"Then, believe me, he is only bluffing." "But he knows about my pawning of the jewels, and even if this horrid Spider creature holds his tongue Mr. Maunders may tell Sir Julius. Then heaven only knows what would happen; Julius is so impossible." "I shall engage that Maunders remains silent if you will give your consent to the marriage. After all, Miss Lucy would be Lady Vernon." "She could be a countess if she played her cards well. I really don't know what to say; I am in the dark, so to speak. Wait until I see Ida and then I may form an opinion." "How can Ida help you to do so?" "She may be able to tell me if there was a will in my favour. I really believe from that letter of The Spider's--well, of Mr. Maunders', since you say he wrote it--that Martin left the money to me and that Ida destroyed the will. I'm sure she's capable of it." "Permit me to remind you, Lady Corsoon," said the Colonel sternly, "that Miss Dimsdale is to be my wife and that I shall not permit anyone to cast a slur on her character. If the money is left to you she will hand it over." "What, ten thousand a year?" said Lady Corsoon beaming. "Oh, she would be a good girl if she did that. Well, I shall wait and see. In the meantime I do not mind Mr. Vernon being with Lucy." Colonel Towton shrugged his square shoulders. He thought that the lady was making a virtue of necessity, as the young couple had taken French leave after breakfast and had vanished. And had Lady Corsoon been gifted with supernatural sight she would scarcely have been pleased had she seen the two sitting by Bolly Dam with their arms round one another. Also Lucy, the meek, the amiable, the well-conducted, was kissing Vernon in the boldest manner and swearing that she would marry him and him only. "Mother wants me to marry Mr. Maunders," said Lucy, snuggling up close to her lover, "and papa desires me to become the wife of Lord Stratham. But I shall only marry you, darling, you. Arthur," she pressed her cheek against his breast and looked up into his eyes, "run away with me." "Would you elope if I asked you?" "I have just offered to elope without your asking me," she replied nodding. "I can't speak plainer, can I? Oh, dear me," she sighed, resting her head on her lover's shoulder, "how weary I am of everything. Papa is always busy in the City and has hardly a word to say to me; mamma has some secret worry about which she will not speak, and I am left to find my own amusements. Do take me away, Arthur. Isn't Gretna Green somewhere about these parts? Let us go there and get married." "No, dear. I don't think there will be any need for a runaway match, unless it is the romance of the thing that you desire. Colonel Towton has promised to speak to your mother, and I have an idea that he will gain her consent to our marriage."