this were acceptable to the Tozer interest--well; if it
were not, the sheriff's officers must do their worst and the Tozer
interest must look for what it could get. The Tozer interest would
not declare itself satisfied with these terms, and so the matter went
on. During which the roses faded from day to day on the cheeks of
Mrs. Robarts, as under such circumstances may easily be conceived. In
the meantime Lucy still remained at Hogglestock, and had there become
absolute mistress of the house. Poor Mrs. Crawley had been at death's
door; for some days she was delirious, and afterwards remained so
weak as to be almost unconscious; but now the worst was over, and
Mr. Crawley had been informed, that as far as human judgement might
pronounce, his children would not become orphans nor would he become
a widower. During these weeks Lucy had not once been home nor had she
seen any of the Framley people. "Why should she incur the risk of
conveying infection for so small an object?" as she herself argued,
writing by letters, which were duly fumigated before they were opened
at the parsonage. So she remained at Hogglestock, and the Crawley
children, now admitted to all the honours of the nursery, were kept
at Framley. They were kept at Framley, although it was expected from
day to day that the beds on which they lay would be seized for the
payment of Mr. Sowerby's debts. Lucy, as I have said, became mistress
of the house at Hogglestock, and made herself absolutely ascendant
over Mr. Crawley. Jellies, and broth, and fruit, and even butter,
came from Lufton Court, which she displayed on the table, absolutely
on the cloth before him, and yet he bore it. I cannot say that he
partook of these delicacies with any freedom himself, but he did
drink his tea when it was given to him although it contained Framley
cream;--and, had he known it, Bohea itself from the Framley chest. In
truth, in these days, he had given himself over to the dominion of
this stranger; and he said nothing beyond, "Well, well," with two
uplifted hands, when he came upon her as she was sewing the buttons
on to his own shirts--sewing on the buttons and perhaps occasionally
applying her needle elsewhere,--not without utility. He said to her
at this period very little in the way of thanks. Some protracted
conversations they did have, now and again, during the long evenings;
but even in these he did not utter many words as to their present
state of life. It was on religion