"Went to see him! Clo!"
"I said you could hate me! Do hate me! Despise me! Think anything you like! I went to see him; I went to his house—at night, alone—thinking, believing—— Oh!" She made a gesture of acute self-disgust. "Nance, need I say it all? Need I?—need I? Can't you understand without my saying? All that I had imagined about his friendship was untrue. Such people don't understand friendship. All along he had been waiting, quietly and silently, like one of those horrible hawks we used to watch at Orristown—waiting to swoop down when the right moment came." With an almost hysterical gesture she put her hand to her throat.
Nance's face had become very white; but in the intensity of her pity and love, she did not dare to approach her sister.
"Clo," she whispered, "you must tell Walter."
Clodagh's face suddenly flamed.
"Tell Walter! Tell Walter that I owe Deerehurst a thousand pounds—that I lied to him and to you all to-night, that I might go alone to Deerehurst's house! You don't know Walter! There is only one thing in the world that I can do—that I must do, and that is to go to Ireland and arrange about raising money on my share of Orristown. It can be done somehow. Father did it. I shall not eat or sleep or think until that thousand pounds is paid."
Prompted by a swift and eager impulse, Nance's face flushed, and she ran forward. Then almost as she reached her sister's side, her expression changed. She suddenly curbed her impetuosity.
"Perhaps it would be a good idea," she said slowly. "When would you like to go?"
"To-night if I could! I feel—oh, I feel——!" Clodagh put her hands over her face.
Nance stood watching her for a moment longer. Then she slipped softly to her side, and put one arm about her neck.