On the part of Frank Greystock there was certainly no desire to let the
Under-Secretary escape. It is hoped that the reader, to whom every tittle
of this story has been told without reserve, and every secret unfolded,
will remember that others were not treated with so much open candour. The
reader knows much more of Lizzie Eustace than did her cousin Frank. He,
indeed, was not quite in love with Lizzie; but to him she was a pretty,
graceful young woman, to whom he was bound by many ties, and who had been
cruelly injured. Dangerous she was doubtless, and perhaps a little
artificial. To have had her married to Lord Fawn would have been a good
thing, and would still be a good thing. According to all the rules known
in such matters Lord Fawn was bound to marry her. He had become engaged to
her, and Lizzie had done nothing to forfeit her engagement. As to the
necklace, the plea made for jilting her on that ground was a disgraceful
pretext. Everybody was beginning to perceive that Mr. Camperdown would
never have succeeded in getting the diamonds from her, even if they had
not been stolen. It was "preposterous," as Frank said over and over again
to his friend Herriot, that a man when he was engaged to a lady, should
take upon himself to judge her conduct as Lord Fawn had done, and then
ride out of his engagement on a verdict found by himself.
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