Let him have
the east room, and tell Brown to light a blazing fire in my bedroom.
and warm and air every mortal thing, on pain of death.
"Your affectionate uncle,
"JOHN FOUNTAIN."
On reading this letter Lucy formed an innocent scheme. It had long
been matter of regret to her that Aunt Bazalgette could not see the
good qualities of Uncle Fountain, and Uncle Fountain of Aunt
Bazalgette. "It must be mere prejudice," said she, "or why do I love
them both?" She had often wished she could bring them together, and
make them know one another better; they would find out one another's
good qualities then, and be friends. But how? As Shakespeare says,
"Oxen and wain-ropes would not haul them, together."
At last chance aided her--Mrs. Bazalgette was at Font Abbey actually.
Lucy knew that if she announced Mr. Fountain's expected return the B
would fly off that minute, so she suppressed the information, and,
giving up to young Arthur as she had to Mrs. B., moved into a still
smaller room than the east room.
And now her heart quaked a little. "But, after all, Uncle Fountain is
a gentleman," thought she, "and not capable of showing hostility to
her under his own roof. Here she is safe, though nowhere else; only I
must see him, and explain to him before he sees her." With this view
Lucy declined demurely her aunt's proposal for a walk. No, she must be
excused; she had work to do in the drawing-room that could not be
postponed.
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