my love," she added, with
that singular combination of suavity of tone and pointed energy which we
have already noticed--"Lucy, my dearest love! speak for yourself, is it
not as I say?"

Her victim answered in a tremulous and hollow voice: "I HAVE promised to
obey you--but upon one condition."

"She means," said Lady Ashton, turning to Bucklaw, "she expects an
answer to the demand which she has made upon the man at Vienna, or
Ratisbon, or Paris--or where is he?--for restitution of the engagement
in which he had the art to involve her. You will not, I am sure, my dear
friend, think it is wrong that she should feel much delicacy upon this
head; indeed, it concerns us all."

"Perfectly right--quite fair," said Bucklaw, half humming, half speaking
the end of the old song--

"It is best to be off wi' the old love
Before you be on wi' the new.

But I thought," said he, pausing, "you might have had an answer six
times told from Ravenswood. D--n me, if I have not a mind to go fetch
one myself, if Miss Ashton will honour me with the commission."

"By no means," said Lady Ashton; "we have had the utmost difficulty of
preventing Douglas, for whom it would be more proper, from taking so
rash a step; and do you think we could permit you, my good friend,
almost equally dear to us, to go to a desperate man upon an errand so
desperate? In fact, all the friends of the family are of opinion, and my
dear Lucy herself ought so to think, that, as this unworthy person has
returned no answer to her letter, silence must on this, as in other
cases, be held to give consent, and a contract must be supposed to be
given up, when the party waives insisting upon it. Sir William, who
should know best, is clear upon this subject; and therefore, my dear
Lucy----"

"Madam," said Lucy, with unwonted energy, "urge me no farther; if this
unhappy engagement be restored, I have already said you shall dispose
of me as you will; till then I should commit a heavy sin in the sight
of God and man in doing what you require." "But, my love, if this man
remains obstinately silent----"

"He will NOT be silent," answered Lucy; "it is six weeks since I sent
him a double of my former letter by a sure hand."

"You have not--you could not--you durst not," said Lady Ashton, with
violence inconsistent with the tone she had intended to assume; but
instantly correcting herself, "My dearest Lucy," said she, in her
sweetest tone of expostulation, "how coul