I am, with all my heart,
Most affectionately your own

LUCY.

When it was written it did not content her. But the hour was over,
and the letters must go. "I suppose it'll do," she said to herself.
"He'll know what it means." And so the letter was sent.

CHAPTER XVI

Certainly an Heirloom

The burden of his position was so heavy on Lord Fawn's mind that, on
the Monday morning after leaving Fawn Court, he was hardly as true to
the affairs of India as he himself would have wished. He was resolved
to do what was right,--if only he could find out what would be the
right thing in his present difficulty. Not to break his word, not
to be unjust, not to deviate by a hair's breadth from that line of
conduct which would be described as "honourable" in the circle to
which he belonged; not to give his political enemies an opportunity
for calumny,--this was all in all to him. The young widow was very
lovely and very rich, and it would have suited him well to marry her.
It would still suit him well to do so, if she would make herself
amenable to reason and the laws. He had assured himself that he was
very much in love with her, and had already, in his imagination,
received the distinguished heads of his party at Portray Castle.
But he would give all this up,--love, income, beauty, and
castle,--without a doubt, rather than find himself in the mess of
having married a wife who had stolen a necklace, and who would not
make restitution. He might marry her, and insist on giving it up
afterwards; but he foresaw terrible difficulties in the way of such
an arrangement. Lady Eustace was self-willed, and had already told
him that she did not intend to keep the jewels in his house,--but in
her own! What should he do, so that no human being,--not the most
bigoted Tory that ever expressed scorn for a Whig lord,--should be
able to say that he had done wrong? He was engaged to the lady, and
could not simply change his mind and give no reason. He believed in
Mr. Camperdown; but he could hardly plead that belief, should he
hereafter be accused of heartless misconduct. For aught he knew,
Lady Eustace might bring an action against him for breach of
promise, and obtain a verdict and damages, and annihilate him as an
Under-Secretary. How should he keep his hands quite clean?

Frank Greystock was, as far as he knew, Lizzie's nearest relative
in London. The dean was her uncle, but then the dean was down
at Bobsborough. It might b