Edith had followed Ada upstairs to the bedrooms, and had crept after her into that which had been prepared for Captain Clayton. She could see now by the lingering light of an August evening that a tear had fallen from each eye, and had slowly run down her sister's cheeks. "Oh, Ada, dear Ada, what is troubling you?" "Nothing,--much." "My girl, my beauty, my darling! Much or little, what is it? Cannot you tell me?" "He cares nothing for me," said Ada, laying her hand upon the pillow, thus indicating the "he" whom she intended. Edith answered not a word, but pressed her arm tight round her sister's waist. "It is so," said Ada, turning round upon her sister as though to rebuke her. "You know that it is so." "My beauty, my own one," said Edith, kissing her. "You know it is so. He has told you. It is not me that he loves; it is you. You are his chosen one. I am nothing to him,--nothing, nothing." Then she flung herself down upon the bed which her own hands had prepared for him. It was all true. As the assertions had come from her one by one, Edith had found herself unable to deny a tittle of what was said. "Ada, if you knew my heart to you." "What good is it? Why did you teach me to believe a falsehood?" "Oh! you will kill me if you accuse me. I have been so true to you." Then Ada turned round upon the bed, and hid her face for a few minutes upon the pillow. "Ada, have I not been true to you?" "But that you should have been so much mistaken;--you, who know everything." "I have not known him," said Edith. "But you will," said Ada. "You will be his wife." "Never!" ejaculated the other. Then slowly, Ada got up from the bed and shook her hair from off her face and wiped her eyes with her handkerchief. "It must be so," she said. "Of course it must, as he wishes it. He must have all that he desires." "No, not so. He shall never have this." "Yes, Edith, he must and he shall. Do you not know that you loved him before you ever bade me to do so? But why, oh why did you ever make that great mistake? And why was I so foolish as to have believed you? Come," she said, "I must make his bed for him once again. He will be here soon now and we must be away." Then she did obliterate the traces of her form which her figure had made upon the bed, and smoothed the pillow, and wiped away the mark of her tear which had fallen on it. "Come, Edith, come," said she, "let us go and understand each other. He knows, for you have told him, but no one else need know. He shall be your husband, and I will be his sister, and all shall be bright between you." "Never," said Edith. "Never! He will never be married if he waits for me." "My dear one, you shall be his wife," said Ada. Such were the last words which passed between them on that night. CHAPTER XXX. THE ROAD TO BALLYGLUNIN. The days ran on for the trial of Pat Carroll, but Edith did not again see Captain Clayton. There came tidings to Morony Castle of the new honours which Mr. O'Mahony had achieved.