and his arm round her waist.  Not that they were made halcyon to her by any of the joys of love.  In giving the girl her due it must be owned that she rarely allowed herself to indulge in simple pleasures.  If Lord Rufford, with the same rank and property, had been personally disagreeable to her it would have been the same.  Business to her had for many years been business, and her business had been so very hard that she had never allowed lighter things to interfere with it.  She had had justice on her side when she rebuked her mother for accusing her of flirtations.  But could such a man as Lord Rufford—­ with his hands so free,—­venture to tell himself that such tokens of affection with such a girl would mean nothing?  If she might contrive to meet him again of course they would be repeated; and then he should be forced to say that they did mean something.  When therefore the severe letter came from Morton,—­severe and pressing, telling her that she was bound to answer him at once and that were she still silent he must in regard to his own honour take that as an indication of her intention to break off the match,—­she felt that she must answer it.  The answer must, however, still be ambiguous.  She would not if possible throw away that stool quite as yet, though her mind was intent on ascending to the throne which it might be within her power to reach.  She wrote to him an ambiguous letter, but a letter which certainly was not intended to liberate him.  “He ought,” she said, “to understand that a girl situated as she was could not ultimately dispose of herself till her friends had told her that she was free to do so.  She herself did not pretend to have any interest in the affairs as to which her father and his lawyers were making themselves busy.  They had never even condescended to tell her what it was they wanted on her behalf;—­ nor, for the matter of that, had he, Morton, ever told her what it was that he refused to do.  Of course she could not throw herself into his arms till these things were settled.”—­By that expression she had meant a metaphorical throwing of herself, and not such a flesh and blood embracing as she had permitted to the lord in the little room at Rufford.  Then she suggested that he should appeal again to her father.  It need hardly be said that her father knew very little about it, and that the lawyers had long since written to Lady Augustus to say that better terms as to settlement could not be had from Mr. John Morton.

Morton, when he wrote his second letter, had received the offer of the mission to Patagonia and had asked for a few days to think of it.  After much consideration he had determined that, he would say nothing to Arabella of the offer.  Her treatment of him gave her no right to be consulted.  Should she at once write back declaring her readiness to become his wife, then he would consult her,—­and would not only consult her but would be prepared to abandon the mission at the expression of her lightest wish.  Indeed