"Yes. Had a long talk with him. He's coming to see you to-morrow. Told him he might come, myself. Appears he's taken a fancy to Lucia. Wants to talk it over. Suits me exactly, and suppose it suits her. Looks as if it does. Glad she hasn't taken a fancy to some haw-haw fellow, like that fool Barold. Girls generally do. Burmistone's worth ten of him." Lucia, who had been looking steadily out of the carriage-window, turned, with an amazed expression. Lady Theobald had received a shock which made all her manacles rattle. She could scarcely support herself under it. "Do I"--she said. "Am I to understand that Mr. Francis Barold does not meet with your approval?" Mr. Binnie struck his stick sharply upon the floor of the carriage. "Yes, by George!" he said. "I'll have nothing to do with chaps like that. If she'd taken up with him, she'd never have heard from _me_ again. Make sure of that." When they reached Oldclough, her ladyship followed Lucia to her room. She stood before her, arranging the manacles on her wrists nervously. "I begin to understand now," she said. "I find I was mistaken in my impressions of Mr. Dugald Binnie's tastes--and in my impressions of _you_. You are to marry Mr. Burmistone. My rule is over. Permit me to congratulate you." The tears rose to Lucia's eyes. "Grandmamma," she said, her voice soft and broken, "I think I should have been more frank, if--if you had been kinder sometimes." "I have done my duty by you," said my lady. Lucia looked at her pathetically. "I have been ashamed to keep things from you," she hesitated. "And I have often told myself that--that it was sly to do it--but I could not help it." "I trust," said my lady, "that you will be more candid with Mr. Burmistone." Lucia blushed guiltily. "I--think I shall, grandmamma," she said. It was the Rev. Alfred Poppleton who assisted the rector of St. James to marry Jack Belasys and Octavia Bassett; and it was observed that he was almost as pale as his surplice.