It seemed
as though it would be ungenerous in her to take advantage of such
conduct and to accept an offer made with so much self-sacrifice. She
had not time at the first moment to think even of his happiness,
let alone her own, but she thought only of the magnitude of the
concession which had been made to her. When she had constituted Lady
Lufton the arbiter of her destiny she had regarded the question of
her love as decided against herself. She had found herself unable to
endure the position of being Lady Lufton's daughter-in-law while Lady
Lufton would be scorning her, and therefore she had given up the
game. She had given up the game, sacrificing herself, and, as far as
it might be a sacrifice, sacrificing him also. She had been resolute
to stand to her word in this respect, but she had never allowed
herself to think it possible that Lady Lufton should comply with the
conditions which she, Lucy, had laid upon her. And yet such was the
case, as she so plainly heard. "And now I have come here, Lucy, to
ask you to be his wife." How long they sat together silent, I cannot
say; counted by minutes the time would not probably have amounted
to many, but to each of them the duration seemed considerable. Lady
Lufton, while she was speaking, had contrived to get hold of Lucy's
hand, and she sat, still holding it, trying to look into Lucy's
face,--which, however, she could hardly see, so much was it turned
away.
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