t a foot upon the road, but
kept low down upon the water meadows, leaping over all the fences,
as he had so often done with the man whom he was now going to see.
It was here, among these banks, that he had received his earliest
lessons in horsemanship, and they had all been given by Owen
Fitzgerald. It had been a thousand pities, he had thought, that Owen
had been so poor as to make it necessary for them all to discourage
that love affair with Clara. He would have been so delighted to
welcome Owen as his brother-in-law. And as he strode along over the
ground, and landed himself knowingly over the crabbed fences, he
began to think how much pleasanter the country would be for him if he
had a downright good fellow and crack sportsman as his fast friend at
Castle Richmond. Sir Owen Fitzgerald of Castle Richmond! He would be
the man to whom he would be delighted to give his sister Clara.

And then he hopped in from one of Owen's fields into a small paddock
at the back of Owen's house, and seeing one of the stable-boys about
the place, asked him if his master was at home.

"Shure an' he's here thin, yer honour;" and Lord Desmond could hear
the boy whispering, "It's the young lord hisself." In a moment Owen
Fitzgerald was standing by his horse's side. It was the first time
that Owen had seen one of the family since the news had been spread
abroad concerning his right to the inheritance of Castle Richmond.

"Desmond," said he, taking the lad's hand with one of his, and
putting the other on the animal's neck, "this is very good of you. I
am delighted to see you. I had heard that you were in the country."

"Yes; I have been home for this week past. But things are all so at
sixes and sevens among us all that a fellow can't go and do just what
he would like."

Owen well understood what he meant. "Indeed they are at sixes and
sevens; you may well say that. But get off your horse, old fellow,
and come into the house. Why, what a lather of heat the mare's in."

"Isn't she? it's quite dreadful. That chap of ours has no more idea
of condition than I have of--of--of--of an archbishop. I've just
trotted along the fields, and put her over a ditch or two, and you
see the state she's in. It's a beastly shame."

"I know of old what your trottings are, Desmond; and what a ditch
or two means. You've been at every bank between this and Banteer as
though you were going for a steeplechase plate."

"Upon my honour, Owen--"

"Look here, P