"
"Do you think so? What is such a one likely to do? But then what do
I do, as it is? It is the sort of life you would like,--if you were
a man."
"Yes,--if I were a man," said Mary. Then he again relapsed into
silence and hardly spoke again till he left her at her father's
door.
CHAPTER V
The Last Effort
When Mary reached her home she was at once met by her stepmother in
the passage with tidings of importance. "He is up-stairs in the
drawing-room," said Mrs. Masters. Mary whose mind was laden with
thoughts of Reginald Morton asked who was the he. "Lawrence
Twentyman," said Mrs. Masters. "And now, my dear, do, do think of
it before you go to him." There was no anger now in her
stepmother's face, but entreaty and almost love. She had not called
Mary "my dear" for many weeks past,--not since that journey to
Cheltenham. Now she grasped the girl's hand as she went on with her
prayer. "He is so good and so true! And what better can there be
for you? With your advantages, and Lady Ushant, and all that, you
would be quite the lady at Chowton. Think of your father and
sisters; what a good you could do them! And think of the respect
they all have for him, dining with Lord Rufford the other day and
all the other gentlemen. It isn't only that he has got plenty to
live on, but he knows how to keep it as a man ought.
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