“What soft nonsense is Beattie saying, Lucy? It has made you blush,” said the Chief. “It was all my fault, child, to have placed you in such bad company. I ought to have had you at my side here; but I wanted to look at you.” Leaving them thus in happy pleasantry and enjoyment, let us turn for a moment to a very different scene,--to a drawing-room in Merrion Square, where at that same hour Lady Lendrick and Mrs. Sewell sat in close conference. Mrs. Sewell had related the whole story of the intended duel, and its finale, and was now explaining to her mother-in-law how impossible it would be for her to continue any longer to live under the Chief Baron's roof, if even--which she deemed unlikely--he would still desire it. “He 'll not turn you out, dear,--of that I am quite certain. I suspect I am the only one in the world he would treat in that fashion.” “I must not incur the risk.” “Dear me, have you not been running risks all your life, Lucy? Besides, what else have you open to you?” “Join my husband, I suppose, whenever he sends for me,--whenever he says he has a home to receive me.” “Dudley, I 'm certain, will do his best,” said Lady Lendrick, stiffly. “It is not very easy for a poor man to make these arrangements in a moment. But, with all his faults,--and even his mother must own that he has many faults,--yet I have never known him to bear malice.” “Certainly, Madam, you are justified in your panegyric by his conduct on the present occasion; he has, indeed, displayed a most forgiving nature.” “You mean by not fighting Trafford, I suppose; but come now, Lucy, we are here alone, and can talk freely to each other; why should he fight him?” “I will not follow you, Lady Lendrick, into that inquiry, nor give you any pretext for saying to me what your candor is evidently eager for. I will only repeat that the one thing I ever knew Colonel Sewell pardon was the outrage that no gentleman ever endures.” “He fought once before, and was greatly condemned for it.” “I suppose you know why, Madam. I take it you have no need I should tell you the Agra story, with all its shameful details?” “I don't want to hear it; and if I did I would certainly hesitate to listen to it from one so deeply and painfully implicated as yourself.” “Lady Lendrick, I will have no insinuations,” said she, haughtily. “When I came here, it never occurred to me I was to be insulted.” “Sit down again, Lucy, and don't be angry with me,” said Lady Lendrick, pressing her back into her chair. “Your position is a very painful one,--let us not make it worse by irritation; and to avoid all possibility of this, we will not look back at all, but only regard the future.” “That may be more easy for _you_ to do than for _me_” “Easy or not easy, Lucy, we have no alternative; we cannot change the past.” “No, no, no! I know that,--I know that,” cried she, bitterly, as her clasped hands dropped upon her knee.