even had Lucinda gone off as a bride; but she had
been willing to face all that with the object of establishing her
niece. She could have expected nothing from the marriage for herself.
She well knew that Sir Griffin would neither pay her debts nor give
her a home nor lend her money. But to have married the girl who was
in her charge would have been in itself a success, and would have in
some sort repaid her for her trouble. There would have been something
left to show for her expenditure of time and money. But now there was
nothing around her but failure and dismay. The very servants in the
house seemed to know that ordinary respect was hardly demanded from
them.

As to Lucinda, Lizzie felt, from the very hour in which she first saw
her on the morning of the intended wedding, that her mind was astray.
She insisted on passing the time up in her own room, and always sat
with the Bible before her. At every knock at the door, or ring at
the bell, she would look round suspiciously, and once she whispered
into Lizzie's ear that if ever "he" should come there again she
would "give him a kiss with a vengeance." On the Tuesday, Lizzie
recommended Mrs. Carbuncle to get medical advice,--and at last they
sent for Mr. Emilius that they might ask counsel of him. Mr. Emilius
was full of smiles and consolation, and still allowed his golden
hopes as to some Elysian future to crop out;--but he did acknowledge
at last, in a whispered conference with Lady Eustace, that somebody
ought to see Miss Roanoke. Somebody did see Miss Roanoke,--and the
doctor who was thus appealed to shook his head. Perhaps Miss Roanoke
had better be taken into the country for a little while.

"Dear Lady Eustace," said Mrs. Carbuncle, "now you can be a friend
indeed,"--meaning, of course, that an invitation to Portray Castle
would do more than could anything else towards making straight
the crooked things of the hour. Mrs. Carbuncle, when she made the
request, of course knew of Lizzie's coming troubles;--but let them
do what they could to Lizzie, they could not take away her house.

But Lizzie felt at once that this would not suit. "Ah, Mrs.
Carbuncle," she said. "You do not know the condition which I am in
myself!"

CHAPTER LXXI

Lizzie Is Threatened with the Treadmill

Early on the Wednesday morning, two or three hours before the time
fixed for Lizzie's visit to Mr. Camperdown, her cousin Frank came to
call upon her. She presumed him to be altog