"He made me an offer and I refused
him." This she said very sharply;--more so undoubtedly than the
circumstances required; and with a brusqueness that was injudicious
as well as uncourteous. Rut at the moment, she was thinking of her
own position with reference to Lady Lufton--not to Lord Lufton; and
of her feelings with reference to the lady--not to the gentleman.
"Oh," said Lady Lufton, a little startled by the manner of the
communication. "Then I am to understand that there is nothing now
going on between you and my son; that the whole affair is over?"
"That depends entirely upon you."
"On me; does it?"
"I do not know what your son may have told you, Lady Lufton. For
myself, I do not care to have any secrets from you in this matter;
and as he has spoken to you about it, I suppose that such is his
wish also. Am I right in presuming that he has spoken to you on the
subject?"
"Yes, he has; and it is for that reason that I have taken the liberty
of sending for you."
"And may I ask what he has told you? I mean, of course, as regards
myself," said Lucy. Lady Lufton, before she answered this question,
began to reflect that the young lady was taking too much of the
initiative in this conversation, and was, in fact, playing the game
in her own fashion, which was not at all in accordance with those
motives which had induced Lady Lufton to send for her.
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