She remembered her father's reply on a similar occasion, and merely shrugged her shoulders. Had Derval claimed the kindred blood, her view of it might have been different.
The poor girl's heart was ever beating with "a vague unrest" she could well understand, but had a difficulty in concealing and acting a part to those around her, to the watchful eyes of her father especially, and he began to wonder whether he had acted wisely in opening his house to Rookleigh Hampton.
The latter now learned that the Amethyst had sailed for Batavia, which would ensure, even if she returned direct to England, an absence of at least eight months on the part of Derval—eight months, of which Rookleigh made, as we shall show, a terrible use.
"Sailed for Batavia—sailed for Batavia!" he repeated. Fate was playing into his hands indeed, for long ere Derval could return, the game would be his own!
So "deeper than ever plummet sounded," was the deep villany of Rookleigh Hampton.
CHAPTER VI.
A CRUSHED HEART.
In detailing plot and counterplot, cunning and selfishness, doubt, despair, and no small agony of spirit, we have much to compress in the latter pages of this our history.
As the squire of Finglecombe, Rookleigh was, in every way, a more eligible parti than his sailor brother; thus, confident in having eventually the countenance of Lord Oakhampton, the former cared very little about the opposition of Clara, his whole anxiety being to play his cards well, and have her completely in his power, ere the return of Derval upset his plans, and this unexpected voyage to Batavia gave him far more time to do so than he could at first have hoped for.
Into his nefarious schemes his mother entered con amore. Derval removed or circumvented in any way, her son would marry the heiress of Lord Oakhampton, and eventually might succeed to the title. Every scruple died in her heart!