onora, somewhat annoyed at the sudden transition; 'it
was only to ask if I would ride.'

'Charles was to bring the pony for me; I must go,' cried Lucy, with an
eye like that of a greyhound in the leash.

'Not yet,' said Honor. 'My dear, you promised.'

'I'll never promise anything again,' was the pettish murmur.

Poor child, these two morning hours were to her a terrible penance, day
after day. Practically, she might have found them heavy had they been
left to her own disposal, but it was expecting overmuch from human nature
to hope that she would believe so without experience, and her lessons
were a daily irritation, an apparent act of tyranny, hardening her
feelings against the exactor, at the same time that the influence of
kindred blood drew her closer to her own family, with a revulsion the
stronger from her own former exaggerated dislike.

The nursery at Castle Blanch, and the cousins who domineered over her as
a plaything, had been intolerable to the little important companion of a
grown man, but it was far otherwise to emerge from the calm seclusion and
sober restraints of the Holt into the gaieties of a large party, to be
promoted to young ladyhood, and treated on equal terms, save for extra
petting and attention. Instead of Robert Fulmort alone, all the
gentlemen in the house gave her flattering notice--eye, ear, and helping
hand at her disposal, and blunt Uncle Kit himself was ten times more
civil to her than to either of her cousins. What was the use of trying
to disguise from her the witchery of her piquant prettiness?

Her cousin Horatia had always had a great passion for her as a beautiful
little toy, and her affection, once so trying to its object, had taken
the far more agreeable form of promoting her pleasures and sympathizing
with her vexations. Patronage from two-and-twenty to fourteen, from a
daughter of the house to a guest, was too natural to offend, and Lucilla
requited it with vehement attachment, running after her at every moment,
confiding all her grievances, and being made sensible of many more.
Ratia, always devising delights for her, took her on the river, rode with
her, set her dancing, opened the world to her, and enjoyed her pleasures,
amused by her precocious vivacity, fostering her sauciness, extolling the
wit of her audacious speeches, and extremely resenting all poor Honora's
attempts to counteract this terrible spoiling, or to put a check upon
undesirable diversions and ab