"You cannot go alone; and where is the money to come from?"
"We have a little laid by, and Aymer will go with me."
"Clarice, I am not trying to dissuade you, but think this over before you go. London will be very dreary to you, child. You will never get out, remember; and the musty little rooms over a provision shop will be a poor exchange for Ballintra, bad as this is."
"But, papa, do you think I should be of use to Guy?"
"You might be—yes, I think you might. He seemed very fond of you; and to have you there was his own idea, I remember."
"And I love him so much, papa, that even if London kills me, I shall think I have lived long enough, if I have done him good. I shall never be anything but a feeble creature, not good for much—but if I save Guy!" Her eyes filled with sudden tears.
Her father looked at her with a strange expression, and said,—
"Clarice, you are no fool. You know what you are going to. Aymer and Helen realise only what they see, or they would never let you go; but you are different; you do realise it. Are you really content to give up all that makes your life tolerable, for that boy's sake?"
"More than content," she answered, earnestly.
"I see it is so, indeed, but I don't understand it," he muttered.