fixed on her cousin. It
is natural that they should be so; and watching her as closely as we
can, we believe such to be the case. I will be quite on the square
with you, Mr. Thwaite."

"With me and with everybody else, I hope, Serjeant Bluestone."

"I hope so," said the Serjeant, laughing; "but at any rate I will
be so with you now. We have been unable to get from Lady Anna any
certain reply,--any assurance of her own wishes. She has told her
mother that she cannot accept Lord Lovel's addresses till she has
seen you." The Serjeant in this was not quite on the square, as Lady
Anna had never said so. "We believe that she considers it necessary,
to her conscience, to be made free by your permission, before she can
follow her own inclinations and accede to those of all her friends."

"She shall have my permission in a moment,--if she will ask for it."

"Could you not be more generous even than that?"

"How more generous, Serjeant Bluestone?"

"Offer it to her unasked. You have already said that you would
not accept her hand if you did not believe that you had her heart
also,--and the sentiment did you honour. Think of her condition, and
be generous to her."

"Generous to her! You mean generous to Lady Lovel,--generous to Lord
Lovel,--generous to all the Lovels except her. It seems to me that
all the generosity is to be on one side."

"By no means. We can be generous too."

"If that be generosity, I will be generous. I will offer her that
permission. I will not wait till she asks for it. I will beg her to
tell me if it be true that she loves this cousin, and if she can say
that it is true, she shall want no permission from me to be free. She
shall be free."

"It is not a question, you see, between yourself and Lord Lovel. It
is quite out of the question that she should in any event become your
wife. Even had she power to do it--"

"She has the power."

"Practically she has no such power, Mr. Thwaite. A young person such
as Lady Anna Lovel is and must be under the control of her natural
guardian. She is so altogether. Her mother could not,--and would
not,--constrain her to any marriage; but has quite sufficient power
over her to prevent any marriage. Lady Anna has never for a moment
supposed that she could become your wife since she learned what were
the feelings of her mother and her family." The Serjeant certainly
did not keep his promise of being "on the square." "But your
generosity is necessary to enable