She
determined that it should all be as though it had never been. She
had learned to love your son; but that was her misfortune, and she
would get over it as she might. Tidings came to us here that he was
engaged, or about to engage himself, to Miss Grantly."
"Those tidings were untrue."
"Yes, we know that now; but she did not know it then. Of course she
could not but suffer; but she suffered within herself." Mrs. Robarts,
as she said this, remembered the pony-carriage and how Puck had been
beaten. "She made no complaint that he had ill-treated her--not even
to herself. She had thought it right to reject his offer; and there,
as far as he was concerned, was to be an end of it."
"That would be a matter of course, I should suppose."
"But it was not a matter of course, Lady Lufton. He returned from
London to Framley on purpose to repeat his offer. He sent for her
brother-- You talk of a young lady waiting for her friends' approval.
In this matter who would be Lucy's friends?"
"You and Mr. Robarts, of course."
"Exactly; her only friends. Well, Lord Lufton sent for Mark and
repeated his offer to him. Mind you, Mark had never heard a word of
this before, and you may guess whether or no he was surprised. Lord
Lufton repeated his offer in the most formal manner, and claimed
permission to see Lucy.
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