of a careless master, and richer by
money-lending transactions with his master's friends, knew Miss
Sandbrook, and was aware that a lady's word might be safer than a
spendthrift's bond. He tried swaggering, in the hope of alarming her
into a promise to fulfil his demand uninvestigated; but she was on her
guard; and he, reflecting that she must probably apply to others for the
means of paying, gave her the papers, and freed her from his presence.

Freed her from his presence! Yes, but only to leave her to the
consciousness of the burthen of shame he had brought her. She saw why
Owen thought himself past pardon. Speculation on the death of his
benefactress! Borrowing on an inheritance that he had been forbidden to
expect. Double-dyed deceit and baseness! Yesterday, she had said they
were humbled enough. This was not humiliation, it was degradation! It
was far too intolerable for standing still and feeling it. Lucilla's
impetuous impulses always became her obstinate resolutions, and her pride
rebounded to its height in the determination that Owen should leave
England in debt to no man, were it at the cost of all she possessed.

Re-entering the drawing-room, she had found that Owen had thrust the
obnoxious letters into the waste-basket, each unopened envelope, with the
contents, rent down the middle. She sat down on the floor, and took them
out, saying, as she met his eye, 'I shall take these. I know what they
are. They are my concern.'

'Folly!' he muttered. 'Don't you know I have the good luck to be a
minor?'

'That is no excuse for dishonesty.'

'Look at home before you call names,' said Owen, growing enraged.
'Before you act spy on me, I should like to know who paid for your fine
salmon-fly gown, and all the rest of it?'

'I never contracted debts in the trust that my age would enable me to
defraud my creditors.'

'Who told you that I did? I tell you, Lucilla, I'll endure no such
conduct from you. No sister has a right to say such things!' and
starting up, his furious stamp shook the floor she sat upon, so close to
her that it was as if the next would demolish her.

She did not move, except to look up all the length of the tall figure
over her into the passion-flushed face. 'I should neither have said nor
thought so, Owen,' she replied. 'I should have imputed these debts to
mere heedless extravagance, like other people's--like my own, if you
please--save for your own words, and for finding you