this house. That is all. I will not have him
here on any pretence whatsoever."

"I thought not, Aunt Emmeline, and therefore I have told you."

"Do you mean that you will make an appointment with him elsewhere?"

"Certainly not. I have not in fact ever made an appointment with him.
I do not know his address. Till yesterday I thought that he was in
Rome. I never had a line from him in my life, and of course have
never written to him." Upon hearing all this Lady Tringle sat in
silence, not quite knowing how to carry on the conversation. The
condition of Lucy's mind was so strange to her, that she felt herself
to be incompetent to dictate. She could only resolve that under no
circumstances should the objectionable man be allowed into her house.
"Now, Aunt Emmeline," said Lucy, "I have told you everything. Of
course you have a right to order, but I also have some right. You
told me I was to drop Mr. Hamel, but I cannot drop him. If he comes
in my way I certainly shall not drop him. If he comes here I shall
see him if I can. If you and Uncle Tom choose to turn me out of
course you can do so."

"I shall tell your uncle all about it," said Aunt Emmeline, angrily,
"and then you will hear what he says." And so the conversation was
ended.

At that moment Sir Thomas was, of course, in the City managing his
millions, and as Lucy herself had suggested that Mr. Hamel might not
improbably call on that very day, and as she was quite determined
that Mr. Hamel should not enter the doors of the house in Queen's
Gate, it was necessary that steps should be taken at once. Some hours
afterwards Mr. Hamel did call and asked for Miss Dormer. The door was
opened by a well-appointed footman, who, with lugubrious face,--with
a face which spoke much more eloquently than his words,--declared
that Miss Dormer was not at home. In answer to further inquiries he
went on to express an opinion that Miss Dormer never would be at
home;--from all which it may be seen that Aunt Emmeline had taken
strong measures to carry out her purpose. Hamel, when he heard his
fate thus plainly spoken from the man's mouth, turned away, not
doubting its meaning. He had seen Lucy's face in the park, and had
seen also Lady Tringle's gesture after his greeting. That Lady
Tringle should not be disposed to receive him at her house was not
matter of surprise to him.

When Lucy went to bed that night she did not doubt that Mr. Hamel had
called, and that he had been turned