ys to be wrong, and never to have my--my own way in anything?"
cried the poor lady, who, beginning with steadiness, broke down before
she reached the end of her little speech. The words made Lucy open her
blue eyes with wonder; and after that there followed a fuller
explanation, which greatly changed the ideas of the younger sister.
After her "consent" had been at last extracted from her, and when Miss
Wodehouse regained her composure, she reported to Lucy the greater
part of the conversation which had taken place in the drawing-room, of
which Mr Proctor's proposal constituted only a part, and which touched
upon matters still more interesting to her hearer. The two sisters,
preoccupied by their father's illness and death, had up to this time
but a vague knowledge of the difficulties which surrounded the
Perpetual Curate. His trial, which Mr Proctor had reported to his
newly-betrothed, had been unsuspected by either of them; and they were
not even aware of the event which had given rise to it--the
disappearance of Rosa Elsworthy. Miss Wodehouse told the story with
faltering lips, not being able to divest herself of the idea that,
having been publicly accused, Mr Wentworth must be more or less
guilty; while, at the same time, a sense that her brother must have
had something to do with it, and a great reluctance to name his name,
complicated the narrative. She had already got into trouble with Lucy
about this unlucky brother, and unconsciously, in her story, she took
an air of defence. "I should have thought better of Mr Wentworth if he
had not tried to throw the guilt on another," said the perplexed
woman. "Oh, Lucy dear, between two people it is so hard to know what
to do."

"I know what I shall do," said Lucy, promptly; but she would not
further explain herself. She was, however, quite roused up out of 'In
Memoriam.' She went to her desk and drew out some of the paper deeply
edged with black, which announced before words its tale of grief to
all her correspondents. It was with some alarm that Miss Wodehouse
awaited this letter, which was placed before her as soon as finished.
This was what, as soon as she knew the story, Lucy's prompt and
generous spirit said:--

"DEAR MR WENTWORTH,--We have just heard of the vexations you have been
suffering, to our great indignation and distress. Some people may
think it is a matter with which I have no business to interfere; but I
cannot have you think for a moment, that we,