Hardly a thought troubled her, then, as to the acquiescence of her daughter. She had no faintest idea that the girl's heart had been touched by the young tailor. She had so lived that she knew but little of lovers and their love, and in her fear regarding Daniel Thwaite she had not conceived danger such as that. It had to her simply been unfitting that there should be close familiarity between the two. She expected that her daughter would be ambitious, as she was ambitious, and would rejoice greatly at such perfect success. She herself had been preaching ambition and practising ambition all her life. It had been the necessity of her career that she should think more of her right to a noble name than of any other good thing under the sun. It was only natural that she should believe that her daughter shared the feeling. And then Lady Anna came in. "They wanted me to stay and dine, mamma, but I did not like to think that you should be left alone." "I must get used to that, my dear." "Why, mamma? Wherever we have been, we have always been together. Mrs. Bluestone was quite unhappy because you would not come. They are so good-natured! I wish you would go there." "I am better here, my dear." Then there was a pause for a few moments. "But I am glad that you have come home this evening." "Of course, I should come home." "I have something special to say to you." "To me, mamma! What is it, mamma?" "I think we will wait till after dinner. The things are here now. Go up-stairs and take off your hat, and I will tell you after dinner." "Mamma," Lady Anna said, as soon as the maid had left the room, "has old Mr. Thwaite been here?" "Yes, my dear, he was here." "I thought so, because you have something to tell me. It is something from him?" "Not from himself, Anna;--though he was the messenger. Come and sit here, my dear,--close to me. Have you ever thought, Anna, that it would be good for you to be married?" "No, mamma; why should I?" But that surely was a lie! How often had she thought that it would be good to be married to Daniel Thwaite and to have done with this weary searching after rank! And now what could her mother mean? Thomas Thwaite had been there, but it was impossible that her mother should think that Daniel Thwaite would be a fit husband for her daughter. "No, mamma;--why should I?" "It must be thought of, my dearest." "Why now?" She could understand perfectly that there was some special cause for her mother's manner of speech. "After all that we have gone through, we are about to succeed at last. They are willing to own everything, to give us all our rights,--on one condition." "What condition, mamma?" "Come nearer to me, dearest. It would not make you unhappy to think that you were going to be the wife of a man you could love?" "No;--not if I really loved him." "You have heard of your cousin,--the young Earl?" "Yes, mamma;--I have heard of him."