ccount requiring peculiar
attention.

On this occasion Mr. and Mrs. Hittaway were the guests of old Lady
Pierrepoint, in Dumfries. There was nothing special to recommend Lady
Pierrepoint except that she had a large house and a good income,
and that she liked to have people with her of whom everybody knew
something. So far was Lady Pierrepoint from being high in the
Hittaway world, that Mrs. Hittaway felt herself called upon to
explain to her friends that she was forced to go to Dumdum House by
the duties of old friendship. Dear old Lady Pierrepoint had been
insisting on it for the last ten years. And there was this advantage,
that Dumfriesshire is next to Ayrshire, that Dumdum was not very
far,--some twenty or thirty miles,--from Portray, and that she might
learn something about Lizzie Eustace in her country house.

It was nearly the end of August when the Hittaways left London to
stay an entire month with Lady Pierrepoint. Mr. Hittaway had very
frequently explained his defalcation as to fashion,--in that he was
remaining in London for three weeks after Parliament had broken
up,--by the peculiar exigencies of the Board of Appeals in that year.
To one or two very intimate friends Mrs. Hittaway had hinted that
everything must be made to give way to this horrid business of Fawn's
marriage. "Whatever happens, and at whatever cost, that must be
stopped," she had ventured to say to Lady Glencora Palliser,--who,
however, could hardly be called one of her very intimate friends. "I
don't see it at all," said Lady Glencora. "I think Lady Eustace is
very nice. And why shouldn't she marry Lord Fawn if she's engaged
to him?" "But you have heard of the necklace, Lady Glencora?" "Yes,
I've heard of it. I wish anybody would come to me and try and get my
diamonds! They should hear what I would say." Mrs. Hittaway greatly
admired Lady Glencora, but not the less was she determined to
persevere.

Had Lord Fawn been altogether candid and open with his family at
this time, some trouble might have been saved; for he had almost
altogether resolved that, let the consequences be what they might, he
would not marry Lizzie Eustace. But he was afraid to say this even to
his own sister. He had promised to marry the woman, and he must walk
very warily, or the objurgations of the world would be too many for
him. "It must depend altogether on her conduct, Clara," he had said
when last his sister had persecuted him on the subject. She was
not, howe