larly not, Mrs. Furnival, when he has a pretty woman for his client!
'My wonder is that she should make herself so unhappy about it,' continued Sophia. 'It seems that she is quite broken down.'
'But won't she have to go and sit in the court,—with all the people staring at her?'
'That won't kill her,' said Sophia, who felt that she herself would not perish under any such process. 'If I was sure that I was in the right, I think that I could hold up my head against all that. But they say that she is crushed to the earth.'
'Poor thing!' said Lady Mason. 'I wish that I could do anything for her.' And in this way they talked the matter over very comfortably.
Two or three days after this Sophia Furnival was sitting alone in the drawing-room in Harley Street, when Spooner answered a double knock at the door, and Lucius Mason was shown upstairs. Mrs. Furnival had gone to make her peace in Red Lion Square, and there may perhaps be ground for supposing that Lucius had cause to expect that Miss Furnival might be seen at this hour without interruption. Be that as it may, she was found alone, and he was permitted to declare his purpose unmolested by father, mother, or family friends.
'You remember how we parted at Noningsby,' said he, when their first greetings were well over.
'Oh, yes; I remember it very well. I do not easily forget words such as were spoken then.'
'You said that you would never turn away from me.'
'Nor will I;—that is with reference to the matter as to which we were speaking.'
'Is our friendship then to be confined to one subject?'
'By no means. Friendship cannot be so confined, Mr. Mason. Friendship between true friends must extend to all the affairs of life. What I meant to say was this——— But I am quite sure that you understand me without any explanation.'
He did understand her. She meant to say that she had promised to him her sympathy and friendship, but nothing more. But then he had asked for nothing more. The matter of doubt within his own heart was this. Should he or should he not ask for more; and if he resolved on answering this question in the affirmative, should he ask for it now? He had determined that morning that he would come to some fixed purpose on this matter before he reached Harley Street. As he crossed out of Oxford Street from the omnibus he had determined that the present was no time for love-making;—walking up Regent Street, he had told himself that if he had one faithful heart to bear him company he could bear his troubles better;—as he made his way along the north side of Cavendish
