ext day but one.

"She thinks it better that she should be at home from this time to
the day of the trial," said Mr. Furnival; "and on the whole Sir
Peregrine is inclined to agree with her."

"I have thought so all through," said Lucius.

"But you are to understand that there is no disagreement between your
mother and the family at The Cleeve. The idea of the marriage has, as
I think very properly, been laid aside."

"Of course it was proper that it should be laid aside."

"Yes; but I must beg you to understand that there has been no
quarrel. Indeed you will, I have no doubt, perceive that, as Mrs.
Orme has assured me that she will see your mother constantly till the
time comes."

"She is very kind," said Lucius. But it was evident from the tone of
his voice that he would have preferred that all the Ormes should have
remained away. In his mind this time of suffering to his mother and
to him was a period of trial and probation,--a period, if not of
actual disgrace, yet of disgrace before the world; and he thought
that it would have best become his mother to have abstained from
all friendship out of her own family, and even from all expressed
sympathy, till she had vindicated her own purity and innocence. And
as he thought of this he declared to himself that he would have
sacrificed everything to her comfort and assistance if she would only
have permitted it. He would have loved her, and been tender to her,
receiving on his own shoulders all those blows which now fell so
hardly upon hers. Every word should have been a word of kindness;
every look should have been soft and full of affection. He would have
treated her not only with all the love which a son could show to a
mother, but with all the respect and sympathy which a gentleman could
feel for a lady in distress. But then, in order that such a state
of things as this should have existed, it would have been necessary
that she should have trusted him. She should have leaned upon him,
and,--though he did not exactly say so in talking over the matter
with himself, still he thought it,--on him and on him only. But
she had declined to lean upon him at all. She had gone away to
strangers,--she, who should hardly have spoken to a stranger during
these sad months! She would not have his care; and under those
circumstances he could only stand aloof, hold up his head, and look
sternly. As for her innocence, that was a matter of course. He knew
that she was innocent. He w