in hand that if ever she became the wife of any man she would
be the wife of Daniel Thwaite. Then the Countess with great violence
knocked the book out of her daughter's grasp, and it was thrown to
the other side of the room. "If this is to go on," said the Countess,
"one of us must die."

"Mamma, I have done nothing to make you so unkind to me. You have not
spoken one word of kindness to me since I came from Yoxham."

"If this goes on I shall never speak a word of kindness to you
again," said the mother.

But in the midst of all this there was one point on which they were
agreed,--on which they came sufficiently near together for action,
though there was still a wide difference between them. Some large
proportion of the property at stake was to be made over to Lord Lovel
on the day that gave the girl the legal power of transferring her
own possessions. The Countess began by presuming that the whole of
Lady Anna's wealth was to be so transferred,--not from any lack of
reverence for the great amount which was in question, but feeling
that for all good purposes it would be safer in the hands of the
Earl than in those of her own child. If it could be arranged that
the tailor could get nothing with his bride, then it might still
be possible that the tailor might refuse the match. At any rate a
quarrel might be fostered and the evil might be staved off. But to
this Lady Anna would not assent. If she might act in this business in
concert with Mr. Thwaite she would be able, she thought, to do better
by her cousin than she proposed. But as she was not allowed to learn
what were Mr. Thwaite's wishes, she would halve her property with her
cousin. As much as this she was willing to do,--and was determined to
do, acting on her own judgment. More she would not do,--unless she
could see Mr. Thwaite. As it stood, her proposition was one which
would, if carried out, bestow something like L10,000 a year upon
the Earl. Then Mr. Goffe was sent for, and Lady Anna was allowed to
communicate her suggestion to the lawyer. "That should require a
great deal of thought," said Mr. Goffe with solemnity. Lady Anna
declared that she had been thinking of it all the time she had been
ill. "But it should not be done in a hurry," said Mr. Goffe. Then
Lady Anna remarked that in the meantime, her cousin, the Earl, the
head of her family, would have nothing to support his title. Mr.
Goffe took his leave, promising to consult his partner, and to see
Mr