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t it. I do wish I had some money now. You won't mind if I am not home quite early? We all mean to dine there at the kitchen. The girls will bring something, and then we can stay out the whole afternoon." "It won't do for you to be out after nightfall, Clara." "No, I won't, mamma. They did want me to go home with them to Castle Richmond for to-morrow night; but I declined that," and Clara uttered a slight sigh, as though she had declined something that would have been very pleasant to her. "And why did you decline it?" "Oh, I don't know. I didn't know whether you would like it; and besides--" "Besides what?" "You'd be here all alone, mamma." The countess got up from her chair and coming over to the place where her daughter was sitting, kissed her on her forehead. "In such a matter as that, I don't want you to think of me, my dear. I would rather you went out. I must remain here in this horrid, dull, wretched place; but that is no reason why you should be buried alive. I would much rather that you went out sometimes." "No, mamma; I will remain with you." "It will be quite right that you should go to Castle Richmond to-morrow. If they send their carriage round here for you--" "It'll only be the car." "Well, the car; and if the girls come all that way out of their road in the morning to pick you up, it will be only civil that you should go back by Castle Richmond, and you would enjoy an evening there with the girls very much." "But I said decidedly that I would not go." "Tell them to-morrow as decidedly that you have changed your mind, and will be delighted to accept their invitation. They will understand that it is because you have spoken to me." "But, mamma--" "You will like going; will you not?" "Yes; I shall like it." And so that matter was settled. On the whole, Lady Desmond was inclined to admit within her own heart that her daughter had behaved very well in that matter of the banishment of Owen Fitzgerald. She knew that Clara had never seen him, and had refused to open his letters. Very little had been said upon the subject between the mother and daughter. Once or twice Owen's name had been mentioned; and once, when it had been mentioned, with heavy blame on account of his alleged sins, Clara had ventured to take his part. "People delight to say ill-natured things," she had said; "but one is not obliged to believe them all." From that time Lady Desmond had never mentioned
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