up charades they had to
acknowledge that everything depended on Miss Morris. They were
good-natured, plain, unattractive girls, who spoke of her to her face
as one who could easily do anything to which she might put her hand.
Lady Fawn did really love her. Lord Fawn, the eldest son, a young man
of about thirty-five, a Peer of Parliament and an Under-Secretary
of State,--very prudent and very diligent,--of whom his mother and
sisters stood in great awe, consulted her frequently and made no
secret of his friendship. The mother knew her awful son well, and was
afraid of nothing wrong in that direction. Lord Fawn had suffered a
disappointment in love, but he had consoled himself with blue-books,
and mastered his passion by incessant attendance at the India Board.
The lady he had loved had been rich, and Lord Fawn was poor; but
nevertheless he had mastered his passion. There was no fear that his
feelings towards the governess would become too warm;--nor was it
likely that Miss Morris should encounter danger in regard to him. It
was quite an understood thing in the family that Lord Fawn must marry
money.

Lucy Morris was indeed a treasure. No brighter face ever looked into
another to seek sympathy there, either in mirth or woe. There was a
gleam in her eyes that was almost magnetic, so sure was she to obtain
by it that community of interest which she desired,--though it were
but for a moment. Lord Fawn was pompous, slow, dull, and careful;
but even he had given way to it at once. Lady Fawn, too, was very
careful, but she had owned to herself long since that she could not
bear to look forward to any permanent severance. Of course Lucy would
be made over to the Hittaways, whose mother lived in Warwick Square,
and whose father was Chairman of the Board of Civil Appeals. The
Hittaways were the only grandchildren with whom Lady Fawn had as yet
been blessed, and of course Lucy must go to the Hittaways.

She was but a little thing;--and it cannot be said of her, as of Lady
Eustace, that she was a beauty. The charm of her face consisted in
the peculiar, watery brightness of her eyes,--in the corners of which
it would always seem that a diamond of a tear was lurking whenever
any matter of excitement was afoot. Her light-brown hair was soft
and smooth and pretty. As hair it was very well, but it had no
speciality. Her mouth was somewhat large, but full of ever-varying
expression. Her forehead was low and broad, with prominent temples