During all this time Miss Letty was fast asleep in her own arm-chair. But let no one on that account accuse her of a hard heart; for she had nearly walked her old legs off that day in going about from cabin to cabin round the demesne. "But we must consult Somers about that mill," said Sir Thomas. "Oh, of course," said Herbert; "I know how to talk Somers over." This was added _sotto voce_ to his mother and the girls. Now Mr. Somers was the agent on the estate. This mill was to be at Berryhill, a spot also on Sir Thomas's property, but in a different direction from Gortnaclough. There was there what the Americans would call a water privilege, a stream to which some fall of land just there gave power enough to turn a mill; and was now a question how they might utilize that power. During the day just past Clara had been with them, but they were now talking of what they would do when she would have left them. This created some little feeling of awkwardness, for Clara had put her whole heart into the work at Gortnaclough, and it was evident that she would have been so delighted to continue with them. "But why on earth need you go home to-morrow, Lady Clara?" said Herbert. "Oh, I must; mamma expects me, you know." "Of course we should send word. Indeed, I must send to Clady to-morrow, and the man must pass by Desmond Court gate." "Oh, yes, Clara; and you can write a line. It would be such a pity that you should not see all about the mill, now that we have talked it over together. Do tell her to stay, mamma." "I am sure I wish she would," said Lady Fitzgerald. "Could not Lady Desmond manage to spare you for one day?" "She is all alone, you know," said Clara, whose heart, however, was bent on accepting the invitation. "Perhaps she would come over and join us," said Lady Fitzgerald, feeling, however, that the subject was not without danger. Sending a carriage for a young girl like Lady Clara did very well, but it might not answer if she were to offer to send for the Countess of Desmond. "Oh, mamma never goes out." "I'm quite sure she'd like you to stay," said Herbert. "After you were all gone yesterday, she said how delighted she was to have you go away for a little time. And she did say she thought you could not go to a better place than Castle Richmond." "I am sure that was very kind of her," said Lady Fitzgerald. "Did she?" said Clara, longingly. And so after a while it was settled that she should send a line to her mother, saying that she had been persuaded to stay over one other night, and that she should accompany them to inspect the site of this embryo mill at Berryhill. "And I will write a line to the countess," said Lady Fitzgerald, "telling her how impossible it was for you to hold your own intention when we were all attacking you on the other side." And so the matter was settled. On the following day they were to leave home almost immediately after breakfast; and on this occasion Miss Letty insisted on going with them.