l be forgotten.
It shall at any rate be forgiven, or remembered only as the folly of
a child. Will you say that you will become Lord Lovel's wife?"

"Oh, mamma!"

"Answer me, Anna;--will you say that you will receive Lord Lovel as
your accepted lover? Get up, girl, and look me in the face. Of what
use is it to grovel there, while your spirit is in rebellion? Will
you do this? Will you save us all from destruction, misery, and
disgrace? Will you remember who you are;--what blood you have in your
veins;--what name it is that you bear? Stand up, and look me in the
face, if you dare."

Lady Anna did stand up, and did look her mother in the face. "Mamma,"
she said, "we should understand each other better if we were living
together as we ought to do."

"I will never live with you till you have promised obedience. Will
you, at any rate, pledge to me your word that you will never become
the wife of Daniel Thwaite?" Then she paused, and stood looking at
the girl, perhaps for a minute. Lady Anna stood before her, with her
eyes turned upon the ground. "Answer me the question that I have
asked you. Will you promise me that you will never become the wife of
Daniel Thwaite?"

"I have promised him that I would."

"What is that to me? Is your duty to him higher than your duty to me?
Can you be bound by any promise to so great a crime as that would be?
I will ask you the question once more, and I will be governed by your
answer. If you will promise to discard this man, you shall return
home with me, and shall then choose everything for yourself. We will
go abroad and travel if you wish it, and all things shall be prepared
to give you pleasure. You shall have at once the full enjoyment of
all that has been won for you; and as for your cousin,--you shall not
for a while be troubled even by his name. It is the dear wish of my
heart that you should be the wife of Earl Lovel;--but I have one
wish dearer even than that,--one to which that shall be altogether
postponed. If you will save yourself, and me, and all your family
from the terrible disgrace with which you have threatened us,--I will
not again mention your cousin's name to you till it shall please you
to hear it. Anna, you knelt to me, just now. Shall I kneel to you?"

"No, mamma, no;--I should die."

"Then, my love, give me the promise that I have asked."

"Mamma, he has been so good to us!"

"And we will be good to him,--good to him in his degree. Of what
avail to me w