yourself on his Lordship, Lord Northmoor's family?'

Mary, entirely taken by surprise, could only falter, 'I can only do
whatever he wishes.'

'That is just a mere pretence. I wonder you are not ashamed to play on
his honourable feelings, when you know everything is changed, and that it
is absolutely ridiculous and derogatory for a peer of the realm to stoop
to a mere drudge of a teacher.'

'It is,' owned Mary; but she went back to her formulary, 'it must be as
he wishes.'

'If he is infatuated enough to pretend to wish it, I tell you it is your
simple duty to refuse him.'

Whatever might be Mary's own views of her duty, to have it inculcated in
such a manner stirred her whole soul into opposition, which was shown,
not in words, but in a tiny curve of the lips, such as infuriated her
visitor, so that vulgarity and violence were under no restraint, and
whether all self-command was lost in passion, or whether there was an
idea that bullying might gain the day, Mrs. Morton's voice rose into a
shrill scream as she denounced the nasty, mean-spirited viper, worming
herself--

The folding doors suddenly opened and in a dignified tone Miss Lang
announced, 'Lady Kenton wishes to be introduced to you, Miss Marshall.'

Mary made her little formal bend as well as her trembling limbs would
allow her. Her cheeks were hot, her eyes swam, her hand shook as Lady
Kenton took it kindly, while Mrs. Morton, too strong in her own
convictions to perceive how the land lay, exclaimed, 'Your Ladyship is
come for the same purpose as me, to let Miss Marshall know how
detrimental and improper it is in her to persist in holding my brother,
Lord Northmoor, to the unfortunate engagement she inveigled him into.'

To utter this with moderate coolness cost such an effort that she thought
Mr. Rollstone could not have done it better, and was astonished when Lady
Kenton replied, 'Indeed, I came to have the pleasure of congratulating
Miss Marshall on, if it be not impertinent to say so, a beautiful and
rare perseverance and constancy being rewarded.'

'As if she had not known what she was about,' muttered Mrs. Morton, not
even yet quite confounded, but as she saw the lady lay another hand over
that of still trembling Mary, she added, 'Well, if that is the case, my
lady, and she is to be encouraged in her obstinacy, I have no more to
say, except that it is a cruel shame on his poor dear brother's children,
that--that he has made so much of, and ha