always have helped me. My
father's grandson; you cannot refuse him, Mr. Pendy,' said she, using
their old childish name for him.

He yielded to the united influence of his rector's daughter and the
memory of his rector. Though no weak man, those two appeals always
swayed him; and Lucilla's air, spirited when she defended, soft when she
grieved, was quite irresistible; so she gained her point, and felt
restored to herself by the exercise of power, and by making her wonted
impression. Since one little dog had wagged his little tail, she no
longer doubted 'If I be I;' yet this only rendered her more nervously
desirous of obtaining the like recognition from the other, and she
positively wearied after one of Robert's old wistful looks.

A _tete-a-tete_ with him was necessary on many accounts, and she lay in
wait to obtain a few moments alone with him in the study. He complied
neither eagerly nor reluctantly, bowed his head without remark when she
told him about the funeral, and took the sponsorship as a matter of
course. 'Very well; I suppose there is no one else to be found. Is it
your brother's thought?'

'I told him.'

'So I feared.'

'Oh! Robert, we must take double care for the poor little thing.'

'I will do my best,' he answered.

'Do you know what Owen intends?' said Lucilla, in low, alarmed accents.

'He has told you? It is a wild purpose; but I doubt whether to dissuade
him, except for your sake,' he added, with his first softening towards
her, like balm to the sore spot in her heart.

'Never mind me, I can take care of myself,' she said, while the muscles
of her throat ached and quivered with emotion. 'I would not detain him
to be pitied and forgiven.'

'Do not send him away in pride,' said Robert, sadly.

'Am I not humbled enough?' she said; and her drooping head and eye seemed
to thrill him with their wonted power.

One step he made towards her, but checked himself, and said in a
matter-of-fact tone, 'Currie, the architect, has a brother, a civil
engineer, just going out to Canada to lay out a railway. It might be an
opening for Owen to go as his assistant--unless you thought it beneath
him.'

These last words were caused by an uncontrollable look of disappointment.
But it was not the proposal: no; but the change of manner that struck
her. The quiet indifferent voice was like water quenching a struggling
spark, but in a moment she recovered her powers. 'Beneath him! Oh, no.
I told y