fore she replied;--but she could not bring
herself to be absolutely honest in the matter. "No;--she didn't send
me. But from what I see and hear, I am quite sure she does not wish
to go on with it."

"Then she shall go on with it," said Sir Griffin. "I'm not going to
be made a fool of in that way. She shall go on with it; and the first
thing I mean to tell her as my wife is, that she shall never see
that woman again. If she thinks she's going to be master, she's very
much mistaken." Sir Griffin, as he said this, showed his teeth, and
declared his purpose to be masterful by his features as well as by
his words;--but Lady Eustace was, nevertheless, of opinion that when
the two came to an absolute struggle for mastery, the lady would get
the better of it.

Lizzie never told Miss Roanoke of her want of success, or even of
the effort she had made; nor did the unhappy young woman come to her
for any reply. The preparations went on, and it was quite understood
that on this peculiar occasion Mrs. Carbuncle intended to treat her
friends with profuse hospitality. She proposed to give a breakfast;
and as the house in Hertford Street was very small, rooms had been
taken at an hotel in Albemarle Street. Thither, as the day of the
marriage drew near, all the presents were taken,--so that they might
be viewed by the guests, with the names of the donors attached to
them. As some of the money given had been very much wanted indeed, so
that the actual cheques could not be conveniently spared just at the
moment to pay for the presents which ought to have been bought,--a
few very pretty things were hired, as to which, when the donors
should see their names attached to them, they should surely think
that the money given had been laid out to great advantage.

CHAPTER LXVII

The Eye of the Public

It took Lord Fawn a long time to write his letter, but at last
he wrote it. The delay must not be taken as throwing any slur on
his character as a correspondent or a man of business, for many
irritating causes sprang up sufficient to justify him in pleading
that it arose from circumstances beyond his own control. It is,
moreover, felt by us all that the time which may fairly be taken in
the performance of any task depends, not on the amount of work, but
on the performance of it when done. A man is not expected to write a
cheque for a couple of thousand pounds as readily as he would one for
five,--unless he be a man to whom a couple of