earth as having been hotter in past time ries she knew nothing of. The profound than at present. The further we look astonishment which overwhelmed Lady back the greater must the earth's heat have been. We cannot stop till the earth was once red-hot or white-hot, till it was molten or a mass of fiery vapor. Here, again, we are led to a condition of things which would certainly seem to harmonize with the doctrines of the nebular theory.

did more for her than merely to bring her her mother's society, though that was much. It brought her also other news of the outer world- news of Winton more definite than the distant sight of him riding or walking through the square, which he did constantly. Now, at last, she received the budget of letters, of which her mother's hands were full. Lady Jane smiled and cried a little at the entreaties her lover addressed to her to be steadfast

not to give him up. "I wonder what they all think," she said; "is this an argument likely to convince one's reason, mother, or to persuade one for love's sake? She looked round upon her

possible result of the kind intended, made of color and hope in consequence. It her almost more impatient of them than if they had been more dangerous. That her father could think to subdue her by such means, that he could expect to convince her by so miserable an argument, that he could suppose it possible that she would change for this, abandon what she had resolved upon at the expense of all her prejudices and so many of her better feelings, because of being shut up in two rooms for two months, or two years, or any time he might choose to keep her there! If she had not thought her filial duty a sufficient reason, would she be convinced by a lock and key? Lady Jane smiled with high and silent disdain at so extraordinary a mistake. But it was un-prison-her pretty chamber furnished worthy, it was lowering to her moral dig- with every luxury-and laughed a little. nity to be exposed to so vexatious and "Is it my head or my heart that is appetty an ordeal. At a state prison, with pealed to?" she said. This, perhaps, was the block at the end, she had been pre- too clear-sighted for the angelic point of pared to smile serenely, carrying her high view from which the world in general exfaith and constancy through even the pected Lady Jane to view most matters. death ordeal. But confinement in her But, in fact, though she had more poetry own room was laughable, not heroic; it in her than her mother, Lady Jane had made her blush that she should be exer- come into possession of part of her mothcised in so miserable a way -in a way er's fortune, so to speak her sense; so impossible to bring about any result. and that is a quality which will assert it. Nurse Mordaunt was an excellent com- self. Now the duchess, in the excitement panion, but after a while she began to of standing by helpless while her daughdroop and pine. She wanted the fresh ter suffered, had come to regard the matair; she wanted to see her grandchildren; ter more melodramatically than Lady Jane she wanted, oh, imperiously beyond de- did, to suffer her feelings to get the masscription! a talk, a gossip, a little human tery, and to imagine a hundred sinkings intercourse with some one of her own of the heart and depressions of the spirit kind. Lady Jane was a darling the to which the captive must be liable. She sweetest of ladies; but it was a different recognized the change instinctively, for thing talking to that angel and chatting it was one which had taken place long ago familiarly over things in general with Mrs. Jarvis. Nurse no more than other mortals could be kept continuously on the higher level. She longed to unbend, to be at her case, to feel herself, as the French say, chez elle, in which expression there is almost a more intimate well-being than in that of being at home, which we English think so much superior. Her health suffered, which Lady Jane would not allow that hers did; and, at last, Nurse Mordaunt made such strenuous representations on the subject to the new servant, whose business it was to watch over the prisoners, that she was allowed to go out. She was allowed to go out and the duchess to come in, two proceedings altogether contradictory of the spirit of the Confinement, and which were, indeed, a confession of failure, though the duke himself was unaware of it. This made a great change to the prisoner, whose cheeks, though still pale, got a little tinge

in herself. She, too, had been brought to see the paltriness of many things that looked imposing, the futility of les grands moyens. Lady Jane's development had been slow. At twenty-five she had been less experienced than many a girl of eighteen. But now her eyes were opened. Even her lover, who thought it possible that she might yield under such persuasion, was subject to almost a passing shade of that high but gentle disdain with which she contemplated the vulgar force to which she was subjected; for it was vulgar, alas! though a duke was the origi nator; and unspeakably weak though it was what the French call brutal-everything, in short, that a mode of action destined to affect a sensitive, proud, and clear-seeing soul ought not to be.

The new régime had continued but a short time when Nurse Mordaunt returned one day from her walk with heightened color and great suppressed excitement.

201

Something, it was evident, was in her night. Lady Jane was not of a restless
mind quite beyond the circle of her usual nature. She did not toss about upon her
thoughts; but she talked less, not more, pillows and make it audible that she was
than usual, and left her lady free to read sleepless; and she had much to occupy
over and over the last letters, and to re- her thoughts, so many things that were
fresh her heart with all the raptures of pleasant, as well as much that it hurt her
her lover's delight in having again found to contemplate. She put the hurtful
the means of communicating with her things away and thought of the sweet, and
after the misery of six weeks of silence lay there in the darkness of the winter's
and complete separation. Something he night lighted and calmed by sweet
said of a speedy end of all difficulties, thought. When it was nearly morning, at
which Lady Jane took but little thought the darkest and chilliest moment of all,
of, being far more interested in the reun- there came a rustling and soft movement,
ion with himself, which his letters brought which, however, did not alarm her since
about. A speedy end: no doubt an end it came from Nurse Mordaunt's room.
would come some time; but at present the Then she perceived dimly in the faint
prisoner was not so sanguine as those light from an uncurtained window a muf-
outside. She did not know the gallant fled figure, with which indeed she was
stand which the ladies were making, or very familiar, being no other than that of
the social state of siege which had been nurse herself in a dressing-gown and
'instituted in respect to the duke; and she nightcap, with a shawl huddled about her
sighed, but smiled, at Winton's hope. throat and shoulders, stealing round the
All went on as usual during the long, room. What was nurse doing at this
long evening. It was long, though it was mysterious hour?- but Lady Jane was
provided with everything calculated to not afraid. She was rather glad of the
make it bearable books and the means incident in the long monotony of the
of writing, writing to him—which was night. She turned her head noiselessly
far more amusing and absorbing than any upon her pillow to watch. But the sur-
other kind of composition. Her fire was prise of Lady Jane was great at the fur-
bright, her room fall of luxurious comfort ther operations of her attendant. Nurse
a piano in it, and materials for a dozen arranged carefully and noiselessly a small
of those amateur works with which time screen between the door and the bed, then
can be cheated out of its length. But she with great precaution struck a light and
sighed and wearied, as was natural, not- began with much fumbling and awkward-
withstanding the happiness of having ness to operate upon the door. What was
her lover's letters, and of having talked she doing? The light throwing a glimmer
with her mother, and of knowing as she upward from behind the screen revealed
did that some time or other this must her face full of anxiety, bent forward
come to an end. "After all, nurse," she towards the lock of the door, upon which
said with a little laugh, as she prepared many scratches and ineffectual jars as of
for bed, "to be in prison is not desirable. tools badly managed soon became audible.
I should like to have a run in the woods The candle threw a portentous waving
at Billings, or even a walk in Rotten shadow, over the further wall and roof, of
Row."
the old woman's muffled figure, and be-
trayed a succession of dabs and misses at
the door which Lady Jane for a long time
could not understand. What did it mean?
The noise increased as nurse grew ner-
vous over her failure. She hurt her
fingers, she pursed her mouth, she con-
tracted her brows; it was work that de-
manded knowledge and delicate handling,
but she had neither. When Lady Jane
raised herself noiselessly on her arm, and
said in her soft voice,
"What are you
doing, nurse?" the poor woman dropped
the tools with a dull thump on the floor
and almost went down after them in her
vexation. "Oh, my lady, I can't! I can't
do it, I'm that stupid!" She wept so
that Lady Jane could scarcely console
her, or understand her explanation. At

"Yes, dear," said nurse, leaning over
her, "your ladyship shall do better than
that. Oh, yes, my sweet, better days are
coming. Don't you let down your dear
heart.'

66 'No;
that would not do much good,"
Lady Jane said with a sigh; but she did
not remark, which was strange, that
nurse was full of a seceet, and that a de-
lightful secret, exultingly dwelt upon, and
ready to burst out at the least encourage-
ment. Or perhaps she did perceive it but
was too tired to draw it forth. And she
gave no encouragement to further disclos-
ure, but went to her rest sighing, with a
longing to be free, such as since the first
days of her imprisonment she had not felt
before. And she could not sleep that
VOL. XXXVIII. 1974

LIVING AGE.

last it came out by degrees that the tools | had all gathered as close as possible, and had been given her, with many injunc- lent their keenest ear. And there was a tions and instructions, to break open the whisper ran round that this was indeed the lock of the door. 66 By whom?" Lady way in which royalty should take its place Jane demanded with a deep blush and in society. As for the duke, he stumbled sparkling eyes. Why she should have out of these gilded halls, more confused felt so keen a flash of indignation at her and discomfited than ever duke was. He lover for thinking of such an expedient is did not sleep much more than Lady Jane inscrutable, but at the moment it seemed did all that long and dark night. to her that she could never forgive Win- was he to do? Must he give in? These ton for such an expedient. But it was words seemed to be written upon the Lady Germaine who was the offender, book of fate. Relinquish his prejudices, and Lady Jane was pacified. She bound his principles, all the traditions of his race up nurse's finger and sent her off summarily to bed. Then, it must be allowed, she herself looked upon the tools long and anxiously with shining eyes. It seemed to her that it would be fighting her father with his own weapons. It would be as unworthy of her to get her freedom that way, as it was of him to make a prisoner of her. Would it be so? Lady Jane's heart began to beat, and her brow to throb. Would it be so? The mere idea that she held her freedom in her hand filled her whole being with excitement. She locked them away into a little cabinet which stood near her bed. She was too tremulous, too much excited by the mere possibility to be able to think at all.

retrace his steps, own himself in error, undo what he had done? No! no! no! a thousand times no! But then there seemed to come round him again that rush of velvet feet, that sheen of jewelled brows, the look with which the central figure waved her lily hand The duke felt his forehead bedewed with drops of anguish. How could he stand out against that? he the most loyal of subjects, and one whose example went so far. If he set himself in opposition, who could be expected to obey? He thought of nothing else all night, and it was the first thing which occurred to him when he woke in the morning. What to do? He was tired of it all, all, and tired of other things too, if he could have been brought to confess it. His heart was sore, and his soul fatigued beyond measure. He had not even his wife to lean the weight of his cares upon, and everything was going wrong. He could now at last feel the sweep of the current moving towards Niagara. It bore him along, it carried him off his feet. Ruin at hand: he would not allow himself even now to believe in it - but in his heart was aware that it was ruin. And

That night had been a very exciting one for the duke. Again he had been the centre of a demonstration. It did not seem to him that he could turn anywhere without hearing these words, "half-married," murmuring about. This time it was at the house of the lord chancellor that the émeute occurred. A very distinguished lady was the chief guest: not indeed the most distinguished personage in the realm, but yet so near as to draw this other matter in the foreground ocinspiration from that fountain-head. She said, "We could not believe it," as Mrs. Coningsby had said: but naturally with far more force. "I am afraid you are not of your age, duke."

"There is little that is desirable in the age, madam, that any one should be of it," his Grace replied with dignity. Here he felt himself on safe ground.

cupying the thoughts which had so many other claims upon them! The reader may be very glad that our space is limited, otherwise there is enough to fill a volume of the duke's self-communings and perplexed, distressful thoughts. He got up in the morning still half-dazed, not knowing what to do. But in his heart the duke was aware he was beaten. There was no "Ah, but we cannot help belonging to more fight in him. He swallowed his it; and it is for persons of rank to show breakfast dolefully, and sat down in his that they can lead it, not to be driven vast, cheerless library by himself to settle back into antiquity. All that is over," "what he was to do, when But for said the gracious lady. The duke bowed this we must go back a little in the record to the ground as may be supposed. "Lady of the family affairs. Jane I hope will appear at the drawingroom on her marriage," his distinguished monitress said as she passed on. The emphasis was unmistakable. And how that silken company enjoyed it! They

Lady Jane had begun the day with a sense of underlying excitement, which she covered with her usual calm, but which was not her usual calm. She had the means of escape in her power. She

delivered, that no force in the world could put her again within that door. She gathered the long skirt of her black gown in her hand, and slowly, stately, not like a fugitive, like the princess she was, went down-stairs.

said nothing to nurse, who, subdued by
her failure and crushed by her lady's first
flash of indignation, effaced herself as
much as possible, and left Lady Jane in
the room which looked out upon the
square, which was her dressing-room
(nominally) and sitting-room, undisturbed. The duke was in his library thinking
Lady Jane could not forget that the tools what to do, and the duchess in her
were in that little carved cabinet, which, morning-room, with her heart greatly flut-
never in the course of its existence, had tered by that little royal speech which had
held anything of such serious meaning been reported to her already sat with,
before. She could not keep them out of strange to say, only half a thought of
her mind. To use them might be unwor- Jane, looking in the face that other dark
thy of her, a condescension, putting her- and gloomy thing, the ruin that was ap-
self on the same level as her tyrant; but proaching. She had palpable evidence of
after all, to think that the means were in it before her, and knew that it was now a
her power! Lady Jane was very well matter of weeks, perhaps of days, so that
aware that, once outside that door, her though her heart, like an agitated sea
captivity was over. It was a thing that after the storm, was still heaving with
could not be repeated. Once upon the the other emotion, her thoughts for the
staircase, in the passage, and all the world moment had abandoned Jane. But the
was free to her. When you think of that duke's mind was full of his daughter. He
after two months' imprisonment, it is hard would have to give in! Look at it how
to keep the excitement out of your pulses. he would, he saw no escape for that.
At last it overcame her so much that she "The women," as Lord Germaine in his
got up, half-stealthily, timidly, and went slangy way prophesied, "had made it too
to the door to examine the lock, and see hot for him," and royalty itself-clearly
whether, by the light of nature, she could he could not put his head out of his door,
make out what was to be done. It had or appear in the society of his peers again,
been closed not long before to permit of till this was done. But how was it to be
the exit of the maid who carried their done? To make his recantation in the
meals to the prisoners. The tools were eye of day, in the sight even of his house-
in the cabinet, and in all likelihood Lady hold, was more than he could calmly con-
Jane would be as maladroit with those template. It was no longer what was he
poor small white hands of hers as nurse to do? but how was he to do it? that was
had been. She went to the door and ex-in his mind. He had got up, unable to
amined the lock closely. All at once keep still, and feeling that some step must
When
something occurred to her which made be taken at once.
her heart jump. She took hold of the
handle, it turned in her hand. Another
moment and she flung it open with a little
cry of terror and triumph. Open! and
she free, out of her prison. It was but
one step, but that step was enough. Her
amazement was so great that it turned
to something like consternation. She
stepped out on to the landing, which was
somewhat dark on this February morn-
ing; and there she paused. She was a
woman born to be a heroine, one of the
Quixotic race. She paused a moment,
holding her head high, and reflected.
This must have been an accident: for
once the jailer had made a mistake, had
slept upon his post, had turned the key
Was it good enough to take ad-
vantage of a mistake, to save herself by
the slip of a servant? She hesitated, this
spiritual descendant of the great Spanish
cavalier, that noblest knight. But then
Lady Jane's sense came in. She was
aware that now at this moment she was

amiss.

We had already got this length on a previous page. At this memorable crisis, when all the world seemed to his consciousness to be standing still to see what he would do, the door of the library was pushed slowly open from without. The doors in Grosvenor Square did not squeak and mutter like the wizards in the Old Testament, as our doors so often do, but. rolled slowly open, majestically, without sound. This was what happened while the duke stood still, something within him seeming to give way, his heart flut tering as if what he expected was a visitor from the unseen. He stood with his eyes opening wide, his lips apart. Was it a deputation from Mayfair? was it the royal lady herself? was it It was something more overwhelming, more miraculous than any of these. It was Lady Jane. The reader is already aware who was coming, but the duke was not aware. He gasped at her with speechless aston