she was hardly mistress of herself. She knew that Lord Lufton was at Framley; she knew that her brother had been to him; she knew that a proposal had been made that he should come there that day to dinner. Must it not therefore be the case that this call to a meeting in the study had arisen out of Lord Lufton's arrival at Framley? and yet, how could it have done so? Had Fanny betrayed her in order to prevent the dinner invitation? It could not be possible that Lord Lufton himself should have spoken on the subject. And then she again stooped to kiss the child, rubbed her hands across her forehead to smooth her hair, and erase, if that might be possible, the look of care which she wore, and then descended slowly to her brother's sitting-room.
Her hand paused for a second on the door ere she opened it; but she had resolved that, come what might, she would be brave. She pushed it open and walked in with a bold front, with eyes wide open, and a slow step.
"Frank says that you want me," she said.
Mr. Robarts and Fanny were both standing up by the fireplace, and each waited a second for the other to speak when Lucy entered the room; and then Fanny began—
"Lord Lufton is here, Lucy."
"Here! Where? At the Parsonage?"
"No, not at the Parsonage, but over at Framley Court," said Mark.
"And he promises to call here after breakfast to-morrow," said Fanny. And then again there was a pause. Mrs. Robarts hardly dared to look Lucy in the face. She had not betrayed her trust, seeing that the secret had been told to Mark, not by her, but by Lord Lufton; but she could not but feel that Lucy would think that she had betrayed it.
"Very well," said Lucy, trying to smile; "I have no objection in life."
"But, Lucy, dear"—and now Mrs. Robarts put her arm round her sister-in-law's waist—"he is coming here especially to see you."
"Oh, that makes a difference. I am afraid that I shall be—engaged."
"He has told every thing to Mark," said Mrs. Robarts.
Lucy now felt that her bravery was almost deserting her. She hardly knew which way to look or how to stand.
