She came down looking exceedingly pale. Mr. Kendal regarded her
anxiously, and held his hand out to her kindly.
'Papa,' she said, simply, 'I can't give it up. I do love him.'
'Very well, my dear,' he answered, 'there is no more to be said than
that I trust he will merit your affection and make you happy.'
Good Mr. Dusautoy was as happy as a king; he took Lucy in his arms,
and kissed her as if she had been his child, and with her hands
folded in his own, he told her how she was to teach his dear Algernon
to be everything that was good, and to lead him right by her
influence. She answered with caresses and promises, and whoever had
watched her eye, would have seen it in a happy day-dream of
Algernon's perfection, and his uncle thanking her for it.
She had expected that grandmamma would have been very happy; but
marriage had, with the poor old lady, led to so much separation, that
her weakened faculties took the alarm, and she received the tidings
by crying bitterly, and declaring that every one was going away and
leaving her. Lucy assured her over and over again that she was never
going to desert her, and as Mr. Kendal had made it a condition that
Algernon should finish his Oxford career respectably, there was
little chance that poor Mrs. Meadows would survive until the
marriage.
All along Gilbert made no remark. Though he had been left out of the
family conclaves, and his opinion not asked, he submitted with the
utmost meekness, as one who knew that he had forfeited all right to
be treated as son and heir.
Pages:
548
549
550
551
552
553
554
555
556
557
558
559
560
561
562
563
564
565
566
567
568
569
570
571
572