St. Leocadia’s feast was the 9th of December.  Three days after, Genevieve received a letter which made her change countenance, and hurry to her own room, whence she did not emerge till luncheon-time.

In the late afternoon, there was a knock at the drawing-room door, and Mr. Dusautoy said, ‘Can I speak with you a minute, Mrs. Kendal?’

Dreading ill news of Lucy, she hurried to the morning-room with him.

’Fanny said I had better speak to you.  This poor fellow is in a dreadful state.’

‘Algernon!’

‘No, indeed.  Poor Hope!  What has possessed the girl?’

‘Genevieve has not refused him?’

’Did you not know it?  I found him in his rooms as white as a sheet!  I asked what was the matter, he begged me to let him go away for one Sunday, and find him a substitute.  I saw how it was, and at the first word he broke down and told me.’

‘Was this to-day?’

’Yes.  What can the silly little puss be thinking of to put an excellent fellow like that to so much pain?  Going about it in such an admirable way, too, writing to old Mamselle first, and getting a letter from her which he sends with his own, and promising to guarantee her fifty pounds a year out of his own pocket.  ’I should like to know what that little Jenny means by it.  I gave her credit for more sense.’

’Perhaps she thinks, under the circumstances of her coming here, within the year—­’

’Ah! very proper, very pretty of her; I never thought of that; I suppose I have your permission to tell Hope?’

‘I believe all the town knew it,’ said Albinia.

’Yes; he need not be downhearted, he has only to be patient, and he will like her the better for it.  After all, though he is as good a man as breathes, he cannot be Gilbert, and it will be a great relief to him.  I’ll tell him to put all his fancies about O’More out of his head.’

‘Most decidedly,’ said Albinia; ’nothing can be greater nonsense.  Tell him by no means to go away, for when she finds that our feelings are not hurt, and has become used to the idea, I have every hope that she will be able to form a new—­’

’Ay; ay; poor Gilbert would have wished it himself.  It is very good of you, Mrs. Kendal; I’ll put the poor fellow in spirits again.’

‘Did you hear whether she gave any reasons?’

’Oh!  I don’t know—­something about her birth and station; but that’s stuff—­she’s a perfect lady, and much more.’

‘And he is only a bookseller’s son.’

’True, and though it might be awkward to have the parson’s father-in-law cutting capers if he lived in the same town, yet being dead these fifteen or eighteen years, where’s the damage?’

‘Was that all?’

’I fancy that she said she never meant to marry, but that’s all nonsense; she is the very girl that ought, and I hope you will talk to her and bring her to reason.  There’s not a couple in the whole place that I should be so glad to marry as those two.’