o
Mark," said Mrs. Roberts; and then again there was a pause for a
moment, during which these thoughts passed through Lucy's mind.

"Yes," said Mark, "he has told me all, and he is coming here
to-morrow morning that he may receive an answer from yourself."

"What answer?" said Lucy, trembling.

"Nay, dearest; who can say that but yourself?" and her sister-in-law,
as she spoke, pressed close against her. "You must say that
yourself." Mrs. Robarts, in her long conversation with her husband,
had pleaded strongly on Lucy's behalf, taking as it were a part
against Lady Lufton. She had said that if Lord Lufton persevered in
his suit, they at the parsonage could not be justified in robbing
Lucy of all that she had won for herself, in order to do Lady
Lufton's pleasure.

"But she will think," said Mark, "that we have plotted and intrigued
for this. She will call us ungrateful, and will make Lucy's life
wretched." To which the wife had answered, that all that must be
left in God's hands. They had not plotted or intrigued. Lucy, though
loving the man in her heart of hearts, had already once refused him,
because she would not be thought to have snatched at so great a
prize. But if Lord Lufton loved her so warmly that he had come down
there in this manner, on purpose, as he himself had put it, that he
might learn his fate, then--so argued Mrs. Robarts--they two, let
their loyalty to Lady Lufton be ever so strong, could not justify it
to their consciences to stand between Lucy and her lover. Mark had
still somewhat demurred to this, suggesting how terrible would be
their plight if they should now encourage Lord Lufton, and if he,
after such encouragement, when they should have quarrelled with Lady
Lufton, should allow himself to be led away from his engagement by
his mother. To which Fanny had answered that justice was justice, and
that right was right. Everything must be told to Lucy, and she must
judge for herself.

"But I do not know what Lord Lufton wants," said Lucy, with her eyes
fixed upon the ground, and now trembling more than ever. "He did come
to me, and I did give him an answer."

"And is that answer to be final?" said Mark--somewhat cruelly, for
Lucy had not yet been told that her lover had made any repetition of
his proposal. Fanny, however, determined that no injustice should be
done, and therefore she at last continued the story.

"We know that you did give him an answer, dearest; but gentlemen
sometimes wi