"I was so harassed," he said, "by my father's manner that I hardly knew what I was doing.
And even now, when I think of his evident dislike to the marriage, it nearly drives me wild." The truth of all which Emmeline sadly acknowledged.

How could any of them talk of their father except in a strain of sadness?
All these things did not happen in the drawing-room at Castle Richmond without also being discussed in the kitchen.

It was soon known over the house that Master Herbert was to marry Lady Clara, and, indeed, there was no great pretence of keeping it secret.
The girls told the duchess, as they called Mrs.Jones--of course in confidence--but Mrs.Jones knew what such confidence meant, especially as the matter was more than once distinctly alluded to by her ladyship; and thus the story was told, in confidence, to everybody in the establishment, and then repeated by them, in confidence also, to nearly everybody out of it.
Ill news, they say, flies fast; and this news, which, going in that direction, became ill, soon flew to Hap House.
"So young Fitzgerald and the divine Clara are to hit it off, are they ?" said Captain Donnellan, who had driven over from Buttevant barracks to breakfast at Hap House on a hunting-morning.
There were other men present, more intimate friends of Owen than this captain, who had known of Owen's misfortune in that quarter; and a sign was made to Donnellan to bid him drop the subject; but it was too late.
"Who?
my cousin Herbert," said Owen, sharply.

"Have you heard of this, Barry ?" "Well," said Barry, "those sort of things are always being said, you know.

I did hear something of it somewhere.