"Ah, Mr Leigh," she said, "what am I to say to you? What have you been doing with my little girl? I don't think I ought to consent till she has seen a little of the world. I meant her to have such a success in London." "But that wouldn't be much good after we were engaged," said Lucian. "And I don't think she would like it." "Don't you?" said Lady Haredale, with a thought in her mind not very unlike her Rector's, "Ah, you think she is a little nun. Well now, I am going to be quite frank with you. You know we are as poor as rats!" "I--I--I have understood that--that Lord Haredale was--not wealthy," stammered Lucian, losing his self-possession entirely. "As rats--as church mice! Of course _now_ I have no reserves with you. We can't afford to take her out as we should like. Her grandfather's will gives her 3,000 pounds on her wedding-day. We can't give her a farthing more!" "I know that--I don't care. I can settle--" "Ah yes; you will tell Lord Haredale about that. Because we are going to say yes. We think we ought to have our girl settled. And, my dear Mr Leigh--my dear Lucian, I want her to be happy. Oh, yes, you know about her poor sister.--That came of ambition--and I mean my Amethyst to have her way." "I shall take care of her. I'll make her happy--" said Lucian, touched, and with fervour. As he spoke, Lord Haredale came in, shook hands with him, heard his carefully prepared speech as to his money matters, and answered it. "Yes, my lady thinks we had better let her get settled at once. It will please her aunt, who brought her up. She is a good little thing, and I'm glad she should do well for herself." "Well then," said Lady Haredale, "we don't like all these formalities, do we? You will much prefer coming to Amethyst. But your mother? I suppose she doesn't like it?" "She does think we are rather young," said Lucian meekly. "I shall talk to her. Now wait here, and I will find the child." Lady Haredale went off to the school-room, where Amethyst was restlessly trying to look as if nothing was happening, and the younger girls, well aware of a crisis, were secretly watching her. "Well!" said Lady Haredale. "Now you can go and enjoy yourself. I quite mean to enjoy it all myself. Little girls, Amethyst has set you an excellent example. She has fallen in love, quite in an eligible direction, without any delay, in the most irreproachable manner. Mind you all go and do likewise!" "Oh, _I_ knew all about it," said Tory. "But he's much too well off and too eligible to be so handsome. It isn't fair!" "It's an awful joke!" said Kattern. Una stood silent for a moment, then flung herself on Amethyst's neck. "Oh, how lucky you are!" she whispered, kissing her sister with hot quivering lips. "So I am," whispered Amethyst in reply.