eference to that farm which was to have been sold,
his hunting, and then his acceptance of that stall, given, as she had
been told, through the Omnium interest. How could she love him at
such a moment as this? And then she thought of his wife. Could it be
possible that Fanny Robarts, her own friend Fanny, would be so untrue
to her as to lend any assistance to such a marriage as this; as not
to use all her power in preventing it? She had spoken to Fanny on
this very subject--not fearing for her son, but with a general idea
of the impropriety of intimacies between such girls as Lucy and such
men as Lord Lufton, and then Fanny had agreed with her. Could it be
possible that even she must be regarded as an enemy? And then by
degrees Lady Lufton began to reflect what steps she had better take.
In the first place, should she give in at once, and consent to the
marriage? The only thing quite certain to her was this, that life
would be not worth having if she were forced into a permanent quarrel
with her son. Such an event would probably kill her. When she read of
quarrels in other noble families--and the accounts of such quarrels
will sometimes, unfortunately, force themselves upon the attention
of unwilling readers--she would hug herself, with a spirit that was
almost pharisaical, reflecting that her destiny was not like that of
others. Such quarrels and hatreds between fathers and daughters, and
mothers and sons, were in her eyes disreputable to all the persons
concerned. She had lived happily with her husband, comfortably with
her neighbours, respectably with the world, and, above all things,
affectionately with her children. She spoke everywhere of Lord Lufton
as though he were nearly perfect,--and in so speaking, she had not
belied her convictions. Under these circumstances, would not any
marriage be better than a quarrel? But, then, again, how much of the
pride of her daily life would be destroyed by such a match as that!
And might it not be within her power to prevent it without any
quarrel? That her son would be sick of such a chit as Lucy before he
had been married to her six months--of that Lady Lufton entertained
no doubt, and therefore her conscience would not be disquieted in
disturbing the consummation of an arrangement so pernicious. It was
evident that the matter was not considered as settled even by her
son; and also evident that he regarded the matter as being in some
way dependent on his mother's consent. On t