put a stop to--what you thought right."

Lucy had overcome herself, though with a painful effort. She followed
with a quivering humility what he was saying. She acknowledged to
herself that this was, indeed, the great thing in her life, and that it
was only her childishness and foolishness which had made her place other
matters in the chief place. Most likely, she said to herself, Tom was
not aware of anything that required explanation; he would never think it
possible that she could be so ungracious and unkind as to grudge his
guests their place in his house. She gathered herself up hastily to meet
him when he entered upon the great question which was far more
important, which was indeed the only question between them. "I know,"
she said, "that you were always kind, Tom. If I did not ask you first it
was because----"

"We need not enter upon that, my dear. I was angry, and went too far. At
the same time, Lucy, it is a mad affair altogether. Your father himself,
had he realised the difficulty of carrying it out, would have seen this.
I only say so to let you know my opinion is unchanged. And you know
your trustees are of the same mind. But if you think this is your duty,
as I am sure you do----"

It seemed to Lucy that her duty had sailed far away from her on some sea
of strange distance and dullness where she could scarcely keep it in
sight. Her own very voice seemed strange and dull to her and far away,
as she said almost mechanically: "I do think it is my duty--to my
father----"

"I am aware that you think so, my love. As you get older you will,
perhaps, see as I do--that to carry out the spirit of your father's will
would be better than to follow so closely the letter of it. But you are
still very young, and Jock is younger; and, fortunately, you can afford
to indulge a freak of this sort. I shall let Mr. Rushton know that I
withdraw all opposition. And now, give me a kiss, and let us forget that
there ever was any controversy between us--it never went further than a
controversy, did it, darling?" Sir Tom said.

Lucy could not speak for the moment. She looked up into his face with
her eyes all liquid with tears, and a great confusion in her soul. Was
this all? as he kissed her, and smiled, leaning over her in the old kind
way, with a tenderness that was half-fatherly and indulgent to her
weakness, she did not seem at all sure what it was that had moved like a
ghost between him and her; was it in reality only t