rous to Lady Lufton to make much of Lucy's virtue at this
present moment, but unjust to Lucy to make nothing of it.

"And she is actually with Mrs. Crawley now?" asked Lady Lufton.

"Oh, yes; Mark left her there yesterday afternoon."

"And the four children are all here in the house?"

"Not exactly in the house--that is, not as yet. We have arranged a
sort of quarantine hospital over the coach-house."

"What, where Stubbs lives?"

"Yes; Stubbs and his wife have come into the house, and the children
are to remain up there till the doctor says that there is no danger
of infection. I have not even seen my visitors myself as yet," said
Mrs. Robarts with a slight laugh.

"Dear me!" said Lady Lufton. "I declare you have been very prompt.
And so Miss Robarts is over there! I should have thought Mr. Crawley
would have made a difficulty about the children."

"Well, he did; but they kidnapped them--that is, Lucy and Mark did.
The dean gave me such an account of it. Lucy brought them out by twos
and packed them in the pony-carriage, and then Mark drove off at a
gallop while Mr. Crawley stood calling to them in the road. The dean
was there at the time and saw it all."

"That Miss Lucy of yours seems to be a very determined young lady
when she takes a thing into her head," said Lady Lufton, now sitting
down for the first time.

"Yes, she is," said Mrs. Robarts, having laid aside all her pleasant
animation, for the discussion which she dreaded was now at hand.

"A very determined young lady," continued Lady Lufton. "Of course, my
dear Fanny, you know all this about Ludovic and your sister-in-law?"

"Yes, she has told me about it."

"It is very unfortunate--very."

"I do not think Lucy has been to blame," said Mrs. Robarts; and as
she spoke the blood was already mounting to her cheeks.

"Do not be too anxious to defend her, my dear, before any one accuses
her. Whenever a person does that it looks as though their cause were
weak."

"But my cause is not weak as far as Lucy is concerned; I feel quite
sure that she has not been to blame."

"I know how obstinate you can be, Fanny, when you think it necessary
to dub yourself any one's champion. Don Quixote was not a better
knight-errant than you are. But is it not a pity to take up your
lance and shield before an enemy is within sight or hearing? But that
was ever the way with your Don Quixotes."

"Perhaps there may be an enemy in ambush." That was Mrs. Robarts's
thou