"And I have promised to go to your husband," said Lord Lufton, "or rather to your husband's dog, Ponto. And I will do two other good things: I will carry a brace of pheasants with me, and protect Miss Robarts from the evil spirits of the Framley roads." And so Mrs. Robarts turned in at the gate, and Lucy and his lordship walked off together.
Lord Lufton, though he had never before spoken to Miss Robarts, he had already found out that she was by no means plain. Though he had hardly seen her except at church, he had already made himself certain that the owner of that face must be worth knowing, and was not sorry to have the present opportunity of speaking to her. "So you have an unknown damsel shut up in your castle," he had once said to Mrs. Robarts. "If she be kept a prisoner much longer, I shall find it my duty to come and release her by force of arms." He had been there twice with the object of seeing her, but on both occasions Lucy had managed to escape. Now we may say she was fairly caught, and Lord Lufton, taking a pair of pheasants from the gamekeeper, and swinging them over his shoulder, walked off with his prey.
"You have been here a long time," he said, "without our having had the pleasure of seeing you."
"Yes, my lord," said Lucy. Lords had not been frequent among her acquaintance hitherto.
"I tell Mrs. Robarts that she has been confining you illegally, and that we shall release you by force or stratagem."
"I—I—I have had a great sorrow lately."
"Yes, Miss Robarts, I know you have; and I am only joking, you know. But I do hope that now you will be able to come among us. My mother is so anxious that you should do so."
"I am sure she is very kind, and you also, my lord."
"I never knew my own father," said Lord Lufton, speaking gravely, "but I can well understand what a loss you have had." And then, after pausing a moment, he continued, "I remember Dr. Robarts well."
"Do you, indeed?" said Lucy, turning sharply toward him, and speaking now with some animation in her voice. Nobody had yet spoken to her about her father since she had been at Framley. It had been as though the subject were a forbidden one. And how frequently is this the case!
