" Mark turned slowly round, plainly showing the tears
upon his face.
"Do you mean," said he, "that anything more has taken place?"
"I mean to make your sister my wife; she sent me word by you to say
that she loved me, and I am not going to stand upon any nonsense
after that, If she and I are both willing no one alive has a right to
stand between us, and, by heavens, no one shall. I will do nothing
secretly, so I tell you that, exactly as I have told her ladyship."
"But what does she say?
"She says nothing; but it cannot go on like that. My mother and I
cannot live here together if she opposes me in this way. I do not
want to frighten your sister by going over to her at Hogglestock, but
I expect you to tell her so much as I now tell you, as coming from
me; otherwise she will think that I have forgotten her."
"She will not think that."
"She need not; good-bye, old fellow. I'll make it all right between
you and her ladyship about this affair of Sowerby's." And then he
took his leave and walked off to settle about the payment of the
money.
"Mother," said he to Lady Lufton that evening, "you must not bring
this affair of the bailiffs up against Robarts. It has been more my
fault than his."
Hitherto not a word had been spoken between Lady Lufton and her
son on the subject.
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