Lord Fawn was in the Cabinet, when all the world knew that he was an
Under-Secretary! What good could a woman get from an assertion so plainly,
so manifestly false? But Lizzie knew nothing of Under-Secretaries. Lord
Fawn was a lord, and even commoners were in the Cabinet. "Of course he
is," said Lizzie; "but I sha'n't have my drawing-room made a Cabinet. They
sha'n't come here." And then again on the Tuesday evening she displayed
her independence. "As for those women down at Richmond, I don't mean to be
overrun by them, I can tell you. I said I would go there, and of course I
shall keep my word."

"I think you had better go," said Miss Macnulty.

"Of course, I shall go. I don't want anybody to tell me where I'm to go,
my dear, and where I'm not. But it'll be about the first and the last. And
as for bringing those dowdy girls out in London, it's the last thing I
shall think of doing. Indeed, I doubt whether they can afford to dress
themselves." As she went up to bed on the Tuesday evening, Miss Macnulty
doubted whether the match would go on. She never believed her friend's
statements; but if spoken words might be supposed to mean anything, Lady
Eustace's words on that Tuesday betokened a strong dislike to everything
appertaining to the Fawn family. She had even ridiculed Lord Fawn himself,
declaring that he understood nothing about anything beyond his office.

And, in truth, Lizzie had almost made up her mind to break it off. All
that she would gain did not seem to weigh down with sufficient
preponderance all that she would lose. Such were her feelings on the
Tuesday night. But on the Wednesday morning she received a note which
threw her back violently upon the Fawn interest. The note was as follows:

"Messrs. Camperdown and Son present their compliments to Lady Eustace.