The livelong day Lady Standish had not beheld the light of her lord\'s countenance.

Upon their last meeting, his behaviour to the Bishop having roused in her gentle bosom a feeling as nearly akin to resentment as it was capable of harbouring, she would not be (she had resolved) the one to seek him first. She had, therefore, passed the day in her own apartment in writing to her mother, and in practising her last song to the harp—a piece of audacity and independence which she expected would have goaded Sir Jasper into an instant interview with herself.

When the dusk rose, however, and the candles were brought in by the round-eyed handmaid, whose ministrations replaced those of Megrim (the latter was still packing, and seemed like to take some weeks in the process), and the said round-eyed damsel immediately began to inform her mistress that Sir Jasper had set forth in his coach, Lady Standish\'s small flame of courage began to flicker woefully.

"Alone?" she asked in white dismay.

"Please, my lady, Mr. Bowles was driving, and there was Mr. Thomas behind, my lady."

"Pshaw, girl! Did Sir Jasper take any luggage?"

"Oh yes, my lady; there was his yellow bag, Mr. Toombs says, and a small wooden case."

"Heavens!" cried Lady Standish, with increasing alarm. "And whither went they?"

"Please, my lady, Mr. Toombs says they took the London Road."

Fain would the round-eyed maid have lingered and told more, but Lady Standish waved her hand faintly, and so dismissed her.

An hour later, Lydia, brisk with importance, and sparkling with conscious power, found the much-tried soul sunk in a sort of apathetic weariness of misery.

"Mistress Bellairs\' love, my lady, and will you read this letter at once?"

Lady Standish took the letter from the black-mittened hand.

"Please my lady, \'tis of the utmost importance," said Lydia, "and I was to wait and see if I could not be of use to you."

Something magnetic in the girl\'s lively tone gave impetus to Lady Standish\'s suspended energies. She broke the seal.


"My sweet child," wrote Mistress Kitty. "If you want to know what has become of your husband, you will instantly take a chaise and start off for the Black Bear at Devizes.

"Your true friend,
        "K. B.

"Postscriptum.—Do not go alone. Get some old hag (if possible Lady Maria Prideaux) to accompany you. You will find her in the Assembly Rooms. She\'s as curious as our first mother—you can easily persuade her. This is good advice!"


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