stood it! And now she
ventured to recall them to the subject in hand, which might well hang
more heavily on her heart than the sister's fate! It was agreed that
Lucilla would bear the intelligence best from Mr. Prendergast, and that
he could most easily restrain her desire for going to Liverpool. He
offered himself to go to meet Owen, but Honor could not quite forgive the
'_Is that all_?' and Robert remained constant to his former view, that
he, as friend both of Owen and Mr. Currie, would be the most effective.
So therefore it stood, and Lucilla was called out of the drawing-room to
Mr. Prendergast, as Honor and Robert entered it. It was almost in one
burst that Phoebe learnt the brother's accident and the sister's
engagement, and it took her several moments to disentangle two such
extraordinary events.

'I am very glad,' repeated Robert, as he felt rather than saw that both
ladies were regarding him with concealed anxiety; 'it is by far the
happiest and safest thing for her! It is an infinite relief to my mind.'

'I can't but be glad,' said Honor; 'but I don't know how to forgive her!'

'That I can do very easily,' said Robert, with a smile on his thin lips
that was very reassuring, 'not only as a Christian, but as I believe
nothing ever did me so much good. My fancy for her was an incentive
which drew me on to get under better influences, and when we threw each
other overboard, I could do without it. She has been my best friend, not
even excepting you, Miss Charlecote; and as such I hope always to be
allowed to regard her. There, Phoebe, you have had an exposition of my
sentiments once for all, and I hope I may henceforth receive credit for
sincerity.'

Miss Charlecote felt that, under the name of Phoebe, this last reproof
was chiefly addressed to her; and perhaps Phoebe understood the same, for
there was the slightest of all arch smiles about her full lip and
downcast eye; and though she said nothing, her complete faith in her
brother's explanation, and her Christian forgiveness of Lucilla, did not
quench a strong reserve of wondering indignation at the mixed preferences
that had thus strangely settled down upon the old curate.

She followed her brother from the room, to ask whether she had better not
leave Woolstone-lane in the present juncture. But there was nowhere for
her to go; Beauchamp was shut up, the cottage being painted, Sutton
barely held the three present guests, and her elder sister from