She knew that Clara had never seen him, and had refused to open his letters.

Very little had been said upon the subject between the mother and daughter.

Once or twice Owen's name had been mentioned; and once, when it had been mentioned, with heavy blame on account of his alleged sins, Clara had ventured to take his part.
"People delight to say ill-natured things," she had said; "but one is not obliged to believe them all." From that time Lady Desmond had never mentioned his name, rightly judging that Clara would be more likely to condemn him in her own heart if she did not hear him condemned by others: and so the mother and daughter had gone on, as though the former had lost no friend, and the latter had lost no lover.
For some time after the love adventure, Clara had been pale and drooping, and the countess had been frightened about her; but latterly she had got over this.

The misfortune which had fallen so heavily upon them all seemed to have done her good.

She had devoted herself from the first to do her little quota of work towards lessening the suffering around her, and the effort had been salutary to her.
Whether or no in her heart of hearts she did still think of Owen Fitzgerald, her mother was unable to surmise.