o her they had never been
made visible. "But they do say that she is the cleverest of them
all," Mrs. Pole had added, very properly. The people of Exeter had
expressed such an opinion, and had been quite just in doing so. I do
not know how it happens, but it always does happen, that everybody
in every small town knows which is the brightest-witted in every
family. In this respect Mrs. Pole had only expressed public opinion,
and public opinion was right. Lucy Robarts was blessed with an
intelligence keener than that of her brothers or sisters.

"To tell the truth, Mark, I admire Lucy more than I do Blanche."
This had been said by Mrs. Robarts within a few hours of her having
assumed that name. "She's not a beauty, I know, but yet I do."

"My dearest Fanny!" Mark had answered in a tone of surprise.

"I do then; of course people won't think so; but I never seem to care
about regular beauties. Perhaps I envy them too much." What Mark
said next need not be repeated, but everybody may be sure that it
contained some gross flattery for his young bride. He remembered
this, however, and had always called Lucy his wife's pet. Neither
of the sisters had since that been at Framley; and though Fanny
had spent a week at Exeter on the occasion of Blanche's marriage,
it could hardly be said that she was very intimate with them.
Nevertheless, when it became expedient that one of them should go
to Framley, the remembrance of what his wife had said immediately
induced Mark to make the offer to Lucy; and Jane, who was of a
kindred soul with Blanche, was delighted to go to Creamclotted
Hall. The acres of Heavybed House, down in that fat Totnes country,
adjoined those of Creamclotted Hall, and Heavybed House still wanted
a mistress.

Fanny was delighted when the news reached her. It would of course
be proper that one of his sisters should live with Mark under their
present circumstances, and she was happy to think that that quiet
little bright-eyed creature was to come and nestle with her under the
same roof. The children should so love her--only not quite so much as
they loved mamma; and the snug little room that looks out over the
porch, in which the chimney never smokes, should be made ready for
her; and she should be allowed her share of driving the pony--which
was a great sacrifice of self on the part of Mrs. Robarts--and Lady
Lufton's best good-will should be bespoken. In fact, Lucy was not
unfortunate in the destination that was l