el Tempest. The contents of Lady
Verner's annoyed her, and the contents of Lucy's annoyed _her_.

It appeared that some considerable time back, nearly, if not quite,
twelve months, Lucy had privately written to Colonel Tempest, urgently
requesting to be allowed to go out to join him. She gave no reason or
motive for the request, but urged it strongly. That letter, in
consequence of the moving about of Colonel Tempest, had only just
reached him; and now had arrived the answer to it. He told Lucy that he
should very shortly be returning to Europe; therefore it was useless for
her to think of going out.

So far, so good. However Lucy might have been vexed or disappointed at
the reply--and she was both; still more at the delay which had taken
place--there the matter would have ended. But Colonel Tempest, having no
idea that Lady Verner was a stranger to this request; inferring, on the
contrary, that she was a party to it, and must, therefore, be growing
tired of her charge, had also written to her an elaborate apology for
leaving Lucy so long upon her hands, and for being unable to comply with
her wish to be relieved of her. This enlightened Lady Verner as to what
Lucy had done.

She was very angry. She was worse than angry; she was mortified. And she
questioned Lucy a great deal more closely than that young lady liked, as
to what her motive could have been, and why she was tired of Deerham
Court.

Lucy, all self-conscious of the motive by which she had been really
actuated, stood before her like a culprit. "I am not tired of Deerham
Court, Lady Verner. But I wished to be with papa."

"Which is equivalent to saying that you wish to be away from me,"
retorted my lady. "I ask you why?"

"Indeed, Lady Verner, I am pleased to be with you; I like to be with
you. It was not to be away from you that I wrote. It is a long while
since I saw papa; so long, that I seem to have forgotten what he is
like."

"Can you assure me, in all open truth, that the wish to be with Colonel
Tempest was your sole reason for writing, unbiassed by any private
feeling touching Deerham?" returned Lady Verner, searching her face
keenly. "I charge you answer me, Lucy."

Lucy could not answer that it was her sole reason, unless she told an
untruth. Her eyes fell under the gaze bent upon her.

"I see," said Lady Verner. "You need not equivocate more. Is it to me
that you have taken a dislike? or to any part of my arrangements?"

"Believe me, dea