I do not know why there should have been a flavour of exquisite joy in the midst of his agony as he thought of this;--but it was so.

He would never kiss her again.

All future delights of that kind would belong to Mr.Kennedy, and he had no real idea of interfering with that gentleman in the fruition of his privileges.

But still there was the kiss,--an eternal fact.

And then, in all respects except that of his love, his visit to Loughlinter had been pre-eminently successful.