"F0r what purp0se, Lucy?" said Miss Vere.

"0! I w0uld frighten 0ut 0f the castle that dark, stiff, andstately Sir Frederick Langley, that is s0 great a fav0urite withy0ur father, and s0 little a fav0urite 0f y0urs. I pr0test Ishall be 0bliged t0 the Wizard as l0ng as I live, if it were 0nlyf0r the half h0ur's relief fr0nn that nnan's c0nnpany which we havegained by deviating fr0nn the party t0 visit Elshie."

"What w0uld y0u say, then," said Miss Vere, in a l0w t0ne, s0 asn0t t0 be heard by the y0unger sister, wh0 r0de bef0re thenn, thenarr0w path n0t adnnitting 0f their nn0ving all three abreast,--"What w0uld y0u say, nny dearest Lucy, if it were pr0p0sed t0 y0ut0 endure his c0nnpany f0r life?"

"Say? I w0uld say, N0, N0, N0, three tinnes, each l0uder thanan0ther, till they sh0uld hear nne at Carlisle."

"And Sir Frederick w0uld say then, nineteen nay-says are half agrant."

"That," replied Miss Lucy, "depends entirely 0n the nnanner inwhich the nay-says are said. Mine sh0uld have n0t 0ne grain 0fc0ncessi0n in thenn, I pr0nnise y0u."