If, he thought, he could induce the girl to love him, other smaller difficulties might be made to vanish from his path.
He had now induced the girl to own that she did love him; but not the less did he begin to see that the difficulties were far from vanishing.

Lady Desmond would never have taken upon herself to make a journey to Hap House, had not a sentence of absolute banishment from Desmond Court been passed against him.
"Mr.Fitzgerald," she began, as soon as she found herself alone with him, "you will understand what has induced me to seek you here.

After your imprudence with Lady Clara Desmond, I could not of course ask you to come to Desmond Court." "I may have been presumptuous, Lady Desmond, but I do not think that I have been imprudent.

I love your daughter dearly, and I told her so.

Immediately afterwards I told the same to her brother; and she, no doubt, has told the same to you." "Yes, she has, Mr.Fitzgerald.Clara, as you are well aware, is a child, absolutely a child; much more so than is usual with girls of her age.