ondness for the
boy and his pride in him had taken. He had never seen his strength and
good qualities and beauty as he seemed to see them now. To his obstinate
nature it seemed impossible--more than impossible--to give up what he
had so set his heart upon. And he had determined that he would not give
it up without a fierce struggle.

Within a few days after she had seen Mr. Havisham, the woman who claimed
to be Lady Fauntleroy presented herself at the Castle, and brought her
child with her. She was sent away. The Earl would not see her, she was
told by the footman at the door; his lawyer would attend to her case.
It was Thomas who gave the message, and who expressed his opinion of her
freely afterward, in the servants' hall. He "hoped," he said, "as he had
wore livery in 'igh famblies long enough to know a lady when he see one,
an' if that was a lady he was no judge o' females."

"The one at the Lodge," added Thomas loftily, "'Merican or no 'Merican,
she's one o' the right sort, as any gentleman 'u'd reckinize with all a
heye. I remarked it myself to Henery when fust we called there."

The woman drove away; the look on her handsome, common face half
frightened, half fierce. Mr. Havisham had noticed, during his interviews
with her, that though she had a passionate temper, and a coarse,
insolent manner, she was neither so clever nor so bold as she meant to
be; she seemed sometimes to be almost overwhelmed by the position in
which she had placed herself. It was as if she had not expected to meet
with such opposition.

"She is evidently," the lawyer said to Mrs. Errol, "a person from the
lower walks of life. She is uneducated and untrained in everything, and
quite unused to meeting people like ourselves on any terms of equality.
She does not know what to do. Her visit to the Castle quite cowed her.
She was infuriated, but she was cowed. The Earl would not receive her,
but I advised him to go with me to the Dorincourt Arms, where she is
staying. When she saw him enter the room, she turned white, though she
flew into a rage at once, and threatened and demanded in one breath."

The fact was that the Earl had stalked into the room and stood, looking
like a venerable aristocratic giant, staring at the woman from under his
beetling brows, and not condescending a word. He simply stared at her,
taking her in from head to foot as if she were some repulsive curiosity.
He let her talk and demand until she was tired, without himsel