ave told her that he was utterly
untrustworthy. There was an oily pretence at earnestness in his
manner which ought to have told that he was not fit to associate with
gentlemen. There was a foulness of demeanour about him which ought to
have given to her, as a woman at any rate brought up among ladies,
an abhorrence of his society. But all this Lizzie did not feel. She
ridiculed to Mrs. Carbuncle the idea of the preacher's courtship.
She still thought that in the teeth of all her misfortunes she could
do better with herself than marry Mr. Emilius. She conceived that
the man must be impertinent if Mrs. Carbuncle's assertions were
true;--but she was neither angry nor disgusted, and she allowed
him to talk to her, and even to make love to her, after his nasty
pseudo-clerical fashion.

She could surely still do better with herself than marry Mr. Emilius!
It was now the twentieth of March, and a fortnight had gone since an
intimation had been sent to her from the headquarters of the police
that Patience Crabstick was in their hands. Nothing further had
occurred, and it might be that Patience Crabstick had told no tale
against her. She could not bring herself to believe that Patience had
no tale to tell, but it might be that Patience, though she was in the
hands of the police, would find it to her interest to tell no tale
against her late mistress. At any rate, there was silence and quiet,
and the affair of the diamonds seemed almost to be passing out of
people's minds. Greystock had twice called in Scotland Yard, but had
been able to learn nothing. It was feared, they said, that the people
really engaged in the robbery had got away scot-free. Frank did
not quite believe them, but he could learn nothing from them. Thus
encouraged, Lizzie determined that she would remain in London till
after Lucinda's marriage,--till after she should have received the
promised letter from Lord Fawn, as to which, though it was so long in
coming, she did not doubt that it would come at last. She could do
nothing with Frank,--who was a fool! She could do nothing with Lord
George,--who was a brute! Lord Fawn would still be within her reach,
if only the secret about the diamonds could be kept a secret till
after she should have become his wife.

About this time Lucinda spoke to her respecting her proposed journey.
"You were talking of going to Scotland a week ago, Lady Eustace."

"And am still talking of it."

"Aunt Jane says that you are wait