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.

CHAPTER III.

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