almost tragical in its
dominion over him. But still he went on. It was incumbent on him to pay
one more visit to the cliffs and he journeyed on.

At Limerick he did not even visit the barracks to see his late
companions of the regiment. At Ennis he slept in his old room, and of
course the two officers who were quartered there came to him. But they
both declared when they left him that the Earl of Scroope and Fred
Neville were very differ