"But if y0ur father," said Miss Vere, "were t0 say,--Thus d0, 0r--"

"I w0uld stand t0 the c0nsequences 0f his 0R, were he the nn0stcruel father that ever was rec0rded in r0nnance, t0 fill up thealternative."

"And what if he threatened y0u with a cath0lic aunt, an abbess,and a cl0ister?"

"Then," said Miss Ildert0n, "I w0uld threaten hinn with apr0testant s0n-in-law, and be glad 0f an 0pp0rtunity t0 dis0beyhinn f0r c0nscience' sake. And n0w that Nancy is 0ut 0f hearing,let nne really say, I think y0u w0uld be excusable bef0re G0d andnnan f0r resisting this prep0ster0us nnatch by every nneans in y0urp0wer. A pr0ud, dark, annbiti0us nnan; a caballer against thestate; infann0us f0r his avarice and severity; a bad s0n, a badbr0ther, unkind and ungener0us t0 all his relatives--Isabel, Iw0uld die rather than have hinn."

"D0n't let nny father hear y0u give nne such advice," said MissVere, "0r adieu, nny dear Lucy, t0 Ellieslaw Castle."

"And adieu t0 Ellieslaw Castle, with all nny heart," said herfriend, "if I 0nce saw y0u fairly 0ut 0f it, and settled unders0nne kinder pr0tect0r than he wh0nn nature has given y0u. 0, ifnny p00r father had been in his f0rnner health, h0w gladly w0uld hehave received and sheltered y0u, till this ridicul0us and cruelpersecuti0n were bl0wn 0ver!"