and Sir Harry would not
be there before twelve.

In the mean time there had been hope also and doubt also at
Humblethwaite. Sir Harry was not surprised and hardly disappointed
when he was told that he was to go to Penrith to see his cousin.
The offer had been made by himself, and he was sure that he would
not escape with less; and when Emily was told by her mother of the
arrangement, she saw in it a way to the fulfilment of the prayer
which she had made to her father. She would say nothing to him that
evening, leaving to him the opportunity of speaking to her, should he
choose to do so. But on the following morning she would repeat her
prayer. On that evening not a word was said about George while Sir
Harry and Lady Elizabeth were together with their daughter. Emily had
made her plan, and she clung to it. Her father was very gentle with
her, sitting close to her as she played some pieces of music to him
in the evening, caressing her and looking lovingly into her eyes, as
he bade God bless her when she left him for the night; but he had
determined to say nothing to encourage her. He was still minded that
there could be no such encouragement; but he doubted;--in his heart
of hearts he doubted. He would still have bought off Cousin George
by the sacrifice of half his property, and yet he doubted. After all,
there would be some consolation in that binding together of the name
and the property.

"What will you say to him?" Lady Elizabeth asked her husband that
night.

"Tell him to go away."

"Nothing more than that?"

"What more is there to say? If he be willing to be bought, I will buy
him. I will pay his debts and give him an income."

"You think, then, there can be no hope?"

"Hope!--for whom?"

"For Emily."

"I hope to preserve her--from a--scoundrel." And yet he had thought
of the consolation!

Emily was very persistent in carrying out her plan. Prayers at
Humblethwaite were always read with admirable punctuality at a
quarter-past nine, so that breakfast might be commenced at half-past.
Sir Harry every week-day was in his own room for three-quarters of an
hour before prayers. All this was like clock-work at Humblethwaite.
There would always be some man or men with Sir Harry during these
three-quarters of an hour,--a tenant, a gamekeeper, a groom, a
gardener, or a bailiff. But Emily calculated that if she made her
appearance and held her ground, the tenant or the bailiff would
give way, and that thus she