'I suppose you will give up Newnham now?' she continued presently, and Lucy thought there was just a shade of derision in her voice; but this was only fancy.
She might be excused for fancying it, for she had been plucked in both her examinations. She had failed in both parts of the Little-go. There was quite reason enough to account for her failing at such a time that she need not have fancied that Cousin Mary underrated her powers.
'No, I shall certainly not give up Newnham,' Lucy said with some spirit. 'I shall go in for the examination again in October. I shall continue at Newnham until—until——'
She couldn't finish the sentence, but stopped short in the middle, and blushed delightfully.
'Until what?' Cousin Mary said bluntly. She hated to see girls blushing; she never blushed herself.
'Until I am married,' Lucy said softly, and her eyes fell and her colour rose.
It was a great pity that the new Master of St. Benedict's was not there to see her.
'Married?' Mary repeated, with a little break in her voice. 'Whoever are you going to marry, child?'