"A most capital plan," exclaimed Charles.
"Lady Anne will not be annoyed," added Mrs. Palmer, "by seeing any of the preparations. Louisa can be as quiet as she pleases during the fortnight necessary for the license, and, let me tell you, Mrs. Gooch is an excellent person for her to stay with before her marriage, Charlotte is such a capital manager."
"We can never thank you enough," replied Charles; "but when can she go?"
"I have settled it all, if you consent," answered Mrs. Palmer; "my daughter will be delighted to receive her. Helen is to call this afternoon for my message, and to-morrow, before Lady Anne is up, I will drive Louisa to Mrs. Gooch's."
What could Mr. Penrhyn say, but what he did—that he was divided between love and gratitude.
In the mean time, Lady Anne had taken what she called a decisive step in the business; she had written to Lord Rotheles, begging that he would remonstrate with Louisa on her disgraceful marriage. By return of post she received the following answer from Lady Rotheles:
"Dear Lady Anne—Rotheles and I are such an old-fashioned couple, that we open each other's letters. From his being very unwell, I opened your's, which, after reading it to him, he requested I would answer. He begs me to say that we both consider it very ill-judged on your part to object to any tolerably
