Lady Clara turned to Hepworth Closs.
"Plead for me—plead for that poor girl!" she cried, with the unreasoning persistence of a child; but, to her astonishment, Hepworth answered even more resolutely than his sister.
"I cannot, Clara. There should be nothing in common between the daughter of Olympia and Lord Hope's only child."
"Oh, how cruel! What is the use of having rank and power if one is not to use it for the good of others?"
"We will not argue the matter, dear child."
"But I will argue it, and if I cannot convince, I will hate you, Hepworth Closs, just as long as I live."
"Not quite so bad as that, I trust," answered Hepworth, sadly. "To own the truth, Clara, I fear your mother will have enough to do in reconciling Lord Hope to the position another person has assumed in his household. Do not let us add new difficulties to her position."
Clara began to cry.
"I'm sure I never thought of troubling her or offending my father. It is so natural for them to be good and kind, why should I doubt them now, when the grandest, sweetest, most beautiful girl in the whole world wants help—just the help they can give, too? Well, well, when papa comes home, I will lay the whole case before him."
"Not for the world!" cried Rachael, suddenly. "I tell you, cast this subject from your mind. I will not have my lord annoyed by it. For once, Clara, I must and will be obeyed."