"The society of Lucy has been a requital in full. I rarely form
an attachment, and when I do form one it is never demonstrative; but I
have learned to love Lucy as I love my own daughter, and it will be a
real grief to part with her. Not but that she has given me great
vexation."
"Ah! In what way?"
"The years have gone on and on since she came to me; and I was in hopes
of returning her to you with some prospect in view of the great end of
a young lady's life--marriage. I was placed here as her mother; and I
felt more responsibility in regard to her establishment in life than I
did to Decima's. We have been at issue upon the point, Sir Henry; Lucy
and I."
Sir Henry turned his eyes on his daughter: if that is not speaking
figuratively, considering that he had scarcely taken his eyes off her. A
fair picture she was, sitting there in her white evening dress and her
pearl ornaments. Young, lovely, girlish, she looked, as she did the
first day she came to Lady Verner's and took up her modest seat on the
hearth-rug. Sir Henry Tempest had not seen many such faces as that; he
had not met with many natures so innocent and charming.
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