made when that odious old
harridan had come in and disturbed everything. Indeed, the offer had
been all but made. She had felt the premonitory flutter, had asked
herself the important question,--and had answered it. She had told
herself that the thing would do. Frank was not the exact hero that
her fancy had painted,--but he was sufficiently heroic. Everybody
said that he would work his way up to the top of the tree, and become
a rich man. At any rate she had resolved;--and then Lady Linlithgow
had come in! Surely he would come on the Sunday.

He did not come on the Sunday, but Lord Fawn did come. Immediately
after morning church Lord Fawn declared his intention of returning at
once from Fawn Court to town. He was very silent at breakfast, and
his sisters surmised that he was still angry with poor Lucy. Lucy,
too, was unlike herself,--was silent, sad, and oppressed. Lady Fawn
was serious, and almost solemn;--so that there was little even of
holy mirth at Fawn Court on that Sunday morning. The whole family,
however, went to church, and immediately on their return Lord Fawn
expressed his intention of returning to town. All the sisters felt
that an injury had been done to them by Lucy. It was only on Sundays
that their dinner-table was graced by the male member of the family,
and now he was driven away. "I am sorry that you are going to desert
us, Frederic," said Lady Fawn. Lord Fawn muttered something as to
absolute necessity, and went. The afternoon was very dreary at Fawn
Court. Nothing was said on the subject; but there was still the
feeling that Lucy had offended. At four o'clock on that Sunday
afternoon Lord Fawn was closeted with Lady Eustace.

The "closeting" consisted simply in the fact that Miss Macnulty was
not present. Lizzie fully appreciated the pleasure, and utility, and
general convenience of having a companion, but she had no scruple
whatever in obtaining absolute freedom for herself when she desired
it. "My dear," she would say, "the best friends in the world
shouldn't always be together; should they? Wouldn't you like to
go to the Horticultural?" Then Miss Macnulty would go to the
Horticultural,--or else up into her own bed-room. When Lizzie was
beginning to wax wrathful again because Frank Greystock did not come,
Lord Fawn made his appearance. "How kind this is," said Lizzie. "I
thought you were always at Richmond on Sundays."

"I have just come up from my mother's," said Lord Fawn, twiddling his
ha