She had been born poor as poverty itself, and hitherto had shown so little disposition to find for herself a remedy for this crushing evil! But now--now matters were indeed changed.

She had obtained for herself the best match in the whole country round, and, in doing so, had sacrificed her heart's young love.

Was she not entitled to all a mother's tenderness?
Who knew, who could know the miseries of poverty so well as the Countess of Desmond?
Who then could feel so much gratitude to a child for prudently escaping from them?
Lady Desmond did feel grateful to her daughter.
"My own, own child; my happy girl," she repeated.

"He is a man to whom any mother in all the land would be proud to see her daughter married.

Never, never did I see a young man so perfectly worthy of a girl's love.