excuse himself--without reason?"

"Because he is afraid. People have got hold of him and told him lies,
and he thinks there will be a scrape about this necklace, and he
hates a scrape. He'll marry her at last, without a doubt, and Lady
Fawn is only making trouble for herself by trying to prevent it. You
can't do anything."

"Oh no;--I can't do anything. When she was here it became at last
quite disagreeable. She hardly spoke to them, and I'm sure that even
the servants understood that there was a quarrel." She did not say a
word of Lizzie's offer of the brooch to herself, nor of the stories
which by degrees were reaching her ears as to the old debts, and the
diamonds, and the young bride's conduct to Lady Linlithgow as soon as
she married her grand husband, Sir Florian. She did think badly of
Lizzie, and could not but regret that her own noble, generous Frank
should have to expend his time and labour on a friend unworthy of his
friendship; but there was no shade of jealousy in her feeling, and
she uttered no word against Lizzie more bitter than that in which she
declared that there was a difference between people.

And then there was something said as to their own prospects in life.
Lucy at once and with vehemence declared that she did not look for or
expect an immediate marriage. She did not scruple to tell him that
she knew well how difficult was the task before him, and that it
might be essential for his interest that he should remain as he was
for a year or two. He was astonished to find how completely she
understood his position, and how thoroughly she sympathised with his
interests. "There is only one thing I couldn't do for you," she said.

"And what is the one thing?"

"I couldn't give you up. I almost thought that I ought to refuse you
because I can do nothing,--nothing to help you. But there will always
come a limit to self-denial. I couldn't do that! Could I?"

The reader will know how this question was answered, and will not
want to be told of the long, close, clinging, praiseworthy kiss with
which the young barrister assured her that would have been on her
part an act of self-denial which would to him have been absolutely
ruinous. It was agreed, however, between them, that Lady Fawn should
be told that they did not propose to marry till some time in the
following year, and that she should be formally asked to allow Lucy
to have a home at Fawn Court in the interval.

CHAPTER XIX

"As My Broth