"What could he say more than you have said? Dear Mr. Orme, I would
not injure him,--your grandfather, I mean,--for all that the world
holds."

"You will injure him;--in the eyes of all his friends."

"Then I will not do it. I will go to him, and beg him that it may not
be so. I will tell him that I cannot. Anything will be better than
bringing him to sorrow or disgrace."

"By Jove! but will you really?" Peregrine was startled and almost
frightened at the effect of his own eloquence. What would the baronet
say when he learned that he had been talked out of his wife by his
grandson?

"Mr. Orme," continued Lady Mason, "I am sure you do not understand
how this matter has been brought about. If you did, however much it
might grieve you, you would not blame me, even in your thoughts.
From the first to the last my only desire has been to obey your
grandfather in everything."

"But you would not marry him out of obedience?"

"I would--and did so intend. I would, certainly; if in doing so I did
him no injury. You say that your mother would give her life for him.
So would I;--that or anything else that I could give, without hurting
him or others. It was not I that sought for this marriage; nor did I
think of it. If you were in my place, Mr. Orme, you would know how
difficult it is to refuse."

Peregrine again got up, and standing with his back to the fire,
thought over it all again. His soft heart almost relented towards the
woman who had borne his rough words with so much patient kindness.
Had Sir Peregrine been there then, and could he have condescended so
far, he might have won his grandson's consent without much trouble.
Peregrine, like some other generals, had expended his energy in
gaining his victory, and was more ready now to come to easy terms
than he would have been had he suffered in the combat.

"Well," he said after a while, "I'm sure I'm very much obliged to you
for the manner in which you have taken what I said to you. Nobody
knows about it yet, I suppose; and perhaps, if you will talk to the
governor--"

"I will talk to him, Mr. Orme."

"Thank you; and then perhaps all things may turn out right. I'll go
and dress now." And so saying he took his departure, leaving her to
consider how best she might act at this crisis of her life, so that
things might go right, if such were possible. The more she thought of
it, the less possible it seemed that her affairs should be made to go
right.

CHAPTE