suffering which Lucy has to endure
makes me cry out against it. She did not seek your son. The moment
she began to suspect that there might be danger she avoided him
scrupulously. She would not go down to Framley Court, though her not
doing so was remarked by yourself. She would hardly go out about the
place lest she should meet him. She was contented to put herself
altogether in the background till he should have pleased to leave the
place. But he--he came to her here, and insisted on seeing her. He
found her when I was out, and declared himself determined to speak to
her. What was she to do? She did try to escape, but he stopped her at
the door. Was it her fault that he made her an offer?"

"My dear, no one has said so."

"Yes, but you do say so when you tell me that young ladies should not
give play to their affections without permission. He persisted in
saying to her, here, all that it pleased him, though she implored him
to be silent. I cannot tell the words she used, but she did implore
him."

"I do not doubt that she behaved well."

"But he--he persisted, and begged her to accept his hand. She refused
him then, Lady Lufton--not as some girls do, with a mock reserve, not
intending to be taken at their words--but steadily, and, God forgive
her, untruly. Knowing what your feelings would be, and knowing what
the world would say, she declared to him that he was indifferent to
her. What more could she do in your behalf?" And then Mrs. Robarts
paused.

"I shall wait till you have done, Fanny."

"You spoke of girls giving loose to their affections. She did not do
so. She went about her work exactly as she had done before. She did
not even speak to me of what had passed--not then, at least. She
determined that it should all be as though it had never been. She
had learned to love your son; but that was her misfortune, and she
would get over it as she might. Tidings came to us here that he was
engaged, or about to engage himself, to Miss Grantly."

"Those tidings were untrue."

"Yes, we know that now; but she did not know it then. Of course she
could not but suffer; but she suffered within herself." Mrs. Robarts,
as she said this, remembered the pony-carriage and how Puck had been
beaten. "She made no complaint that he had ill-treated her--not even
to herself. She had thought it right to reject his offer; and there,
as far as he was concerned, was to be an end of it."

"That would be a matter of course, I should