L10,000 a year than to have to wish for
L500. Lady Fawn could talk excellent sense on this subject by the
hour, and always admitted that much was due to a governess who knew
her place and did her duty. She was very fond of Lucy Morris, and
treated her dependent with affectionate consideration;--but she did
not approve of visits from Mr. Frank Greystock. Lucy, blushing up
to the eyes, had once declared that she desired to have no personal
visitors at Lady Fawn's house; but that, as regarded her own
friendships, the matter was one for her own bosom. "Dear Miss
Morris," Lady Fawn had said, "we understand each other so perfectly,
and you are so good, that I am quite sure everything will be as it
ought to be." Lady Fawn lived down at Richmond all the year through,
in a large old-fashioned house with a large old-fashioned garden,
called Fawn Court. After that speech of hers to Lucy, Frank Greystock
did not call again at Fawn Court for many months, and it is possible
that her ladyship had said a word also to him. But Lady Eustace, with
her pretty little pair of grey ponies, would sometimes drive down to
Richmond to see her "dear little old friend" Lucy, and her visits
were allowed. Lady Fawn had expressed an opinion among her daughters
that she did not see any harm in Lady Eustace. She thought that she
rather liked Lady Eustace. But then Lady Fawn hated Lady Linlithgow
as only two old women can hate each other;--and she had not heard the
story of the diamond necklace.

Lucy Morris certainly was a treasure,--a treasure though no heroine.
She was a sweetly social, genial little human being whose presence in
the house was ever felt to be like sunshine. She was never forward,
but never bashful. She was always open to familiar intercourse
without ever putting herself forward. There was no man or woman with
whom she would not so talk as to make the man or woman feel that
the conversation was remarkably pleasant,--and she could do the
same with any child. She was an active, mindful, bright, energetic
little thing to whom no work ever came amiss. She had catalogued
the library,--which had been collected by the late Lord Fawn with
peculiar reference to the Christian theology of the third and fourth
centuries. She had planned the new flower-garden,--though Lady Fawn
thought that she had done that herself. She had been invaluable
during Clara Fawn's long illness. She knew every rule at croquet,
and could play piquet. When the girls got