ught him with her, with the
idea of deriving some support from his presence; but if Sir Tom had
nothing to do with it, clearly on much stronger grounds neither had her
brother. She turned round and cast a hurried warning glance at him. She
had herself no words ready to reply to the lawyer's gibe. She would
neither defend herself as from a grave accusation, nor reply in the same
tone. "Mr. Rushton," she said faltering, "I don't think we need argue,
need we? I have put down all the particulars. You know about it as well
as I do. It is not for pleasure. If you think it is right, you will
inquire about the gentleman--otherwise--I don't think there need be any
more to say."

"I will talk it over with Sir Tom," said Mr. Rushton, feeling that he
had found the only argument by which to manage this young woman. He even
chuckled a little to himself at the thought. "Evidently," he said to
himself, "she is afraid of Sir Tom, and he knows nothing about this. He
will soon put a stop to it." He added aloud, "My dear Lady Randolph,
this is far too serious a matter to be dismissed so summarily. You are
young and very inexperienced. Of course I know all about it, and so does
Sir Thomas. We will talk it over between us, and no doubt we will manage
to decide upon some course that will harmonise everything."

Lucy looked at him with grave suspicion. "I don't know," she said, "what
there is to be harmonised, Mr. Rushton. There is a thing which I have to
do, and I have shrunk from it for a long time; but I cannot do so any
longer."

"Look here," said Jock, "it's Lucy's affair, it's nobody else's. Just
you look at her paper and do what she says."

"My young friend," said the lawyer blandly, "that is capital advice for
yourself: I hope you always do what your sister says."

"Most times I do," said Jock; "not that it's your business to tell me.
But you know very well you'll have to do it. No one has got any right to
interfere with her. She has more sense than a dozen. She has got the
right on her side. You may do what you please, but you know very well
you can't stop her--neither you, nor Sir Tom, nor the old lady, nor one
single living creature; and you know it," said Jock. He confronted Mr.
Rushton with lowering brows, and with an angry sparkle in his deep-set
eyes. Lucy was half proud of and half alarmed by her champion.

"Oh hush, Jock!" she cried. "You must not speak; you are only a boy. You
must beg Mr. Rushton's pardon for speaking