“But he is one of your family, Richard.”

“And they all will, if she isn’t a coward.”

“Ah, no!” she sighs, and is chidden.

The conquest of an epicure, or any young wife’s conquest beyond her husband, however loyally devised for their mutual happiness, may be costly to her.  Richard in his hours of excitement was thrown very much with Lady Judith.  He consulted her regarding what he termed Lucy’s cowardice.  Lady Judith said:  “I think she’s wrong, but you must learn to humour little women.”

“Then would you advise me to go up alone?” he asked, with a cloudy forehead.

“What else can you do?  Be reconciled yourself as quickly as you can.  You can’t drag her like a captive, you know?”

It is not pleasant for a young husband, fancying his bride the peerless flower of Creation, to learn that he must humour a little woman in her.  It was revolting to Richard.

“What I fear,” he said, “is, that my father will make it smooth with me, and not acknowledge her:  so that whenever I go to him, I shall have to leave her, and tit for tat—­an abominable existence, like a ball on a billiard-table.  I won’t bear that ignominy.  And this I know, I know! she might prevent it at once, if she would only be brave, and face it.  You, you, Lady Judith, you wouldn’t be a coward?”

“Where my old lord tells me to go, I go,” the lady coldly replied.  “There’s not much merit in that.  Pray, don’t cite me.  Women are born cowards, you know.”

“But I love the women who are not cowards.”

“The little thing—­your wife has not refused to go?”

“No—­but tears!  Who can stand tears?”

Lucy had come to drop them.  Unaccustomed to have his will thwarted, and urgent where he saw the thing to do so clearly, the young husband had spoken strong words:  and she, who knew that she would have given her life by inches for him; who knew that she was playing a part for his happiness, and hiding for his sake the nature that was worthy his esteem; the poor little martyr had been weak a moment.

She had Adrian’s support.  The wise youth was very comfortable.  He liked the air of the Island, and he liked being petted.  “A nice little woman! a very nice little woman!” Tom Bakewell heard him murmur to himself according to a habit he had; and his air of rather succulent patronage as he walked or sat beside the innocent Beauty, with his head thrown back and a smile that seemed always to be in secret communion with his marked abdominal prominence, showed that she was gaining part of what she played for.  Wise youths who buy their loves, are not unwilling, when opportunity offers, to try and obtain the commodity for nothing.  Examinations of her hand, as for some occult purpose, and unctuous pattings of the same, were not infrequent.  Adrian waxed now and then Anacreontic in his compliments.  Lucy would say:  “That’s worse than Lord Mountfalcon.”

“Better English than the noble lord deigns to employ—­allow that?” quoth Adrian.