ices; and it proved so. A little later than four o'clock in
the afternoon of the election-day, Cecilia received a message from her
father telling her that both of the Liberals were headed; 'Beauchamp
nowhere.'

Mrs. Grancey Lespel was the next herald of Beauchamp's defeat. She merely
stated the fact that she had met the colonel and Mr. Blackburn Tuckham
driving on the outskirts of the town, and had promised to bring Cecilia
the final numbers of the poll. Without naming them, she unrolled the
greater business in her mind.

'A man who in the middle of an Election goes over to France to fight a
duel, can hardly expect to win; he has all the morality of an English
borough opposed to him,' she said; and seeing the young lady stiffen:
'Oh! the duel is positive,' she dropped her voice. 'With the husband. Who
else could it be? And returns invalided. That is evidence. My nephew
Palmet has it from Vivian Ducie, and he is acquainted with her tolerably
intimately, and the story is, she was overtaken in her flight in the
night, and the duel followed at eight o'clock in the morning; but her
brother insisted on fighting for Captain Beauchamp, and I cannot tell you
how--but his place in it I can't explain--there was a beau jeune homme,
and it's quite possible that he should have been the person to stand up
against the marquis. At any rate, he insulted Captain Beauchamp, or
thought your hero had insulted him, and the duel was with one or the
other. It matters exceedingly little with whom, if a duel was fought, and
you see we have quite established that.'

'I hope it is not true,' said Cecilia.

'My dear, that is the Christian thing to do,' said Mrs. Lespel. 'Duelling
is horrible: though those Romfreys!--and the Beauchamps were just as bad,
or nearly. Colonel Richard fought for a friend's wife or sister. But in
these days duelling is incredible. It was an inhuman practice always, and
it is now worse--it is a reach of manners. I would hope it is not true;
and you may mean that I have it from Lord Palmet. But I know Vivian Ducie
as well as I know my nephew, and if he distinctly mentions an occurrence,
we may too surely rely on the truth of it; he is not a man to spread
mischief. Are you unaware that he met Captain Beauchamp at the chateau of
the marquise? The whole story was acted under his eyes. He had only to
take up his pen. Generally he favours me with his French gossip. I
suppose there were circumstances in this affair more suitabl