at, my lord," said the Solicitor-General, showing the Earl
the letter. "I can do nothing for her."

"What does she want to have done?"

"She wants to carry her daughter away beyond the reach of Mr.
Thwaite. I am not a bit surprised; but she can't do it. The days
are gone by when a mother could lock her daughter up, or carry her
away,--at any rate in this country."

"It is very sad."

"It might have been much worse. Why should she not marry Mr. Thwaite?
Let them make the settlement as they propose, and then let the young
lady have her way. She will have her way,--whether her mother lets
her or no."

"It will be a disgrace to the family, Sir William."

"No disgrace at all! How many peers' daughters marry commoners in
England. It is not with us as it is with some German countries in
which noble blood is separated as by a barrier from blood that is not
noble. The man I am told is clever and honest. He will have great
means at his command, and I do not see why he should not make as
good a gentleman as the best of us. At any rate she must not be
persecuted."

Sir William answered the Countess's letter as a matter of course, but
there was no comfort in his answer. "The Solicitor-General presents
his compliments to the Countess Lovel. With all the will in the world
to be of service, he fears that he can do no good by interfering
between the Countess and Lady Anna Lovel. If, however, he may venture
to give advice, he would suggest to the Countess that as Lady Anna
will be of age in a short time, no attempt should now be made to
exercise a control which must cease when that time shall arrive."
"They are all joined against me," said the Countess, when she read
the letter;--"every one of them! But still it shall never be. I will
not live to see it."

Then there was a meeting between Mr. Flick and Sir William. Mr. Flick
must inform the ladies that nothing could be done till Lady Anna
was of age;--that not even could any instructions be taken from her
before that time as to what should subsequently be done. If, when
that time came, she should still be of a mind to share with her
cousin the property, she could then instruct Mr. Goffe to make out
the necessary deeds.

All this was communicated by letter to the Countess, but Mr. Goffe
especially requested that the letter might be shown to Lady Anna, and
that he might receive a reply intimating that Lady Anna understood
its purport. If necessary he would call upon Lady Anna