On the other hand he could, no doubt, throw the girl
over. They could not make him marry her though
they could probably make him pay very dearly for not
doing so. If he could only harden his heart sufficiently
he could escape in that way. But he was not hard,
and he did feel that so escaping, he would have a
load on his breast which would make his life unendurable.
Already he was beginning to hate the coast of Ireland,
and to think that the gloom of Scroope Manor was preferable
to it.
Fred Neville receives A visitor
at Ennis.
For something over three weeks after his walk with
the priest Neville saw neither of the two ladies of
Ardkill. Letters were frequent between the cottage
and the barracks at Ennis, but,—so said
Fred himself, military duties detained him with the
troop. He explained that he had been absent a
great deal, and that now Captain Johnstone was taking
his share of ease. He was all alone at the barracks,
and could not get away. There was some truth
in this, created perhaps by the fact that as he didn’t
stir, Johnstone could do so. Johnstone was backwards
and forwards, fishing at Castle Connel, and Neville
was very exact in explaining that for the present
he was obliged to give up all the delights of the coast.
But the days were days of trial to him.
A short history of the life of Captain O’Hara
was absolutely sent to him by the Countess of Scroope.
The family lawyer, at the instance of the Earl,—as
she said, though probably her own interference had
been more energetic than that of the Earl,—had
caused enquiries to be made. Captain O’Hara,
the husband of the lady who was now living on the coast
of County Clare, and who was undoubtedly the father
of the Miss O’Hara whom Fred knew, had passed
at least ten of the latter years of his life at the
galleys in the south of France. He had been engaged
in an extensive swindling transaction at Bordeaux,
and had thence been transferred to Toulon, had there
been maintained by France,—and was now
in London. The Countess in sending this interesting
story to her nephew at Ennis, with ample documentary
evidence, said that she was sure that he would not
degrade his family utterly by thinking of allying himself
with people who were so thoroughly disreputable; but
that, after all that was passed, his uncle expected
from him a renewed assurance on the matter. He
answered this in anger. He did not understand
why the history of Captain O’Hara should have
been raked up. Captain O’Hara was nothing
to him. He supposed it had come from Castle Quin,
and anything from Castle Quin he disbelieved.
He had given a promise once and he didn’t understand
why he should be asked for any further assurance.
He thought it very hard that his life should be made
a burden to him by foul-mouthed rumours from Castle
Quin. That was the tenour of his letter to his
