Of course her people want
you to marry her. Now if you could just tell them that the whole thing was
in the hands of--say me, or any other friend, you would be relieved, you
know, of so much responsibility. They might hammer away at me ever so long
and I shouldn't care twopence."
"If there is to be any hammering, it cannot be borne vicariously," said
Lord Fawn, and as he said it he was quite pleased by his own sharpness and
wit.
He had indeed put himself beyond protection by vicarious endurance of
hammering when he promised to write to Lady Eustace, explaining his own
conduct and giving reasons. Had anything turned up in Scotland Yard which
would have justified him in saying, or even in thinking, that Lizzie had
stolen her own diamonds, he would have sent word to her that he must
abstain from any communication till that matter had been cleared up; but
since the appearance of that mysterious paragraph in the newspapers
nothing had been heard of the robbery, and public opinion certainly seemed
to be in favour of Lizzie's innocence. He did think that the Eustace
faction was betraying him, as he could not but remember how eager Mr.
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