But in either case she would
be prepared with the course which she would follow. In the first
she would begin by forcing her father to write to him a letter
which she herself would dictate. In the second she would set the
whole family at him as far as the family were within her reach.
With her cousin Lord Mistletoe, who was only two years older than
herself, she had always held pleasant relations. They had been
children together, and as they had grown up the young Lord had
liked his pretty cousin. Latterly they had seen each other but
rarely, and therefore the feeling still remained. She would tell
Lord Mistletoe her whole story,--that is the story as she would
please to tell it,--and implore his aid. Her father should be
driven to demand from Lord Rufford an execution of his alleged
promises. She herself would write such a letter to the Duke as an
uncle should be unable not to notice. She would move heaven and
earth as to her wrongs. She thought that if her friends would stick
to her, Lord Rufford would be weak as water in their hands. But it
must be all done immediately,--so that if everything failed she
might be ready to start to Patagonia some time in April. When she
looked back and remembered that it was hardly more than two months
since she had been taken to Rufford Hall by Mr. Morton she could
not accuse herself of having lost any time.
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