"I have done so already."
"But you must not give up Ardkill;—must he, mother?"
"He may give it up when he takes you from it, Kate."
"But he will take you too, mother?"
The lioness at any rate wanted nothing for herself. "No, love. I shall remain here among my rocks, and shall be happy if I hear that you are happy."
"But you won't part us altogether,—will you, Fred?"
"No, love."
"I knew he wouldn't. And mother may come to your grand house and creep into some pretty little corner there, where I can go and visit her, and tell her that she shall always be my own, own, own darling mother."
He felt that he must put a stop to this in some way, though the doing of it would be very dreadful. Indeed in the doing of it the whole of his task would consist. But still he shirked it, and used his wit in contriving an answer which might still deceive without being false in words. "I think," said he, "that I shall never live at any grand house, as you call it."
"Not live at Scroope?" asked Mrs. O'Hara.