Lizzie Eustace had been a good deal
knocked about, and Lady Glencora did not doubt but that she would be
very glad to get back her betrothed husband. The little woman had
suffered hardships,--so thought Lady Glencora,--and a good thing
would be done by bringing her into fashion, and setting the marriage
up again. As to Lord Fawn,--the fortune was there, as good now as it
had been when he first sought it; and the lady was very pretty, a
baronet's widow too!--and in all respects good enough for Lord Fawn.
A very pretty little baronet's widow she was, with four thousand
a year, and a house in Scotland, and a history. Lady Glencora
determined that she would remake the match.

"I think, you know, friends who have been friends should be brought
together. I suppose I may say a word to Lord Fawn?"

Lizzie hesitated for a moment before she answered, and then
remembered that revenge, at least, would be sweet to her. She had
sworn that she would be revenged upon Lord Fawn. After all, might it
not suit her best to carry out her oath by marrying him? But whether
so or otherwise, it would not but be well for her that he should be
again at her feet. "Yes,--if you think good will come of it." The
acquiescence was given with much hesitation;--but the circumstances
required that it should be so, and Lady Glencora fully understood the
circumstances. When she took her leave, Lizzie was profuse in her
gratitude. "Oh, Lady Glencora, it has been so good of you to come.
Pray come again, if you can spare me another moment." Lady Glencora
said that she would come again.

During the visit she had asked some question concerning Lucinda and
Sir Griffin, and had been informed that that marriage was to go on. A
hint had been thrown out as to Lucinda's parentage;--but Lizzie had
not understood the hint, and the question had not been pressed.

CHAPTER LV

Quints or Semitenths

The task which Lady Glencora had taken upon herself was not a very
easy one. No doubt Lord Fawn was a man subservient to the leaders of
his party, much afraid of the hard judgment of those with whom he
was concerned, painfully open to impression from what he would have
called public opinion, to a certain extent a coward, most anxious to
do right so that he might not be accused of being in the wrong,--and
at the same time gifted with but little of that insight into things
which teaches men to know what is right and what is wrong. Lady
Glencora, having perceived all