“But all that 's past and over, child. The whole is a mere memory now, if even so much. Men have a trick of thinking, once they have interested a woman on their behalf, that the sentiment survives all changes of time and circumstance, and that they can come back after years and claim the deposit; but it is a great mistake, as _he_ has found by this time. But don't let this make you unhappy, dear; there never was less cause for unhappiness. It is just of these sort of men the model husbands are made. The male heart is a very tough piece of anatomy, and requires a good deal of manipulation to make it tender, and, as you will learn one day, it is far better all this should be done before marriage than after.--Well, Jane, I did begin to think you had forgotten about the chocolate. It is about an hour since I asked for it.” “Indeed, ma'am, it was Mr. Cheetor's fault; he was a shooting rabbits with another gentleman.” “There, there, spare me Mr. Cheetor's diversions, and fetch me some sugar.” “Mr. Lendrick and another gentleman, ma'am, is below, and wants to see Miss Lucy.” “A young gentleman, Jane?” asked Mrs. Sewell, while her eyes flashed with a sudden fierce brilliancy. “No, ma'am, an old gentleman, with a white beard, very tall and stern to look at.” “We don't care for descriptions of old gentlemen, Jane. Do we, Lucy? Must you go, darling?” “Yes; papa perhaps wants me.” “Come back to me soon, pet. Now that we have no false barriers between us, we can talk in fullest confidence.” Lucy hurried away, but no sooner had she reached the corridor than she burst into tears. CHAPTER XXV. THE TELEGRAM. When Lacy reached the drawing-room, she found her father and Sir Brook deep in conversation in one of the window-recesses, and actually unaware of her entrance till she stood beside them. “No,” cried Lendrick, eagerly; “I can't follow these men in their knaveries. I don't see the drift of them, and I lose the clew to the whole machinery.” “The drift is easy enough to understand,” said Foss-brooke. “A man wants to escape from his embarrassments, and has little scruple as to the means.” “But the certainty of being found out--” “There is no greater fallacy than that. Do you imagine that one-tenth of the cheats that men practise on the world are ever brought to light? Or do you fancy that all the rogues are in jail, and all the people who are abroad and free are honest men? Far from it. Many an inspector that comes to taste the prison soup and question the governor, ought to have more than an experimental course of the dietary; and many a juryman sits on the case of a creature far better and purer than himself. But here comes one will give our thoughts a pleasanter channel to run in. How well you look, Lucy! I am glad to see the sunny skies of Sardinia have n't blanched your cheeks.” “Such a scheme as Sir Brook has discovered!--such an ignoble plot against my poor dear father!” said Lendrick. “Tell her--tell her the whole of it.”