"What if Mr. Copley should not be in London?" she ventured.
"Oh, he must be. At least he was there a very few days ago. He never is away from London, except when he goes to visit somewhere."
"It is coming towards the time now when the gentlemen go down into the country to shoot."
"Father does not care for shooting. I mean to get him to go to Venice instead, with mother and me."
"Suppose you should fail in that plan, Miss Dolly? is your business done then?"
"No. Oh no!" said Dolly, for a moment covering her face with her hands. "O Mrs. Jersey! if I could not manage that, I do not know what I should do!" Dolly's voice had a premonition of despair. "But I guess I can do it," she added with a resumption of cheerfulness. And she talked on from that time merrily of other things.
When they arrived in London next day, it was already too late for Dolly to do anything. She was fain to let Mrs. Jersey lodge her and feast her and pet her to her heart's content. She was put in a pretty room in the great house; she was entertained royally, as far as the viands went; and in every imaginable way the housekeeper was carefully kind. Well for Dolly; who needed all the help of kindness and care. The whole long day she had been brooding on what she had to do, and trying to imagine how things would be. Without data, that is a specially wearisome occupation; inasmuch as one may imagine anything, and there is nothing to contradict the most extravagant speculations. Dolly's head and heart were tired by the time night came, and her nerves in an excited condition, to which Mrs. Jersey's ministrations and the interest of the place gave a welcome relief. Dolly tried to put off thought. But everything pressed upon her, now that she was so near seeing her father; and seventeen-years-old felt as if it had a great load on its young shoulders.
"Mrs. Jersey," she began, after supper, "you are quite sure that it is never right for a girl to sacrifice herself for the sake of benefiting her parents?"
"In the way of marrying a man she does not love? Miss Dolly, a Christian man would never have a young lady marry him on those terms."
"Suppose he is not a Christian man?"