Such
was Frank's statement--untrue indeed, but believed by him to be true. This
was one of Lizzie's lies, forged as soon as she understood that some
subsidiary claim might be made upon them on the ground that they formed a
portion of property left by will away from her; some claim subsidiary to
the grand claim, that the necklace was a family heirloom. Lord Fawn was
not in the least shaken in his conviction that Lizzie had behaved, and was
behaving, badly, and that, therefore, he had better get rid of her; but he
knew that he must be very wary in the reasons he would give for jilting
her. He wrote, therefore, a very short note to Greystock, promising that
any explanation needed should be given as soon as circumstances should
admit of his forming a decision. In the mean time the 30th of July came,
and Lady Eustace was ready for her journey.
There is, or there was, a train leaving London for Carlisle at eleven A.
M., by which Lizzie purposed to travel, so that she might sleep in that
city and go on through Dumfries to Portray the next morning. This was her
scheme; but there was another part of her scheme as to which she had felt
much doubt.
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