lling to be of
aid to him in his campaign to come. For it was one, and a great one. He
remembered his complete perception of the plan, all the elements of it,
the forward whirling of it, just before the fall on London Bridge. The
greatness of his enterprise laid such hold of him that the smallest of
obstacles had a villanous aspect; and when, as anticipated, Colney and
Fenellan were sultry flies for whomsoever they could fret, he was blind
to the reading of absurdities which caused Fredi's eyes to stream and
Lady Grace beside him to stand awhile and laugh out her fit. Young
Sowerby appeared forgiving enough--he was a perfect gentleman: but
Fredi's appalling sense of fun must try him hard. And those young fellows
are often more wounded by a girl's thoughtless laughter than by a man's
contempt. Nataly should have protected him. Her face had the air of a
smiling general satisfaction; sign of a pleasure below the mark required;
sign too of a sleepy partner for a battle. Even in the wonderful kitchen,
arched and pillared (where the explanation came to Nesta of Madame
Callet's frequent leave of absence of late, when an inferior dinner
troubled her father in no degree), even there his Nataly listened to the
transports of the guests with benign indulgence.

'Mama!' said Nesta, ready to be entranced by kitchens in her bubbling
animation: she meant the recalling of instances of the conspirator her
father had been.

'You none of you guessed Armandine's business!' Victor cried, in a glee
that pushed to make the utmost of this matter and count against chagrin.
'She was off to Paris; went to test the last inventions:--French brains
are always alert:--and in fact, those kitchen-ranges, gas and coal, and
the apparatus for warming plates and dishes, the whole of the battery is
on the model of the Duc d'Ariane's--finest in Europe. Well,' he agreed
with Colney, 'to say France is enough.'

Mr. Pempton spoke to Miss Graves of the task for a woman to conduct a
command so extensive. And, as when an inoffensive wayfarer has chanced to
set foot near a wasp's nest, out on him came woman and her champions, the
worthy and the sham, like a blast of powder.

Victor ejaculated: 'Armandine!' Whoever doubted her capacity, knew not
Armandine; or not knowing Armandine, knew not the capacity in women.

With that utterance of her name, he saw the orangey spot on London
Bridge, and the sinking Tower and masts and funnels, and the rising of
them, on his