She had felt this rather than realized it, and the feeling was not unpleasant.
"I only know that you are very goodnatured," she continued, "and that Patrick is very fond of you.

Sometimes I think he almost takes you for a brother." And then a sudden thought flashed across her mind, and she said hardly a word more to him that evening.
This had been at the close of the summer holidays.

After that he had been once or twice at Desmond Court, before the return of the boy from Eton; but on these occasions he had been more with the countess than with her daughter.

On the last of these visits, just before the holidays commenced, he had gone over respecting a hunter he had bought for Lord Desmond, and on this occasion he did not even see Clara.
The countess, when she had thanked him for his trouble in the matter of the purchase, hesitated a moment, and then went on to speak of other matters.
"I understand, Mr.Fitzgerald," said she, "that you have been very gay at Hap House since the hunting commenced." "Oh, I don't know," said Owen, half laughing and half blushing.

"It's a convenient place for some of the men, and one must be sociable." "Sociable! yes, one ought to be sociable certainly.