His attraction for Lucy had always been a mystery to her family, who perhaps hardly did justice to the magnetism of mere force of purpose.  Better training might have ennobled into resolution that which was now doggedness and obstinacy, and, even in that shape, the real element of strength had a tendency to work upon softer natures.  Thus it had acted in different ways with the Vicar, with Gilbert, and with Lucy; each had fallen under the power of his determination, with more or less of their own consent, and with Lucy the surrender was complete; she no sooner sat beside Algernon than she was completely his possession, and his complacent self-satisfaction was reflected on her face in a manner that told her parents that she was their own no longer, but given up to a stronger master.

Albinia liked neither to see nor to think about it, and kept aloof as much as she could, dividing herself between grandmamma and the children.  On Tuesday morning, during Maurice’s lessons, there was a knock at the sitting-room door.  She expected Gilbert, but was delighted to see her brother.

‘I thought you were much too busy to come near us?’

’So I am; I can’t stay; so if Kendal be not forthcoming you must give this fellow a holiday.’

‘He is gone to Hadminster, so—­’

‘Where’s Gilbert?’ broke in little Maurice.

‘He went to his room to dress to go up to parade,’ said Mr. Ferrars, and off rushed the boy without waiting for permission.

Albinia sighed, and said, ‘It is a perfect passion.’

’Don’t mourn over it.  Love is too good a thing to be lamented over, and this may turn into a blessing.’

‘I used to be proud of it.’

‘So you shall be still.  I am very much pleased with that poor lad.’

She would not raise her eyes, she was weary of hoping for Gilbert, and his last offence had touched her where she had never been touched before.

‘Whatever faults he has,’ Mr. Ferrars said, ’I am much mistaken if his humility, love, and contrition be not genuine, and what more can the best have?’

‘Sincerity!’ said Albinia, hopelessly.  ‘There’s no truth in him!’

’You should discriminate between deliberate self-interested deception, and failure in truth for want of moral courage.  Both are bad enough, but the latter is not “loving a lie,” not such a ruinous taint and evidence of corruption as the former.’

‘It is curious to hear you repeating my old excuses for him,’ said Albinia, ‘now that he has cast his glamour over you.’

‘Not wrongly,’ said her brother.  ’He is in earnest; there is no acting about him.’

’Yes, that I believe; I know he loves us with all his heart, poor boy, especially Maurice and me, and I think he had rather go right than wrong, if he could only be let alone.  But, oh! it is all “unstable as water.”  Am I unkind, Maurice?  I know how it would be if I let him talk to me for ten minutes, or look at me with those pleading brown eyes of his!’