“We must find out, first of all, where Grace O’Malley is.” It was Eva who spoke, and what she said was true. Our mistress must now be our chief—nay, our whole concern.
“Yes, yes!” cried I, roused to action, and looking with admiration at this weak little woman, who had shown herself so strong.
“Let us call in the woman you spoke of,” said Burke. “She may remember something which will put us on the scent.”
“I fear she has told me all that she knows,” said Eva; “but summon her here.”
While we waited for her I was going over what Eva had told us, and trying also to recall exactly what had been the words used—even more than the words, the manner of Fitzmaurice—when I had parted from him at Tralee. And as I considered the matter the conviction was borne in upon me that he had had some information as to what had happened in regard to Desmond and my mistress, but that he had purposely said nothing of it to me.
For one thing, he had evidently intended to keep me with him, and so to prevent me from returning to Askeaton; and, for another, he had spoken of Grace O’Malley in a way which was little short of an insult, and which I was quick to resent. Then de Vilela had intervened between us, Fitzmaurice had made an apology, and I had left Tralee without opposition or further words.
What had de Vilela said when I had declared that my place was with my mistress? That I had spoken a true word, and I remembered that when he uttered this it was with little of his customary serenity of demeanour.
I concluded, as I reflected on what had passed, that both Fitzmaurice and de Vilela must have been aware—at least, to some extent, of Desmond’s base conduct with respect to her.
Nor was the cause of this silence far to seek. But imperfectly informed, most probably, of the whole circumstances, and what they had heard having reached them from some source favourable to Desmond, they were, perhaps, inclined to lay the blame upon my mistress.
Then, the Earl’s adhesion to the cause was so essential for its success that whoever jeopardised it would be looked upon with hatred, and thus they would be the more prejudiced against her.