r
the mingled work and play of the morning, her hair should not be
smooth; but she was too proud to look at her hair. The man whom she
had loved, who had loved her but had neglected her, was in the house.
He would surely not have followed her thither did he not intend
to make reparation for his neglect. But she would use no art with
him;--nor would she make any entreaty. It might be that, after all,
he had the courage to come and tell her, in a manly, straightforward
way, that the thing must be all over,--that he had made a mistake,
and would beg her pardon. If it were so, there should be no word of
reproach. She would be quite quiet with him; but there should be no
word of reproach. But if-- In that other case she could not be sure
of her behaviour, but she knew well that he would not have to ask
long for forgiveness. As for her dress,--he had chosen to love her
in that frock before, and she did not think that he would pay much
attention to her dress on the present occasion.

She opened the door very quietly and very slowly, intending to
approach him in the same way. But in a moment, before she could
remember that she was in the room, he had seized her in his arms, and
was showering kisses upon her forehead, her eyes, and her lips. When
she thought of it afterwards, she could not call to mind a single
word that he had spoken before he held her in his embrace. It was
she, surely, who had spoken first, when she begged to be released
from his pressure. But she well remembered the first words that
struck her ear. "Dearest Lucy, will you forgive me?" She could only
answer them through her tears by taking up his hand and kissing it.

When Lady Fawn came back with the carriage, she herself saw the
figures of two persons, walking very close together, in the
shrubberies. "Is that Lucy?" she asked.

"Yes," said Augusta, with a tone of horror. "Indeed it is, and--Mr.
Greystock."

Lady Fawn was neither shocked nor displeased; nor was she
disappointed; but a certain faint feeling of being ill-used by
circumstances came over her. "Dear me;--the very first day!" she
said.

"It's because he wouldn't go to Lady Linlithgow's," said Amelia. "He
has only waited, mamma."

"But the very first day!" exclaimed Lady Fawn. "I hope Lucy will be
happy;--that's all."

There was a great meeting of all the Fawns, as soon as Lady Fawn and
the eldest girls were in the house. Mr. Greystock had been walking
about the grounds with Lucy for the