—which
,
of
all
things
in
the
world
,
was
surely
the
last
thing
to
have
been
expected
of
Miss
Marjoribanks
at
the
moment
which
decided
her
fate
.
Lucilla
cried
,
and
acquiesced
,
and
thought
of
her
father
and
of
the
Member
for
Carlingford
,
and
gave
to
each
a
tear
and
a
regret
;
and
she
did
not
even
take
the
trouble
to
answer
any
question
,
or
to
think
who
it
was
she
was
leaning
on
.
It
was
to
be
Tom
after
all
—
after
all
the
archdeacons
,
doctors
,
generals
,
members
of
Parliament
—
after
the
ten
years
and
more
in
which
she
had
not
gone
off
—
after
the
poor
old
Doctor
's
grudge
against
the
nephew
whom
he
did
not
wish
to
inherit
his
wealth
,
and
Aunt
Jemima
's
quiet
wiles
,
and
attempt
to
disappoint
her
boy
.
Fate
and
honest
love
had
been
waiting
all
the
time
till
their
moment
came
;
and
now
it
was
not
even
necessary
to
say
anything
about
it
.
The
fact
was
so
clear
that
it
did
not
require
stating
.
It
was
to
be
Tom
after
all
.
To
do
him
justice
,
Tom
behaved
at
this
moment
,
in
which
affairs
were
left
in
his
hands
,
as
if
he
had
been
training
for
it
all
his
life
.
Perhaps
it
was
the
first
time
in
which
he
had
done
anything
absolutely
without
a
blunder
.
He
had
wasted
no
time
,
and
no
words
,
and
left
no
room
for
consideration
,
or
for
that
natural
relenting
towards
his
rival
which
was
inevitable
as
soon
as
Mr
Ashburton
was
off
the
field
.
He
had
insisted
,
and
he
had
perceived
that
there
was
but
one
alternative
for
Lucilla
.
Now
that
all
was
over
,
he
took
her
back
to
her
seat
,
and
comforted
her
,
and
made
no
offensive
demonstrations
of
triumph
.
"
It
is
to
be
me
after
all
!
"
he
repeated
;
and
it
was
utterly
impossible
to
add
anything
to
the
eloquent
brevity
of
this
succinct
statement
of
the
case
.
"
Tom
,
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
when
she
had
a
little
recovered
,
"
if
it
is
to
be
you
,
that
is
no
reason
why
you
should
be
so
unnatural
.
Go
up
directly
and
see
your
mother
.
What
will
Aunt
Jemima
think
of
me
if
she
knows
I
have
let
you
stay
talking
nonsense
here
?
"
"
Yes
,
Lucilla
—
this
moment
,
"
said
Tom
;
but
all
the
same
he
showed
not
the
slightest
inclination
to
go
away
.
He
did
not
quite
believe
in
it
as
yet
,
and
could
not
help
feeling
as
if
,
should
he
venture
to
leave
her
,
the
whole
fabric
of
his
incredible
good
fortune
must
dissolve
and
melt
away
.
As
for
Lucilla
,
her
self-possession
gradually
came
back
to
her
when
the
crisis
was
over
,
and
she
felt
that
her
involuntary
abdication
had
lasted
long
enough
,
and
that
it
was
full
time
to
take
the
management
of
affairs
back
into
her
own
hands
.
"
You
shall
go
now
,
"
she
said
,
drying
her
eyes
,
"
or
else
you
cannot
stay
here
.
I
thought
of
letting
you
stay
in
the
house
,
as
Aunt
Jemima
is
with
me
;
but
if
you
do
not
mean
to
go
and
tell
your
mother
,
I
will
tell
Nancy
to
send
your
things
up
to
the
Blue
Boar
.
Ring
the
bell
,
please
;
if
you
will
not
ring
the
bell
,
I
will
do
it
myself
,
Tom
.
You
may
say
what
you
like
,
but
I
know
you
are
famishing
;
and
Aunt
Jemima
is
in
the
blue
room
,
next
door
to
—
—
Oh
,
here
is
Nancy
.
It
is
Mr
Tom
,
who
has
come
home
,
"
said
Lucilla
hastily
,
not
without
a
rising
colour
;
for
it
was
hard
to
explain
why
,
when
his
mother
was
in
the
blue
room
all
this
time
,
he
should
have
stayed
here
.
"
Yes
,
Miss
Lucilla
—
so
I
heard
,
"
said
Nancy
,
dropping
a
doubtful
curtsey
.
And
then
only
Tom
was
persuaded
,
and
bethought
himself
of
his
natural
duty
,
and
rushed
upstairs
.
He
seized
Nancy
's
hand
,
and
shook
it
violently
,
as
he
passed
her
,
to
her
great
consternation
.
The
moment
of
his
supremacy
was
over
.
It
was
to
be
Tom
after
all
;
but
Lucilla
had
recovered
her
self-possession
,
and
taken
the
helm
in
her
hand
again
,
and
Tom
was
master
of
the
situation
no
more
.
"
Yes
,
it
is
Mr
Tom
,
"
said
Lucilla
,
shaking
her
head
with
something
between
a
smile
and
a
sigh
.
"
It
could
be
nobody
but
him
that
would
ring
that
bell
,
and
upset
all
the
cards
.
I
hope
he
has
not
broken
dear
papa
's
punch-bowl
that
he
used
to
be
so
fond
of
.
He
must
have
something
to
eat
,
Nancy
,
though
he
is
such
an
awkward
boy
.
"
"
I
do
n't
see
nothing
like
a
boy
in
him
,
"
said
Nancy
;
"
he
's
big
and
stout
,
and
one
o
'
them
awful
beards
.
There
's
been
a
deal
of
changes
since
he
went
away
;
but
if
he
's
new
comed
off
that
terrible
long
journey
,
it
is
but
natural
,
as
you
say
,
Miss
Lucilla
,
that
he
should
want
something
to
eat
.
"
And
then
Miss
Marjoribanks
made
various
suggestions
,
which
were
received
still
doubtfully
by
her
prime
minister
.
Nancy
,
to
tell
the
truth
,
did
not
like
the
turn
things
were
taking
.
Lucilla
's
maiden
household
had
been
on
the
whole
getting
along
very
comfortably
,
and
there
was
no
telling
how
long
it
might
have
lasted
without
any
new
revolution
.
To
be
sure
,
Mr
Ashburton
had
looked
dangerous
,
but
Nancy
had
seen
a
great
many
dangers
of
that
kind
blow
over
,
and
was
not
easily
alarmed
.
Mr
Tom
,
however
,
was
a
very
different
person
;
and
Nancy
was
sufficiently
penetrating
to
see
that
something
had
happened
.
Therefore
,
she
received
very
coldly
Lucilla
's
suggestions
about
lunch
.
"
It
ai
n't
like
the
old
times
,
"
she
said
at
last
,
"
when
there
was
always
something
as
one
could
put
to
the
fire
in
a
hurry
;
"
and
Nancy
stood
turning
round
the
handle
of
the
door
in
her
hand
,
and
contemplating
the
changed
state
of
affairs
with
a
sigh
.
"
That
would
be
all
very
true
if
you
were
like
anybody
else
,
"
said
Lucilla
;
"
but
I
hope
you
would
not
like
to
send
Mr
Tom
off
to
the
Blue
Boar
.
After
all
,
perhaps
it
is
better
to
have
a
—
a
gentleman
in
the
house
.
I
know
you
always
used
to
think
so
.
They
are
a
great
deal
of
trouble
;
but
—
for
some
things
,
you
know
—
—
"
said
Lucilla
;
"
and
then
Mr
Tom
is
not
just
like
other
people
;
and
whatever
happens
,
Nancy
,
you
are
an
old
dear
,
and
it
shall
never
make
any
difference
between
you
and
me
.
"
When
she
had
said
these
words
,
Lucilla
gave
her
faithful
servant
a
hug
,
and
sent
her
off
to
look
after
Tom
Marjoribanks
's
meal
;
and
then
she
herself
went
half-way
downstairs
and
picked
up
the
cards
that
were
still
scattered
about
the
landing
,
and
found
with
satisfaction
that
the
Doctor
's
old
punch-bowl
was
not
broken
.
All
Tom
's
things
were
lying
below
in
the
hall
—
heaps
of
queer
Indian-looking
baggage
—
tossed
down
anyhow
in
a
corner
,
as
if
the
owner
had
been
in
much
too
great
a
hurry
to
think
of
any
secondary
circumstances
.
"
And
it
was
there
he
met
poor
Mr
Ashburton
,
"
said
Lucilla
to
herself
,
with
a
certain
pathos
.
There
it
was
indeed
that
the
encounter
had
taken
place
.
They
had
seen
each
other
but
for
a
moment
,
but
that
moment
had
been
enough
to
send
the
Member
for
Carlingford
away
dejected
,
and
to
impress
upon
Tom
's
mind
the
alternative
that
it
was
either
to
be
"
him
or
me
.
"
Miss
Marjoribanks
contemplated
the
spot
with
a
certain
tender
sentimental
interest
,
as
any
gentle
moralist
might
look
at
a
field
of
battle
.
What
feelings
must
have
been
in
the
minds
of
the
two
as
they
met
and
looked
at
each
other
!
What
a
dread
sense
of
disappointment
on
the
one
side
;
what
sharp
stimulation
on
the
other
!
Thus
Lucilla
stood
and
looked
down
from
her
own
landing
upon
the
scene
of
that
encounter
,
full
of
pensive
interest
.
And
now
it
was
all
over
,
and
Mr
Ashburton
had
passed
away
as
completely
as
Mr
Chiltern
,
who
was
in
his
grave
,
poor
man
;
or
Mr
Cavendish
,
who
was
going
to
marry
Barbara
Lake
.
The
thought
of
so
sudden
a
revolution
made
Lucilla
giddy
as
she
went
thoughtfully
upstairs
.
Poor
Mr
Ashburton
!
It
hardly
seemed
real
even
to
Miss
Marjoribanks
when
she
sat
down
again
in
the
drawing-room
,
and
confessed
to
herself
that
,
after
all
,
it
was
to
be
Tom
.
But
when
he
came
downstairs
again
with
his
mother
,
Lucilla
was
quite
herself
,
and
had
got
over
all
her
weakness
.
Aunt
Jemima
,
for
her
part
,
was
in
a
very
agitated
state
of
mind
.
Tom
had
come
too
soon
or
Mr
Ashburton
too
late
,
and
all
the
fruits
of
her
little
bit
of
treachery
were
accordingly
lost
,
and
at
the
same
time
,
the
treachery
itself
remained
,
revealed
at
least
to
one
person
in
the
very
clearest
light
.
It
did
not
seem
possible
to
Aunt
Jemima
that
Lucilla
would
not
tell
.
If
she
had
not
done
it
now
,
in
the
excitement
of
the
moment
,
at
least
it
would
come
out
some
time
when
she
was
least
expecting
it
,
and
her
son
's
esteem
and
confidence
would
be
lost
.
Therefore
it
was
with
a
very
blank
countenance
that
Mrs
John
Marjoribanks
came
downstairs
.
She
dared
not
say
a
word
,
and
she
had
to
kiss
her
niece
,
and
take
her
to
her
maternal
bosom
,
Tom
looking
on
all
the
while
;
but
she
gave
Lucilla
a
look
that
was
pitiful
to
see
.
And
when
Tom
finally
was
dismissed
to
his
room
,
to
open
his
trunks
,
and
show
the
things
he
had
brought
home
,
Aunt
Jemima
drew
near
her
future
daughter
with
wistful
guiltiness
.
There
was
no
comfort
to
her
in
the
thought
of
the
India
shawl
,
which
her
son
had
gone
to
find
.
Any
day
,
any
hour
,
Lucilla
might
tell
;
and
if
the
unlucky
mother
were
put
on
her
defence
,
what
could
she
say
?
"
Lucilla
,
"
said
the
guilty
woman
,
under
her
breath
,
"
I
am
sure
you
think
it
very
strange
.
I
do
n't
attempt
to
deceive
you
.
I
ca
n't
tell
you
how
thankful
and
glad
I
am
that
it
has
all
ended
so
well
;
but
you
know
,
Lucilla
,
in
the
first
place
,
I
did
not
know
what
your
feelings
were
;
and
I
thought
,
perhaps
,
that
if
anything
would
tell
,
it
would
be
a
surprise
,
and
then
—
—
"
"
Did
you
,
Aunt
Jemima
?
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
with
gentle
wonder
.
"
I
thought
you
had
been
thinking
of
Mr
Ashburton
,
for
my
part
.
"
"
And
so
I
was
,
Lucilla
,
"
said
the
poor
lady
,
with
great
relief
and
eagerness
.
"
I
thought
he
was
coming
forward
,
and
of
course
he
would
have
been
a
far
better
match
than
my
Tom
.
I
had
to
think
for
you
both
,
my
dear
.
And
then
I
never
knew
what
your
feelings
were
,
nor
if
you
would
care
;
and
then
it
was
not
as
if
there
had
been
a
day
fixed
—
—
"
"
Dear
Aunt
Jemima
,
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
"
if
you
are
pleased
now
,
what
does
it
matter
?
but
I
do
hope
you
are
pleased
now
?
"
And
Mrs
John
took
her
niece
into
her
arms
again
this
time
with
better
will
,
and
cried
.
"
I
am
as
happy
as
ever
I
can
be
,
"
said
the
inconsistent
mother
.
"
I
always
knew
you
were
fond
of
each
other
,
Lucilla
;
before
you
knew
it
yourselves
,
I
saw
what
would
come
of
it
.
But
my
poor
brother-in-law
—
—
And
you
will
make
my
boy
happy
,
and
never
turn
him
against
his
mother
,
"
cried
the
repentant
sinner
.
Lucilla
was
not
the
woman
to
resist
such
an
appeal
.
Mrs
John
had
meant
truly
enough
towards
her
in
other
ways
,
if
not
in
this
way
;
and
Miss
Marjoribanks
was
fond
of
her
aunt
,
and
it
ended
in
a
kiss
of
peace
freely
bestowed
,
and
a
vow
of
protection
and
guidance
from
the
strong
to
the
weak
,
though
the
last
was
only
uttered
in
the
protectress
's
liberal
heart
.
Chapter
LI
When
Miss
Marjoribanks
had
time
to
consider
the
prospect
which
had
thus
so
suddenly
opened
before
her
,
it
also
had
its
difficulties
,
like
everything
else
in
the
world
.
Her
marriage
now
could
not
be
the
straightforward
business
it
might
have
been
had
it
been
Mr
Ashburton
instead
of
Tom
.
In
that
case
she
would
have
gone
to
an
established
house
and
life
—
to
take
her
place
in
the
one
and
her
share
in
the
other
,
and
to
find
the
greater
part
of
her
surroundings
and
duties
already
fixed
for
her
,
which
was
a
thing
that
would
have
very
greatly
simplified
the
matter
.
But
Tom
,
who
had
dashed
home
from
India
at
full
speed
as
soon
as
he
heard
of
his
uncle
's
death
,
had
left
his
profession
behind
him
at
Calcutta
,
and
had
nothing
to
do
in
England
,
and
was
probably
too
old
to
resume
his
(
non
)
practice
at
the
bar
,
even
if
he
had
been
in
the
least
disposed
to
do
so
;
while
,
at
the
same
time
,
an
idle
man
—
a
man
to
be
found
everlastingly
at
home
—
would
have
been
insupportable
to
Lucilla
.
Miss
Marjoribanks
might
feel
disposed
(
for
everybody
's
good
)
to
assume
the
sovereign
authority
in
her
own
house
,
but
to
marry
anybody
that
would
be
merely
an
appendage
to
her
was
a
thing
not
to
be
thought
of
;
and
as
soon
as
the
first
preliminaries
were
arranged
her
active
mind
sprang
up
with
redoubled
vigour
from
the
maze
in
which
it
had
been
.
Her
intelligence
had
suspended
,
so
to
speak
,
all
its
ordinary
operations
for
twenty-four
hours
at
least
,
while
it
was
busy
investigating
the
purely
personal
question
:
from
the
moment
when
the
Member
for
Carlingford
was
finally
elected
until
Tom
Marjoribanks
rang
the
night-bell
at
the
old
Doctor
's
door
,
Lucilla
's
thoughts
had
been
in
that
state
of
over-stimulation
and
absorption
which
is
almost
as
bad
as
having
no
power
of
thought
at
all
.
But
as
soon
as
the
pressure
was
removed
—
as
soon
as
it
was
all
over
,
and
the
decision
made
,
and
no
further
question
was
possible
—
then
Miss
Marjoribanks
's
active
mind
sprang
up
with
renewed
energy
.
For
it
was
not
only
a
new
beginning
,
but
everything
had
to
be
settled
and
arranged
.
Her
mind
was
full
of
it
while
her
hands
were
busy
putting
away
all
the
Indian
presents
which
Tom
had
brought
—
presents
which
were
chronological
in
their
character
,
and
which
he
had
begun
to
accumulate
from
the
very
beginning
of
his
exile
.
It
could
not
but
be
touching
to
Lucilla
to
see
how
he
had
thought
of
her
for
all
these
years
;
but
her
mind
being
,
as
everybody
is
aware
,
of
a
nobly
practical
kind
,
her
thoughts
,
instead
of
dallying
with
these
tokens
of
the
past
,
went
forward
with
serious
solicitude
into
the
future
.
The
marriage
could
not
take
place
until
the
year
was
out
;
and
there
was
,
accordingly
,
time
to
arrange
everything
,
and
to
settle
all
the
necessary
preliminaries
to
a
point
as
near
perfection
as
is
possible
to
merely
human
details
.
Tom
,
no
doubt
,
was
very
urgent
and
pressing
,
and
would
have
precipitated
everything
,
and
had
the
whole
business
concluded
to-morrow
,
if
he
could
have
had
his
way
.
But
the
fact
was
that
,
having
once
given
in
to
him
in
the
memorable
way
which
we
have
already
recorded
,
Lucilla
did
not
now
,
so
far
as
the
final
arrangements
were
concerned
,
make
much
account
of
Tom
's
wishes
.
Heaven
be
praised
,
there
was
one
of
the
two
who
knew
what
was
right
and
proper
,
and
was
not
to
be
moved
from
the
correct
path
by
any
absurd
representations
.
Miss
Marjoribanks
was
revolving
all
these
important
questions
when
she
laid
her
hand
by
chance
,
as
people
say
,
upon
the
Carlingford
Gazette
,
all
damp
and
inky
,
which
had
just
been
laid
upon
the
library
table
.
It
contained
,
of
course
,
all
the
news
of
the
election
,
but
Lucilla
was
too
well
acquainted
with
that
beforehand
to
think
of
condescending
to
derive
her
information
from
a
newspaper
.
She
looked
at
the
advertisements
with
an
eye
which
saw
all
that
was
there
without
pausing
upon
anything
in
particular
.
She
saw
the
usual
notice
about
marmalade
oranges
,
and
the
announcement
that
young
Mr
Vincent
,
who
after
that
made
himself
so
well
known
in
Carlingford
,
was
to
preach
the
next
Sunday
in
Salem
Chapel
,
and
all
the
other
important
novelties
in
the
place
;
but
naturally
she
took
but
a
moderate
amount
of
interest
in
such
details
as
these
.
Suddenly
,
however
,
Lucilla
's
eye
,
which
,
if
it
could
ever
be
said
to
be
vacant
,
had
been
regarding
vacantly
the
list
of
advertisements
,
kindled
up
,
and
all
its
usual
energy
and
intelligence
came
back
to
it
.
Her
thoughtful
face
woke
up
as
from
a
dream
.
Her
head
,
which
had
been
drooping
in
pensive
meditation
,
grew
erect
—
her
whole
figure
expanded
.
She
clasped
her
hands
together
,
as
if
in
the
fervour
of
the
moment
,
nobody
else
being
present
,
she
could
not
refrain
from
shaking
hands
with
herself
,
and
giving
vent
to
a
self-congratulation
.
"
It
is
a
special
providence
,
"
said
Lucilla
to
herself
,
with
her
usual
piety
;
and
then
she
folded
up
the
paper
in
a
little
square
,
with
the
announcement
in
the
middle
which
had
struck
her
so
much
,
and
placed
it
where
Tom
could
not
fail
to
see
it
when
he
came
in
,
and
went
upstairs
with
a
new
and
definite
direction
given
to
her
thoughts
.
That
was
how
it
must
be
!
Lucilla
,
for
her
part
,
felt
no
difficulty
in
discerning
the
leadings
of
Providence
,
and
she
could
not
but
appreciate
the
readiness
with
which
her
desires
were
attended
to
,
and
the
prompt
clearing-up
of
her
difficulties
.
There
are
people
whose
inclinations
Providence
does
not
seem
to
superintend
with
such
painstaking
watchfulness
;
but
then
,
no
doubt
,
that
must
be
their
own
fault
.
And
when
Tom
came
in
,
they
had
what
Aunt
Jemima
called
"
one
of
their
discussions
"
about
their
future
life
,
although
the
only
thing
in
it
worthy
consideration
,
so
far
as
Tom
was
concerned
,
seemed
to
be
the
time
when
they
should
be
married
,
which
occupied
at
present
all
that
hero
's
faculties
.
"
Everything
else
will
arrange
itself
after
,
you
know
,
"
he
said
,
with
calm
confidence
.
"
Time
enough
for
all
the
rest
.
The
thing
is
,
Lucilla
,
to
decide
when
you
will
leave
off
those
formalities
,
and
let
It
be
.
Why
should
n't
it
be
now
?
Do
you
think
my
uncle
would
wish
to
keep
us
unhappy
all
for
an
idea
?
"
"
My
dear
Tom
,
I
am
not
in
the
least
unhappy
,
"
said
Lucilla
,
interrupting
him
sweetly
,
"
nor
you
either
,
unless
you
tell
dreadful
stories
;
and
as
for
poor
dear
papa
,
"
Miss
Marjoribanks
added
,
with
a
sigh
,
"
if
we
were
to
do
exactly
as
he
wished
,
I
do
n't
think
It
would
ever
be
.
If
you
were
not
so
foolish
,
you
would
not
oblige
me
to
say
such
things
.
Tom
,
let
us
leave
off
talking
nonsense
—
the
thing
that
we
both
want
is
something
to
do
.
"
"
That
is
what
I
want
,
"
said
Tom
quickly
,
"
but
as
for
you
,
Lucilla
,
you
shall
do
nothing
but
enjoy
yourself
and
take
care
of
yourself
.
The
idea
of
you
wanting
something
to
do
!
"
Miss
Marjoribanks
regarded
her
betrothed
with
mild
and
affectionate
contempt
as
he
thus
delivered
himself
of
his
foolish
sentiments
.
"
It
is
of
no
use
trying
to
make
him
understand
,
"
she
said
,
with
an
air
of
resignation
.
"
Do
you
know
that
I
have
always
been
doing
something
,
and
responsible
for
something
,
all
my
life
?
"
"
Yes
,
my
poor
darling
,
"
said
Tom
,
"
I
know
;
but
now
you
are
in
my
hands
I
mean
to
take
care
of
you
,
Lucilla
;
you
shall
have
no
more
anxiety
or
trouble
.
What
is
the
good
of
a
man
if
he
ca
n't
save
the
woman
he
is
fond
of
from
all
that
?
"
cried
the
honest
fellow
—
and
Lucilla
could
not
but
cast
a
despairing
glance
round
her
,
as
if
appealing
to
heaven
and
earth
.
What
was
to
be
done
with
a
man
who
had
so
little
understanding
of
her
,
and
of
himself
,
and
of
the
eternal
fitness
of
things
?
"
My
dear
Tom
,
"
she
said
once
more
,
mildly
,
"
we
may
have
lost
some
money
,
but
we
are
very
well
off
,
and
Providence
has
been
very
kind
to
us
.
And
there
are
a
great
many
poor
people
in
the
world
who
are
not
so
well
off
.
I
have
always
tried
to
be
of
some
use
to
my
fellow-creatures
,
"
said
Lucilla
,
"
and
I
do
n't
mean
,
whatever
you
may
say
,
to
give
it
up
now
.
"
"
My
dearest
Lucilla
,
if
it
was
the
poor
you
were
thinking
of
—
—
!
I
might
have
known
it
was
something
different
from
my
stupid
notions
,
"
cried
Tom
.
This
kind
of
adoration
was
new
to
Lucilla
,
notwithstanding
her
many
experiences
.
And
he
thought
it
so
good
of
her
to
condescend
to
be
good
,
that
she
could
not
help
thinking
a
little
better
of
herself
than
ordinary
,
though
that
,
perhaps
,
was
not
absolutely
needful
;
and
then
she
proceeded
with
the
elucidation
of
her
views
.
"
I
have
been
of
some
use
to
my
fellow-creatures
in
my
way
,
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
modestly
,
"
but
it
has
been
hard
work
,
and
people
are
not
always
grateful
,
you
know
.
And
then
things
are
a
good
deal
changed
in
Carlingford
.
A
woman
may
devote
herself
to
putting
some
life
into
society
,
and
give
up
years
of
her
time
,
and
—
and
even
her
opportunities
and
all
that
,
and
do
a
great
deal
of
good
;
but
yet
if
she
is
put
aside
for
a
moment
,
there
is
an
end
of
it
.
I
have
been
doing
the
best
I
could
for
Carlingford
for
ten
years
,
"
said
Lucilla
,
with
a
little
natural
sadness
,
"
and
if
any
one
were
to
examine
into
it
,
where
is
it
all
now
?
They
have
only
got
into
the
way
of
looking
to
me
;
and
I
do
believe
if
you
were
to
go
up
and
down
from
Elsworthy
's
to
St
Roque
's
,
though
you
might
find
people
at
dinner
here
and
there
,
you
would
not
find
a
shadow
of
what
could
really
be
called
society
in
all
Grange
Lane
!
"
Lucilla
paused
,
for
naturally
her
feelings
were
moved
,
and
while
Tom
bent
over
her
with
tender
and
respectful
devotion
,
it
was
not
to
be
wondered
at
if
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
in
the
emotion
of
her
heart
,
should
wipe
away
a
tear
.
"
After
working
at
it
for
ten
years
!
"
said
Lucilla
;
"
and
now
,
since
poor
papa
died
,
who
was
always
full
of
discrimination
—
—
This
is
what
will
come
of
it
,
Tom
,
"
she
added
solemnly
—
"
they
will
go
back
to
their
old
ridiculous
parties
,
as
if
they
had
never
seen
anything
better
;
and
they
will
all
break
up
into
little
cliques
,
and
make
their
awful
morning
calls
and
freeze
one
another
to
death
.
That
will
be
the
end
of
it
all
,
after
one
has
slaved
like
a
—
like
a
woman
in
a
mill
,
"
said
the
disappointed
reformer
,
"
and
given
up
ten
years
.
"
"
My
poor
darling
!
"
cried
Tom
,
who
would
have
liked
to
go
and
challenge
Carlingford
for
being
so
insensible
to
his
Lucilla
's
devotion
and
cherishing
maternal
care
.
"
But
if
it
had
been
the
poor
,
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
recovering
her
spirits
a
little
,
"
they
could
not
help
being
the
better
for
what
one
did
for
them
.
They
might
continue
to
be
as
stupid
as
ever
,
and
ungrateful
,
and
all
that
;
but
if
they
were
warm
and
comfortable
,
instead
of
cold
and
hungry
,
it
would
always
make
a
difference
.
Tom
,
I
will
tell
you
what
you
will
do
if
you
want
to
please
me
.
You
will
take
all
our
money
and
realise
it
,
you
know
,
whatever
that
means
,
and
go
off
directly
,
as
fast
as
the
train
can
carry
you
,
and
buy
an
Estate
.
"
"
An
estate
!
"
cried
Tom
,
in
consternation
;
and
the
magnitude
of
the
word
was
such
,
and
Lucilla
was
so
entirely
in
earnest
,
that
he
jumped
from
his
chair
and
gazed
at
her
as
if
constrained
,
notwithstanding
his
amazement
,
to
rush
off
instantly
and
obey
.
"
I
did
not
mean
just
this
moment
,
"
said
Lucilla
;
"
sit
down
and
we
can
talk
it
all
over
,
Tom
.
You
know
it
would
be
something
for
you
to
do
;
you
cannot
just
go
living
on
like
this
at
your
age
;
you
could
improve
the
land
,
you
know
,
and
do
all
that
sort
of
thing
,
and
the
people
you
could
leave
to
me
.
"
"
But
Lucilla
,
"
said
Tom
,
recovering
a
little
from
his
consternation
,
"
it
is
not
so
easy
buying
an
estate
.
I
mean
all
that
I
have
to
be
settled
upon
you
,
in
case
of
anything
happening
.
Land
may
be
a
safe
enough
investment
;
but
you
know
,
very
often
,
Lucilla
—
the
fact
is
,
it
does
n't
pay
.
"
"
We
could
make
it
pay
,
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
with
a
benevolent
smile
,
"
and
besides
there
are
estates
and
estates
.
I
do
n't
want
you
to
go
and
throw
away
your
money
.
It
was
in
the
Carlingford
Gazette
this
morning
,
and
I
ca
n't
help
feeling
it
was
a
special
providence
.
Of
course
you
never
looked
at
it
in
the
paper
,
though
I
marked
it
for
you
.
Tom
,
it
is
Marchbank
that
I
want
you
to
buy
.
You
know
how
papa
used
to
talk
of
it
.
He
used
to
say
it
was
just
a
nice
little
property
that
a
gentleman
could
manage
.
If
he
had
been
spared
,
"
said
Lucilla
,
putting
her
handkerchief
to
her
eyes
,
"
and
these
wicked
dreadful
people
had
not
failed
,
nor
nothing
happened
,
I
know
he
would
have
bought
it
himself
.
Dear
papa
!
and
he
would
have
given
it
to
me
;
and
most
likely
,
so
far
as
one
can
tell
,
it
would
have
come
to
you
at
the
last
,
and
you
would
have
been
Marjoribanks
of
Marchbank
,
like
our
great-great-grandpapa
;
and
that
is
what
I
want
you
to
do
.
"
Lucilla
's
proposition
,
as
it
thus
unfolded
itself
,
took
away
Tom
Marjoribanks
's
breath
,
for
notwithstanding
that
it
came
from
a
(
young
)
lady
,
and
was
confused
by
some
slightly
unintelligible
conditions
about
doing
good
to
one
's
fellow-creatures
,
it
was
not
a
trifling
or
romantic
suggestion
.
Tom
,
too
,
could
remember
Marchbank
,
and
his
uncle
's
interest
in
it
,
and
the
careful
way
in
which
he
explained
to
the
ignorant
that
this
was
the
correct
pronunciation
of
his
own
name
.
While
Lucilla
made
her
concluding
address
,
Tom
seemed
to
see
himself
a
little
fellow
,
with
his
eyes
and
his
ears
very
wide
open
,
trotting
about
with
small
steps
after
the
Doctor
,
as
he
went
over
the
red-brick
house
and
neglected
gardens
at
Marchbank
:
it
was
only
to
be
let
then
,
and
had
passed
through
many
hands
,
and
was
in
miserable
case
,
both
lands
and
house
.
But
neither
the
lands
nor
the
house
were
bad
of
themselves
,
and
Tom
was
,
like
Lucilla
,
perfectly
well
aware
that
something
might
be
made
of
them
.
This
idea
gave
a
new
direction
to
his
thoughts
.
Though
he
had
been
brought
up
to
the
bar
,
he
had
never
been
a
lover
of
town
,
and
was
in
reality
,
like
so
many
young
Englishmen
,
better
qualified
to
be
something
in
the
shape
of
a
country
gentleman
than
for
any
other
profession
in
the
world
;
and
he
had
left
his
profession
behind
,
and
was
in
most
urgent
want
of
something
to
do
.
He
did
not
give
in
at
once
with
a
lover
's
abject
submission
,
but
thought
it
over
for
twenty-four
hours
at
all
his
spare
moments
,
—
when
he
was
smoking
his
evening
cigar
in
the
garden
,
and
studying
the
light
in
his
lady
's
window
,
and
when
he
ought
to
have
been
asleep
,
and
again
in
the
morning
when
he
sallied
forth
,
before
Miss
Marjoribanks
's
blinds
were
drawn
up
or
the
house
had
fairly
awoke
.
He
was
not
a
man
of
brilliant
ability
,
but
he
had
that
sure
and
steady
eye
for
the
real
secret
of
a
position
which
must
have
been
revealed
to
every
competent
critic
by
the
wonderful
clear-sightedness
with
which
he
saw
,
and
the
wise
persistence
with
which
he
held
to
the
necessity
of
an
immediate
choice
between
himself
and
Mr
Ashburton
.
He
had
seen
that
there
was
but
one
alternative
,
and
he
had
suffered
no
delay
nor
divergence
from
the
question
in
hand
.
And
it
was
this
same
quality
which
had
helped
him
to
the
very
pretty
addition
to
his
small
patrimony
which
he
had
meant
to
settle
on
Lucilla
,
and
which
would
now
make
the
acquisition
of
Marchbank
an
easy
thing
enough
.
And
though
Tom
had
looked
wise
on
the
subject
of
investment
in
land
,
it
was
a
kind
of
investment
in
every
way
agreeable
to
him
.
Thus
Lucilla
's
arrow
went
straight
to
the
mark
—
straighter
even
than
she
had
expected
;
for
besides
all
the
other
and
more
substantial
considerations
,
there
was
to
Tom
's
mind
a
sweet
sense
of
poetic
justice
in
the
thought
that
,
after
his
poor
uncle
's
failure
,
who
had
never
thought
him
good
enough
for
Lucilla
,
it
should
be
he
and
no
other
who
would
give
this
coveted
possession
to
his
cousin
.
Had
Marchbank
been
in
the
market
in
Dr
Marjoribanks
's
time
,
it
was
,
as
Lucilla
herself
said
,
his
money
that
would
have
bought
it
;
but
in
such
a
case
,
so
far
as
the
Doctor
was
concerned
,
there
would
have
been
little
chance
for
Tom
.
Now
all
that
was
changed
,
and
it
was
in
Tom
's
hands
that
the
wealth
of
the
family
lay
.
It
was
he
who
was
the
head
,
and
could
alone
carry
out
what
Lucilla
's
more
original
genius
suggested
.
If
the
Doctor
could
but
have
seen
it
,
he
who
had
formed
plans
so
very
different
—
but
perhaps
by
that
time
Dr
Marjoribanks
had
found
out
that
Providence
after
all
had
not
been
so
ill-advised
as
he
once
thought
in
committing
to
his
care
such
a
creative
intelligence
as
that
of
Lucilla
,
and
withholding
from
him
"
the
boy
.
"
As
for
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
after
she
had
made
up
her
mind
and
stated
her
conviction
,
she
gave
herself
no
further
trouble
on
the
subject
,
but
took
it
for
granted
,
with
that
true
wisdom
which
is
unfortunately
so
rare
among
women
.
She
did
not
talk
about
it
overmuch
,
or
display
any
feverish
anxiety
about
Marchbank
,
but
left
her
suggestion
to
work
,
and
had
faith
in
Tom
.
At
the
same
time
,
the
tranquillising
sense
of
now
knowing
,
to
a
certain
extent
,
what
lay
before
her
came
into
Lucilla
's
mind
.
It
would
be
a
new
sphere
,
but
a
sphere
in
which
she
would
find
herself
at
home
.
Still
near
enough
to
Carlingford
to
keep
a
watchful
eye
upon
society
and
give
it
the
benefit
of
her
experience
,
and
yet
at
the
same
time
translated
into
a
new
world
,
where
her
influence
might
be
of
untold
advantage
,
as
Lucilla
modestly
said
,
to
her
fellow-creatures
.
There
was
a
village
not
far
from
the
gates
at
Marchbank
,
where
every
kind
of
village
nuisance
was
to
be
found
.
There
are
people
who
are
very
tragical
about
village
nuisances
,
and
there
are
other
people
who
assail
them
with
loathing
,
as
a
duty
forced
upon
their
consciences
;
but
Lucilla
was
neither
of
the
one
way
of
thinking
nor
of
the
other
.
It
gave
her
the
liveliest
satisfaction
to
think
of
all
the
disorder
and
disarray
of
the
Marchbank
village
.
Her
fingers
itched
to
be
at
it
—
to
set
all
the
crooked
things
straight
,
and
clean
away
the
rubbish
,
and
set
everything
,
as
she
said
,
on
a
sound
foundation
.
If
it
had
been
a
model
village
,
with
prize
flower-gardens
and
clean
as
Arcadia
,
the
thought
of
it
would
not
have
given
Miss
Marjoribanks
half
so
much
pleasure
.
The
recollection
of
all
the
wretched
hovels
and
miserable
cottages
exhilarated
her
heart
.
"
They
may
be
as
stupid
and
ungrateful
as
they
like
,
"
she
said
to
herself
,
"
but
to
be
warm
and
comfortable
instead
of
cold
and
hungry
always
makes
a
difference
.
"
Perhaps
it
was
not
the
highest
motive
possible
,
and
it
might
be
more
satisfactory
to
some
people
to
think
of
Lucilla
as
actuated
by
lofty
sentiments
of
philanthropy
;
but
to
persons
acquainted
with
Miss
Marjoribanks
's
character
,
her
biographer
would
scorn
to
make
any
pretence
.
What
would
be
the
good
of
a
spirit
full
of
boundless
activity
and
benevolent
impulses
if
there
was
nobody
to
help
?
—
what
would
be
the
use
of
self-devotion
if
the
race
in
general
stood
in
no
need
of
charitable
ministrations
?
Lucilla
had
been
of
use
to
her
fellow-creatures
all
her
life
;
and
though
she
was
about
to
relinquish
one
branch
of
usefulness
,
that
was
not
to
say
that
she
should
be
prevented
from
entering
into
another
.
The
state
of
the
Marchbank
village
did
her
good
to
the
very
bottom
of
her
soul
.
It
justified
her
to
herself
for
her
choice
of
Tom
,
which
,
but
for
this
chance
of
doing
good
,
might
perhaps
have
had
the
air
of
a
merely
selfish
personal
preference
.
Now
she
could
regard
it
in
a
loftier
light
,
and
the
thought
was
sweet
to
Lucilla
;
for
such
a
beautiful
way
of
helping
her
neighbour
would
no
doubt
have
been
to
a
certain
extent
impracticable
amid
the
many
occupations
of
the
Member
's
wife
.
Perhaps
the
most
difficult
thing
in
Miss
Marjoribanks
's
way
at
this
otherwise
satisfactory
moment
was
the
difficulty
she
found
in
persuading
society
,
first
of
the
reality
,
and
then
of
the
justice
,
of
the
step
she
had
taken
.
Most
of
them
,
to
tell
the
truth
,
had
forgotten
all
about
Tom
Marjoribanks
.
It
is
true
that
when
Lucilla
's
intentions
and
prospects
were
discussed
in
Grange
Lane
,
as
they
had
been
so
often
,
it
was
not
uncommon
for
people
to
say
,
"
There
was
once
a
cousin
,
you
know
"
;
but
nobody
had
ever
given
very
much
heed
to
the
suggestion
.
When
Lucilla
went
to
tell
Mrs
Chiley
of
what
had
happened
,
she
was
but
inadequately
prepared
for
the
surprise
with
which
her
intelligence
was
received
.
For
it
all
seemed
natural
enough
to
Miss
Marjoribanks
.
She
had
gone
on
very
steadily
for
a
long
time
,
without
thinking
particularly
about
anybody
,
and
disposed
to
accept
the
most
eligible
and
satisfactory
person
who
happened
to
present
himself
;
but
all
the
time
there
had
been
a
warm
corner
in
her
heart
for
Tom
.
And
then
the
eligible
person
had
not
come
,
and
she
had
been
worried
and
wearied
,
and
had
had
her
losses
,
like
most
other
people
.
And
it
had
always
been
pleasant
to
remember
that
there
was
one
man
in
the
world
who
,
if
she
but
held
out
a
finger
to
him
—
—
But
then
the
people
in
Grange
Lane
were
not
capable
of
discrimination
on
such
a
delicate
subject
,
and
had
never
,
as
was
to
be
expected
,
had
the
smallest
insight
into
Lucilla
's
heart
.
"
You
have
something
to
tell
me
,
Lucilla
?
"
said
old
Mrs
Chiley
.
"
You
need
not
say
no
,
for
I
can
see
it
in
your
eyes
.
And
how
lucky
it
is
the
Colonel
is
out
,
and
we
can
have
it
all
to
ourselves
!
Come
here
and
sit
by
me
,
and
tell
me
all
—
every
word
.
"
"
Dear
Mrs
Chiley
,
"
said
Lucilla
,
"
you
can
always
see
what
one
means
before
one
says
a
word
.
And
it
has
all
happened
so
suddenly
;
but
the
very
first
thing
I
thought
of
doing
was
to
come
and
tell
you
.
"
Mrs
Chiley
gave
her
young
friend
,
who
was
leaning
over
her
,
a
hug
,
which
was
the
only
answer
which
could
be
made
to
so
touching
a
speech
,
and
drew
Lucilla
down
upon
a
low
chair
that
had
been
placed
by
the
side
of
her
sofa
.
She
kept
Miss
Marjoribanks
's
hand
in
her
own
,
and
caressed
it
,
and
looked
at
her
with
satisfaction
in
every
line
of
her
face
.
After
waiting
so
long
,
and
having
so
many
disappointments
,
everything
was
going
to
turn
out
so
entirely
as
it
ought
to
do
at
last
.
"
I
think
I
know
what
you
are
going
to
tell
me
,
my
dear
,
"
said
Mrs
Chiley
;
"
and
I
am
so
pleased
,
Lucilla
.
I
only
wonder
you
did
not
give
me
a
hint
from
the
very
first
.
You
remember
I
asked
you
when
you
came
here
that
snowy
evening
.
I
was
a
hard-hearted
old
woman
,
and
I
dare
say
you
were
very
vexed
;
but
I
am
so
glad
to
think
that
the
Colonel
never
stood
out
against
him
,
but
gave
his
consent
that
very
day
.
"
This
was
the
moment
,
if
there
ever
was
such
a
moment
,
when
Lucilla
lost
courage
.
Mrs
Chiley
was
so
entirely
confident
as
to
what
was
coming
,
and
it
was
something
so
different
that
was
really
coming
;
and
it
was
hard
upon
Miss
Marjoribanks
to
feel
that
she
was
about
to
disappoint
everybody
's
expectations
.
She
had
to
clear
her
throat
before
she
spoke
—
she
who
was
generally
so
ready
for
every
emergency
;
and
she
could
not
help
feeling
for
the
moment
as
if
she
was
a
young
girl
who
had
run
away
with
somebody
,
and
deceived
all
her
anxious
friends
.
"
Dear
Mrs
Chiley
,
I
am
afraid
I
am
not
going
to
say
what
you
expected
,
"
said
Lucilla
.
"
I
am
very
comfortable
and
happy
,
and
I
think
it
's
for
the
best
;
and
I
am
so
anxious
that
you
should
like
him
;
but
it
is
not
the
person
you
are
thinking
of
.
It
is
—
—
"
Here
the
old
lady
,
to
Lucilla
's
surprise
,
rose
up
upon
her
pillows
and
threw
her
arms
round
her
,
and
kissed
her
over
again
,
and
fell
a-crying
.
"
I
always
said
how
generous
you
were
,
Lucilla
,
"
cried
Mrs
Chiley
.
"
I
knew
it
from
the
first
.
I
was
always
fond
of
him
,
you
know
;
and
now
that
he
has
been
beaten
,
poor
dear
,
and
disappointed
,
you
've
gone
and
made
it
up
to
him
!
Lucilla
,
other
people
may
say
what
they
like
,
but
it
is
just
what
I
always
expected
of
you
!
"
This
unlooked-for
burst
of
enthusiasm
took
Lucilla
entirely
by
surprise
.
She
could
not
say
in
reply
that
Mr
Cavendish
did
not
want
her
to
make
it
up
to
him
;
but
the
fact
that
this
was
the
only
alternative
which
occurred
to
Mrs
Chiley
filled
Miss
Marjoribanks
with
a
sense
of
something
like
positive
guilt
.
She
had
deceived
everybody
,
and
raised
false
expectations
,
and
how
was
she
to
explain
herself
?
It
was
with
humility
and
embarrassment
that
she
spoke
.
"
I
do
n't
know
what
you
will
say
when
you
hear
who
it
really
is
,
"
she
said
.
"
He
has
been
fond
of
me
all
this
time
,
though
he
has
been
so
far
away
.
He
went
to
India
because
I
sent
him
,
and
he
came
back
as
soon
as
ever
he
heard
about
—
what
had
happened
.
And
what
could
I
do
?
I
could
not
be
so
ungrateful
or
so
hard-hearted
again
,
as
to
send
him
away
?
"
"
Lucilla
,
who
is
it
?
"
said
Mrs
Chiley
,
growing
pale
—
for
she
generally
had
a
little
wintry
bloom
on
her
cheek
like
the
China
roses
she
was
so
fond
of
.
"
Do
n't
keep
me
like
this
in
suspense
.
"
"
Dear
Mrs
Chiley
,
"
said
Lucilla
,
with
the
brevity
of
excitement
,
"
I
do
n't
see
what
other
person
in
the
world
it
could
be
but
my
cousin
Tom
.
"
Poor
Mrs
Chiley
started
,
so
that
the
sofa
and
Lucilla
's
chair
and
the
very
room
shook
.
She
said
herself
afterwards
that
she
felt
as
if
somebody
had
discharged
a
pistol
into
her
breast
.
She
was
so
shocked
and
startled
that
she
threw
off
all
her
coverings
and
the
Afghanistan
blanket
Mrs
Beverley
had
sent
,
and
put
her
tottering
old
feet
to
the
floor
;
and
then
she
took
her
young
friend
solemnly
by
both
her
hands
.
"
Oh
,
Lucilla
,
my
poor
dear
!
"
she
cried
,
"
you
have
gone
and
done
it
without
thinking
what
you
were
doing
.
You
have
taken
it
into
your
head
that
it
was
all
over
,
and
that
there
was
nothing
more
to
look
for
.
And
you
are
only
nine-and-twenty
,
Lucilla
;
and
many
a
girl
marries
very
well
—
better
than
common
—
long
after
she
's
nine-and-twenty
;
and
I
know
for
a
fact
—
oh
!
my
poor
dear
child
,
I
know
for
a
certain
fact
!
—
that
Mr
Ashburton
was
coming
forward
.
He
as
good
as
said
it
to
Lady
Richmond
,
Lucilla
.
He
as
good
as
said
,
as
soon
as
the
election
was
over
—
and
now
you
have
gone
and
got
impatient
,
and
thrown
yourself
away
!
"
Miss
Marjoribanks
was
quite
carried
away
for
the
moment
by
this
flood
of
sorrowful
eloquence
.
She
was
silenced
,
and
had
nothing
to
answer
,
and
accepted
it
as
in
some
respect
the
just
penalty
for
the
disappointment
she
was
causing
everybody
.
She
let
Mrs
Chiley
say
out
her
say
,
and
then
she
restored
the
old
lady
to
her
sofa
,
and
made
her
comfortable
,
and
covered
her
up
with
all
her
wraps
and
blankets
.
Though
she
ran
on
in
a
feeble
strain
all
the
time
weeping
and
lamenting
,
Lucilla
took
no
notice
.
She
wrapped
her
old
friend
up
,
and
put
her
pillows
just
as
she
liked
them
,
and
sat
down
again
on
the
low
chair
;
and
by
that
time
the
poor
old
lady
had
sunk
into
a
faint
sob
of
vexation
and
disappointment
,
and
had
given
her
remonstrances
up
.
"
Now
,
I
will
tell
you
all
about
it
,
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
.
"
I
knew
you
would
be
surprised
;
and
if
it
would
be
any
comfort
to
you
,
dear
Mrs
Chiley
,
to
know
that
Mr
Ashburton
did
—
—
"
"
And
you
refused
him
,
Lucilla
?
"
Mrs
Chiley
asked
,
with
horror
in
her
face
.
"
Ought
I
to
have
accepted
him
when
there
was
somebody
I
liked
better
?
"
said
Lucilla
,
with
the
force
of
conscious
virtue
,
"
and
you
used
always
to
say
just
the
contrary
.
One
great
thing
that
supported
me
was
,
that
you
would
be
sure
to
understand
.
I
did
not
know
it
at
the
time
,
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
with
sweet
confidence
and
simplicity
,
"
but
I
see
it
all
now
.
Why
it
never
came
to
anything
before
,
you
know
,
was
that
I
never
could
in
my
heart
have
accepted
anybody
but
Tom
.
"
Mrs
Chiley
turned
round
with
unaffected
surprise
,
which
was
not
unmingled
with
awe
.
Up
to
this
moment
she
had
been
under
the
impression
that
it
was
the
blindness
,
and
folly
,
and
stupidity
of
the
gentlemen
which
had
kept
it
from
ever
coming
to
anything
.
It
was
altogether
a
new
light
that
broke
upon
her
now
,
confusing
,
though
on
the
whole
satisfactory
;
but
for
the
moment
she
was
struck
dumb
,
and
had
no
answer
to
make
.
"
I
never
knew
it
myself
until
—
quite
lately
,
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
with
confidential
tenderness
,
"
and
I
do
n't
think
I
could
tell
it
to
any
one
but
you
.
Dear
Mrs
Chiley
,
you
have
always
taken
such
an
interest
in
me
!
I
sent
him
away
,
you
know
,
and
thought
I
was
only
fond
of
him
because
he
was
my
cousin
.
And
then
there
were
all
the
others
,
and
some
of
them
were
very
nice
;
but
always
when
it
came
to
the
point
—
And
it
never
came
into
my
head
that
Tom
was
at
the
bottom
of
it
all
—
never
till
the
other
day
.
"
Mrs
Chiley
was
still
so
much
confounded
by
this
unexpected
revelation
that
it
was
some
time
before
she
could
find
her
voice
;
and
even
now
the
light
penetrated
slowly
into
her
mind
,
and
it
was
only
by
degrees
that
she
accepted
the
new
fact
thus
presented
to
her
faith
—
that
it
was
not
the
gentlemen
who
were
to
blame
—
that
it
was
all
Lucilla
's
or
rather
Tom
Marjoribanks
's
fault
.
"
And
Mr
Ashburton
,
Lucilla
?
"
she
asked
faintly
.
"
I
am
very
sorry
,
"
said
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
"
very
,
very
sorry
;
but
I
do
n't
think
I
can
blame
myself
that
I
gave
him
encouragement
,
you
know
.
I
may
have
been
foolish
at
other
times
,
but
I
am
sure
I
was
very
careful
with
him
.
It
was
all
the
election
that
was
to
blame
.
I
spoke
very
frankly
to
him
,
"
Lucilla
added
,
"
for
I
knew
he
was
a
man
to
do
me
justice
;
and
it
will
always
be
a
comfort
to
me
to
think
that
we
had
our
—
our
explanation
,
you
know
,
before
I
knew
it
was
Tom
.
"
"
Well
,
Lucilla
,
it
is
a
great
change
,
"
said
Mrs
Chiley
,
who
could
not
reconcile
herself
to
the
new
condition
of
affairs
.
"
I
do
n't
mean
to
pretend
that
I
can
make
up
my
mind
to
it
all
at
once
.
It
seems
so
strange
that
you
should
have
been
setting
your
heart
on
some
one
all
these
ten
years
,
and
never
saying
a
word
;
I
wonder
how
you
could
do
it
.
And
when
people
were
always
in
the
hopes
that
you
would
marry
at
home
,
as
it
were
,
and
settle
in
Carlingford
.
I
am
sure
your
poor
dear
papa
would
be
as
much
astonished
as
anybody
.
And
I
suppose
now
he
will
take
you
away
to
Devonshire
,
where
his
mother
lives
,
and
we
shall
never
see
you
any
more
.
"
And
once
more
Mrs
Chiley
gave
a
little
sob
.
"
The
Firs
would
almost
have
been
as
good
as
Grange
Lane
,
"
she
said
,
"
and
the
Member
for
Carlingford
,
Lucilla
!
"
As
for
Miss
Marjoribanks
,
she
knelt
down
by
the
side
of
the
sofa
and
took
her
old
friend
,
as
well
as
the
blankets
and
pillows
would
permit
,
into
her
arms
.
"
Dear
Mrs
Chiley
,
we
are
going
to
buy
Marchbank
and
settle
,
"
said
Lucilla
,
weeping
a
little
for
company
.
"
You
could
not
think
I
would
ever
go
far
away
from
you
.
And
as
for
being
Member
for
Carlingford
,
there
are
Members
for
counties
too
,
"
Miss
Marjoribanks
said
in
her
excitement
.
It
was
a
revelation
which
came
out
unawares
,
and
which
she
never
intended
to
utter
;
but
it
threw
a
gleam
of
light
over
the
new
world
of
ambition
and
progress
which
was
opened
to
Lucilla
's
far-seeing
vision
;
and
Mrs
Chiley
could
not
but
yield
to
the
spell
of
mingled
awe
and
sympathy
which
thrilled
through
her
as
she
listened
.
It
was
not
to
be
supposed
that
what
Lucilla
did
was
done
upon
mere
unthinking
impulse
;
and
when
she
thought
of
Marchbank
,
there
arose
in
Mrs
Chiley
's
mind
"
the
slow
beginnings
of
content
.
"
"
But
,
Lucilla
,
"
the
old
lady
said
with
solemnity
,
as
she
gave
her
a
last
kiss
of
reconciliation
and
peace
,
"
if
all
Grange
Lane
had
taken
their
oaths
to
it
,
I
never
could
have
believed
,
had
you
not
told
me
,
that
,
after
all
,
it
was
to
be
Tom
!
"
Chapter
the
Last
This
was
the
hardest
personal
encounter
which
Miss
Marjoribanks
was
subjected
to
;
but
when
the
news
circulated
in
Grange
Lane
there
was
first
a
dead
pause
of
incredulity
and
amazement
,
and
then
such
a
commotion
as
could
be
compared
to
nothing
except
a
sudden
squall
at
sea
.
People
who
had
been
going
peaceably
on
their
way
at
one
moment
,
thinking
of
nothing
,
were
to
be
seen
the
next
buffeted
by
the
wind
of
Rumour
and
tossed
about
on
the
waves
of
Astonishment
.
To
speak
less
metaphorically
(
but
there
are
moments
of
emotion
so
overwhelming
and
unprecedented
that
they
can
be
dealt
with
only
in
the
language
of
metaphor
)
,
every
household
in
Grange
Lane
,
and
at
least
half
of
the
humbler
houses
in
Grove
Street
,
and
a
large
proportion
of
the
other
dwellings
in
Carlingford
,
were
nearly
as
much
agitated
about
Lucilla
's
marriage
as
if
it
had
been
a
daughter
of
their
own
.
Now
that
he
was
recalled
to
their
minds
in
such
a
startling
way
,
people
began
to
recollect
with
greater
and
greater
distinctness
that
"
there
was
once
a
cousin
,
you
know
,
"
and
to
remember
him
in
his
youth
,
and
even
in
his
boyhood
,
when
he
had
been
much
in
Carlingford
.
And
by
degrees
the
Grange
Lane
people
came
to
see
that
they
knew
a
great
deal
about
Tom
,
and
to
remind
each
other
of
the
abrupt
end
of
his
last
visit
,
and
of
his
going
to
India
immediately
after
,
and
of
many
a
little
circumstance
in
Lucilla
's
looks
and
general
demeanour
which
this
dénouement
seemed
to
make
plain
.
Lady
Richmond
,
though
she
was
a
little
annoyed
about
Mr
Ashburton
's
disappointment
,
decided
at
once
that
it
was
best
to
ignore
that
altogether
,
and
was
quite
glad
to
think
that
she
had
always
said
there
must
be
somebody
.
"
She
bore
up
a
great
deal
too
well
against
all
her
little
disappointments
,
"
she
said
,
when
discussing
the
matter
.
"
When
a
girl
does
that
one
may
be
always
sure
there
is
somebody
behind
—
and
you
know
I
always
said
,
when
she
was
not
just
talking
or
busy
,
that
there
was
a
preoccupation
in
Lucilla
's
eye
.
"
This
was
a
speech
which
Mrs
Woodburn
,
as
might
have
been
expected
,
made
a
great
deal
of
—
but
,
notwithstanding
,
it
had
its
effect
in
Grange
Lane
.
Going
back
upon
their
recollections
,
most
people
were
able
to
verify
the
fact
that
Miss
Marjoribanks
had
borne
her
little
disappointments
very
well
,
and
that
there
was
sometimes
a
preoccupation
in
her
eye
.
The
first
was
beyond
dispute
;
and
as
for
the
second
,
it
was
a
thing
which
did
not
require
a
very
great
stretch
of
imagination
to
suppose
—
and
the
unexpected
sensation
of
finding
at
last
a
distinct
bit
of
romance
to
round
off
Lucilla
's
history
,
was
pleasant
to
most
people
.
If
she
had
married
Mr
Ashburton
,
it
would
have
been
(
so
far
as
anything
connected
with
Miss
Marjoribanks
could
be
)
a
commonplace
conclusion
.
But
now
she
had
upset
everybody
's
theories
,
and
made
an
altogether
original
and
unlooked-for
ending
for
herself
,
which
was
a
thing
to
have
been
expected
from
Lucilla
,
though
nobody
could
have
foreseen
the
special
turn
which
her
originality
would
take
.
And
nothing
could
have
come
in
more
appropriately
after
the
election
,
when
people
felt
the
blank
of
ordinary
existence
just
beginning
to
settle
down
upon
them
again
.
It
kept
all
Carlingford
in
conversation
for
a
longer
time
than
might
be
supposed
in
these
busy
days
;
for
there
was
not
only
the
fact
itself
,
but
what
they
were
to
do
,
and
where
they
were
to
go
,
to
be
discussed
.
And
then
Tom
himself
began
to
be
visible
about
Grange
Lane
;
and
he
had
heaps
of
Indian
things
among
his
baggage
,
and
recollected
so
affectionately
the
people
he
used
to
know
,
and
dispensed
his
curiosities
with
such
a
liberal
hand
,
that
the
heart
of
Carlingford
was
touched
.
He
had
a
way
of
miscalculating
distances
,
as
has
been
said
,
and
exercised
some
kind
of
magnetic
influence
upon
all
the
little
tables
and
unsteady
articles
of
furniture
,
which
somehow
seemed
to
fall
if
he
but
looked
at
them
.
But
,
on
the
other
hand
,
John
Brown
,
who
had
in
hand
the
sale
of
Marchbank
,
found
him
the
most
straightforward
and
clear-headed
of
clients
.
The
two
had
all
the
preliminaries
arranged
before
any
other
intending
purchaser
had
time
to
turn
the
matter
over
in
his
mind
.
And
Tom
had
the
old
brick
house
full
of
workmen
before
anybody
knew
it
was
his
.
When
the
summer
had
fairly
commenced
he
went
over
and
lived
there
,
and
saw
to
everything
,
and
went
so
far
as
to
fit
up
the
drawing-room
with
the
same
well-remembered
tint
of
pale
green
which
had
been
found
ten
years
ago
to
suit
so
well
with
Lucilla
's
complexion
.
It
was
perhaps
a
little
hazardous
to
repeat
the
experiment
,
for
green
,
as
everybody
knows
,
is
a
very
trying
colour
;
but
it
was
a
most
touching
and
triumphant
proof
that
to
Tom
,
at
least
,
Lucilla
was
as
young
as
ever
,
and
had
not
even
begun
to
go
off
.
It
was
Mr
Holden
who
supplied
everything
,
and
he
was
naturally
proud
of
the
trust
thus
reposed
in
him
,
and
formed
the
very
highest
opinion
of
his
customer
;
and
it
was
probably
from
his
enthusiasm
on
this
subject
that
might
be
traced
the
commencement
of
that
singular
revolution
of
sentiment
in
Grange
Lane
,
which
suddenly
woke
up
all
in
an
instant
without
knowing
how
,
to
recognise
the
existence
of
Mr
Marjoribanks
,
and
to
forget
the
undue
familiarity
which
had
ventured
upon
the
name
of
Tom
.
When
Lucilla
went
over
in
the
most
proper
and
decorous
way
,
under
the
charge
of
Aunt
Jemima
,
to
see
her
future
home
,
the
sight
of
the
village
at
Marchbank
was
sweet
to
her
eyes
.
