ght."

"Yes."

Clodagh's throat felt dry.

"And it was all true--perfectly true?"

"Yes. Oh, Walter, yes!"

Gore stood upright, still keeping his hands upon her shoulders.

"Then I am going to ask a great favour of you. I am going to ask you to
break your friendship--to break your acquaintance--with Deerehurst. I
want you never to have him in your house after to-day. Dearest, believe
me, I know what I am saying!"

As Clodagh remained silent, he bent over her again.

"It isn't jealousy, Clodagh. It isn't pique. It is just that I cannot
bear to see the man in your presence, knowing what I know of him."

"What do you know of him?" Clodagh asked faintly.

"Nothing that I care to tell you! Be satisfied that I know what I ask
and that I do ask. Give him up! Cease to know him! Cease to have him
here!" In the intensity of his feelings, his fingers pressed her
shoulders.

"Clodagh, am I asking too much?"

Quite suddenly, almost hysterically, Clodagh rose; and, turning to him,
caught his hand.

"No, Walter!" she cried--"no! no! Nothing you could ask would be
too great to grant. I will do what you wish. I will give him
up--_utterly_--entirely--from to-day!"

CHAPTER XV

The next morning Clodagh rose imbued with new decision. During Gore's
absence, things had worn a vague, even an impersonal aspect; for, like
all her countrywomen, she possessed a fatally pleasant capacity for
shelving the disagreeable. While Gore was absent, it had seemed so easy
to meet Deerehurst on the footing he elected to maintain--the footing
of calm, reassuring friendship. But now, with Gore's return, the aspect
of affairs had altered. She was forced to look circumstances in the
face--forced to consider her position. She might be a shelver of
difficulties; but, before all things, she was a woman in love; and with
the instinct that such a condition of mind engenders she had
interpreted the look in Gore's eyes when the name of Deerehurst had
been mentioned between them--and had recognised that it was not to be
ignored.

As she dressed that morning, she mentally surveyed the courses of
action that lay open to her; and with each moment of reflection, it
became plainer to her understanding that only one was worthy of
consideration. However difficult the task, she must make known her
position to Deerehurst, and trust to his generosity to find means of
helping her.

Her mind was full of this new and somewhat optimistic scheme when sh