The Countess of Desmond had no idea that her daughter,
with severe self-questioning, had taken her own heart
to task about this former lover; had argued with herself
that the man who could so sin, could live such a life,
and so live in these fearful times, was unworthy of
her love, and must be torn out of her heart, let the
cost be what it might. Of such high resolves
on her daughter’s part, nay, on the part of
any young girl, Lady Desmond had no knowledge.
Clara Desmond had determined, slowly determined, to
give up the man whom she had owned to love. She
had determined that duty and female dignity required
her to do so. And in this manner it had been done;
not by the childlike forgetfulness which her mother
attributed to her.
And so it was arranged that she should stay the following
night at Castle Richmond.
GORTNACLOUGH AND BERRYHILL
And now at last we will get to Castle Richmond, at
which place, seeing that it gives the title to our
novel, we ought to have arrived long since.
As had been before arranged, the two Miss Fitzgeralds
did call at Desmond Court early on the following day,
and were delighted at being informed by Lady Desmond
that Clara had changed her mind, and would, if they
would now allow her, stay the night at Castle Richmond.
“The truth was, she did not like to leave me,”
said the countess, whispering prettily into the ear
of the eldest of the two girls; “but I am delighted
that she should have an opportunity of getting out
of this dull place for a few hours. It was so
good of you to think of her.”
Miss Fitzgerald made some civil answer, and away they
all went. Herbert was on horseback, and remained
some minutes after them to discuss her own difficulties
with the countess, and to say a few words about that
Clady boiler that would not boil. Clara on this
subject had opened her heart to him, and he had resolved
that the boiler should be made to boil. So he
said that he would go over and look at it, resolving
also to send that which would be much more efficacious
than himself, namely, the necessary means and workmen
for bringing about so desirable a result. And
then he rode after the girls, and caught the car just
as it reached Gortnaclough.
How they all spent their day at the soup kitchen,
which however, though so called, partook quite as
much of the character of a bake-house; how they studied
the art of making yellow Indian meal into puddings;
how the girls wanted to add milk and sugar, not understanding
at first the deep principles of political economy,
which soon taught them not to waste on the comforts
of a few that which was so necessary for the life
of many; how the poor women brought in their sick
ailing children, accepting the proffered food, but
bitterly complaining of it as they took it,—complaining
of it because they wanted money, with which they still
thought that they could buy potatoes—all
this need not here or now be described. Our present
business is to get them all back to Castle Richmond.
