"You had done your duty, and had had such a lucky escape! What astonishes me is that you should have ever come back again. But the pitcher may go to the well once too often, Lord Lufton."
"But will you tell me the truth now?"
"What truth?"
"That day, when I came to you—did you love me at all then?"
"We'll let by-gones be by-gones, if you please."
"But I swear you shall tell me. It was such a cruel thing to answer me as you did, unless you meant it. And yet you never saw me again till after my mother had been over for you to Mrs. Crawley's."
"It was absence that made me—care for you."
"Lucy, I swear I believe you loved me then."
"Ludovic, some conjuror must have told you that."
She was standing as she spoke, and, laughing at him, she held up her hands and shook her head. But she was now in his power, and he had his revenge—his revenge for her past falsehood and her present joke. How could he be more happy, when he was made happy by having her all his own, than he was now?
And in these days there again came up that petition as to her riding—with very different result now than on that former occasion. There were ever so many objections then. There was no habit, and Lucy was—or said that she was—afraid; and then, what would Lady Lufton say? But now Lady Lufton thought it would be quite right; only were they quite sure about the horse? Was Ludovic certain that the horse had been ridden by a lady? And Lady Meredith's habits were dragged out as a matter of course, and one of them chipped, and snipped, and altered without any compunction. And as for fear, there could be no bolder horsewoman than Lucy Robarts. It was quite clear to all Framley that riding was the very thing for her. "But I never shall be happy, Ludovic, till you have got a horse properly suited for her," said Lady Lufton.
And then, also, came the affair of her wedding garments—of her trousseau—as to which I can not boast that she showed capacity or steadiness at all equal to that of Lady Dumbello. Lady Lufton, however, thought it a very serious matter; and as, in her opinion, Mrs. Robarts did not go about it with sufficient energy, she took the matter
