"Do you go and manage it with
her." There was not a word more said. Sir Thomas did not always have
his own way in his family. What man was ever happy enough to do that?
But he was seldom directly contradicted. Lady Tringle when the order
was given pursed up her lips, and he, had he been observant, might
have known that she did not intend to have Ayala if she could help
it. But he was not observant,--except as to millions.

When Sir Thomas was gone, Lady Tringle discussed the matter with
Lucy. "Of course, my dear," she said, "if we could make dear Ayala
happy--"

"I don't think she will come, Aunt Emmeline."

"Not come!" This was not said at all in a voice of anger, but simply
as eliciting some further expression of opinion.

"She's afraid of--Tom." Lucy had never hitherto expressed a positive
opinion on that matter at Queen's Gate. When Augusta had spoken of
Ayala as having run after Tom, Lucy had been indignant, and had
declared that the running had been all on the other side. In a side
way she had hinted that Ayala, at any rate at present, was far from
favourable to Tom's suit. But she had never yet spoken out her mind
at Queen's Gate as Ayala had spoken it to her.

"Afraid of him?" said Aunt Emmeline.

"I mean that she is not a bit in love with him, and when a girl is
like that I suppose she is--is afraid of a man, if everybody else
wants her to marry him."

"Why should everybody want her to marry Tom?" asked Lady Tringle,
indignantly. "I am sure I don't want her."

"I suppose it is Uncle Tom, and Aunt Dosett, and Uncle Reginald,"
said poor Lucy, finding that she had made a mistake.

"I don't see why anybody should want her to marry Tom. Tom is carried
away by her baby face, and makes a fool of himself. As to everybody
wanting her, I hope she does not flatter herself that there is
anything of the kind."

"I only meant that I think she would rather not be brought here,
where she would have to see him daily."

After this the loan of the carriage was at last made, and Lucy was
allowed to visit her sister at the Crescent. "Has he been there?" was
almost the first question that Ayala asked.

"What he do you mean?"

"Isadore Hamel."

"No; I have not seen him since I met him in the Park. But I do not
want to talk about Mr. Hamel, Ayala. Mr. Hamel is nothing."

"Oh, Lucy."

"He is nothing. Had he been anything, he has gone, and there would be
an end to it. But he is nothing."

"If a man is true he may