You were to have told Lady Lufton before he did anything, and he was waiting to write about it till he heard from you.

It seems that you never said a word to her ladyship on the subject." "I never did, certainly.

My commission from Lufton was to break the matter to her when I found her in a proper humour for receiving it.
If you knew Lady Lufton as well as I do, you would know that it is not every day that she would be in a humour for such tidings." "And so I was to be kept waiting indefinitely because you two between you were afraid of an old woman! However, I have not a word to say against her, and the matter is settled now." "Has the farm been sold ?" "Not a bit of it.

The dowager could not bring her mind to suffer such profanation for the Lufton acres, and so she sold five thousand pounds out of the funds and sent the money to Lufton as a present;--sent it to him without saying a word, only hoping that it would suffice for his wants.

I wish I had a mother, I know." Mark found it impossible at the moment to make any remark upon what had been told him, but he felt a sudden qualm of conscience and a wish that he was at Framley instead of at Gatherum Castle at the present moment.