"He has left debts?"
"Well, yes. If you must know—he has."
Clodagh caught her breath.
"Of course, as I often said," Mrs. Asshlin continued, "poor Denis was a terribly improvident man——"
But Clodagh checked her.
"Don't!" she said faintly. "I couldn't bear it—just to-day. Are the debts big?"
"Immense."
Mrs. Asshlin made the reply sharply. She was not an ill-natured woman, but her sense of dignity had been hurt.
As the word was spoken, Clodagh swayed a little. The black cloud of vague liabilities that hangs over so many Irish houses had suddenly descended upon her. And in the consequent shock, it seemed that the ground rocked under her feet. After a moment she steadied herself.
"Must the place go?" she asked in an intensely quiet voice.