s hall-door.

"Oh, Frank, dearest Frank, where should I be if it were not for you?"

CHAPTER LXXV

Lord George Gives His Reasons

Lady Eustace did not leave the house during the Saturday and Sunday,
and engaged herself exclusively with preparing for her journey. She
had no further interview with Mrs. Carbuncle, but there were messages
between them, and even notes were written. They resulted in nothing.
Lizzie was desirous of getting back the spoons and forks, and, if
possible, some of her money. The spoons and forks were out of Mrs.
Carbuncle's power,--in Albemarle Street; and the money had of course
been spent. Lizzie might have saved herself the trouble, had it
not been that it was a pleasure to her to insult her late friend,
even though in doing so new insults were heaped upon her own head.
As for the trumpery spoons, they,--so said Mrs. Carbuncle,--were
the property of Miss Roanoke, having been made over to her
unconditionally long before the wedding, as a part of a separate
pecuniary transaction. Mrs. Carbuncle had no power of disposing of
Miss Roanoke's property. As to the money which Lady Eustace claimed,
Mrs. Carbuncle asserted that, when the final accounts should be made
up between them, it would be found that there was a considerable
balance due to Mrs. Carbuncle. But even were there anything due
to Lady Eustace, Mrs. Carbuncle would decline to pay it, as she
was informed that all moneys possessed by Lady Eustace were now
confiscated to the Crown by reason of the PERJURIES,--the word was
doubly scored in Mrs. Carbuncle's note,--which Lady Eustace had
committed. This, of course, was unpleasant; but Mrs. Carbuncle did
not have the honours of the battle all to herself. Lizzie also said
some unpleasant things,--which, perhaps, were the more unpleasant
because they were true. Mrs. Carbuncle had come pretty nearly to
the end of her career, whereas Lizzie's income, in spite of her
perjuries, was comparatively untouched. The undoubted mistress of
Portray Castle, and mother of the Sir Florian Eustace of the day,
could still despise and look down upon Mrs. Carbuncle, although she
were known to have told fibs about the family diamonds.

Lord George always came to Hertford Street on a Sunday, and Lady
Eustace left word for him with the servant that she would be glad to
see him before her journey into Scotland. "Goes to-morrow, does she?"
said Lord George to the servant. "Well; I'll see her." And he was
show