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They were now standing again, and Fred raised his hat and rubbed his forehead as he endeavoured to arrange the words in which he could best propose his scheme to the priest He had not yet escaped from the idea that because Father Marty was a Roe in the extreht and day to the roll of the Atlantic and drinking whisky punch, therefore he would be found to be romantic, semi-barbarous, and perhaps more than semi-lawless in his views of life Irish priests have been s; and Fred Neville thought that this priest, if only the ht be persuaded to do for hi alht have been difficult to find a man more practical or more honest than Mr Marty And then the difficulty of introducing the subject was very great Neville stood with his face a little averted, rubbing his forehead as he raised his sailor's hat "If you could only read my heart," he said, "you'd know that I am as true as steel"

"I'd be lothe to doubt it, Mr Neville"

"I'd give up everything to call Kate , and yet have her all your own"

"You say that because you don't coranted at once that she can never be Countess of Scroope"

"Taken for granted!" said the old man as the fire flashed out of his eyes

"Just listen to me for one moment I will e can be so arranged that she shall never be more than Mrs Neville"

"And ould you be?"

"Mr Neville"

"And ould her son be?"

"Oh;--just the sarew up Perhaps there wouldn't be a son"

"God forbid that there should on those terms You intend that your children and her children shall be--bastards That's about it, Mr Neville" The romance seemed to vanish when the matter was subht choose to call yourself, that would be nothing to me and not very much I should say, to her I believe a man needn't be a lord unless he likes to be a lord;--and needn't call his wife a countess But, Mr Neville, when you have married Miss O'Hara, and when your uncle shall have died, there can be no other Countess of Scroope, and her child must be the heir to your uncle's title"