m
that reverential love which he had bestowed upon her when she was still
pure. He remembered the poorness of her raiment, the meekness of her
language, the small range of her ideas. The sweet soft coaxing loving
smile, which had once been so dear to him, was infantine and ignoble.
She was a plaything for an idle hour, not a woman to be taken out into
the world with the high name of Countess of Scroope.

All this was the antagonism in his own heart against the indignant words
which the priest had spoken to him. For a moment he was so overcome
that he had burst into tears. But not on that account would he be beaten
away from his decision. The priest had called him a villain and had
threatened and cursed him! As to the villainy he had already made up
his mind which way his duty lay. For the threats it did not become him
to count them as anything. The curses were the result of the man's
barbarous religion. He remembered that he was the Earl of Scroope, and
so remembering summoned up his courage as he walked on to the cottage.

CHAPTER X.

AT ARDKILL.

Sharp eyes had watched for the young lord's approach. As he came near to
the cottage the door was opened and Kate O'Hara rushed out to meet him.
Though his mind was turned against her,--was turned against her as hard
and fast as all his false reasonings had been able to make it,--he could
not but accord to her the reception of a lover. She was in his arms and
he could not but press her close to his bosom. Her face was held up
to his, and of course he covered it with kisses. She murmured to him
sweet warm words of passionate love, and he could not but answer with
endearing names. "I am your own,--am I not?" she said as she still clung
to him. "All my own," he whispered as he tightened his arm round her
waist.

Then he asked after Mrs. O'Hara. "Yes; mother is there. She will be
almost as glad to see you as I am. Nobody can be quite so glad. Oh
Fred,--my darling Fred,--am I still to call you Fred?"

"What else, my pet?"

"I was thinking whether I would call you--my Lord."

"For heaven's sake do not."

"No. You shall be Fred,--my Fred; Fred to me, though all the world
besides may call you grand names." Then again she held up her face to
him and pressed the hand that was round her waist closer to her girdle.
To have him once more with her,--this was to taste all the joys of
heaven while she was still on earth.

They entered the sitting-room together and met Mr