with them. The
reply made by His Grace was--'They should have taken more care of it
when they had it.' 'Ha, ha! young lady, they should have taken more
care when they had it!'" [1]

After this the pleasant visit soon came to an end; but even before it
did so, Grace found it difficult to concentrate her thoughts upon the
remarks of their amusing guide. The mention of the word Spain brought
to the mind of the girl a lady whom in all fidelity she loved still,
who was at that time dwelling in that country--namely, Miss Caroline
Dudley. The girl felt that to see her friend again would give her
greater pleasure than many of the honours that were heaped upon her;
and she could not resist the feeling of regret and melancholy that
stole over her as she thought of the great distance between them. She
wondered, no doubt, whether the fame of her deed would reach the ear of
her friend, and if so, what she would think of it. Woman-like, Grace
would surely value much more the simple expression of approbation which
fell from the lips, or was written by the hand of one whom she loved,
than all the flatteries which the press heaped upon her, and the crowd
endorsed.

The day spent at the castle remained in the memory of Grace for another
reason than that of the kindly notice of the Duchess of Northumberland.
It was known in Alnwick that the heroine whom they all delighted to
honour was in the neighbourhood, and the town became astir with the
news. All who were acquainted with Grace knew that she shrank from
publicity and formality; but such an opportunity could not be allowed
to pass unimproved, and therefore the folk did their best to show the
maiden how much they loved her for her heroic conduct. The news was
rapidly circulated through the town, and an immense crowd gathered
outside the castle, and waited for the Darlings. No sooner did they
appear than the concourse sent up such a cheer that the air rang with
it. Surely no people can shout like the English can; for they put
their hearts into their voices when their enthusiasm has been really
aroused, and then the applause has a most thrilling sound. It was,
however, almost more than Grace could bear, and it frightened her so
much that she clung to her father for his protection. Again the loud
hurrahs rose in the air, and Grace's face turned pale, and her heart
beat violently.

"Do not be afraid, Grace. Only look at the people, and you will find
that they are all your f