Lady Theobald turned upon her, slowly and majestically.

"_If_ Miss Gaston marries," she repeated. "Does it seem likely that Miss
Gaston will _not_ marry?"

This settled the matter finally. Lucia was to be married when Lady
Theobald thought fit. So far, however, she had not thought fit: indeed,
there had been nobody for Lucia to marry,--nobody whom her grandmother
would have allowed her to marry, at least. There were very few young men
in Slowbridge; and the very few were scarcely eligible according to Lady
Theobald's standard, and--if such a thing should be mentioned--to
Lucia's, if she had known she had one, which she certainly did not.




CHAPTER VI.

ACCIDENTAL.


When dinner was over, Lady Theobald rose, and proceeded to the
drawing-room, Lucia following in her wake. From her very babyhood Lucia
had disliked the drawing-room, which was an imposing apartment of great
length and height, containing much massive furniture, upholstered in
faded blue satin. All the girl's evenings, since her fifth year, had been
spent sitting opposite her grandmother, in one of the straightest of the
blue chairs: all the most scathing reproofs she had received had been
administered to her at such times. She had a secret theory, indeed, that