e was the last woman in England to hamper
herself by dependence on the Court. Up to London they came; and,
though of course they went into no society, the house in Carlton
Gardens was continually thronged with people who had some special
reason for breaking the ordinary rules of etiquette in their desire
to see how Lady Glencora carried herself as Duchess of Omnium. "Do
you think she's altered much?" said Aspasia Fitzgibbon, an elderly
spinster, the daughter of Lord Claddagh, and sister of Laurence
Fitzgibbon, member for one of the western Irish counties. "I don't
think she was quite so loud as she used to be."

Mrs. Bonteen was of opinion that there was a change. "She was always
uncertain, you know, and would scratch like a cat if you offended
her."

"And won't she scratch now?" asked Miss Fitzgibbon.

"I'm afraid she'll scratch oftener. It was always a trick of hers to
pretend to think nothing of rank;--but she values her place as highly
as any woman in England."

This was Mrs. Bonteen's opinion; but Lady Baldock, who was present,
differed. This Lady Baldock was not the mother, but the sister-in-law
of that Augusta Boreham who had lately become Sister Veronica John.
"I don't believe it," said Lady Baldock. "She always seems to me to
be like a great schoolgirl who has been allowed too much of her own
way. I think people give way to her too much, you know." As Lady
Baldock was herself the wife of a peer, she naturally did not stand
so much in awe of a duchess as did Mrs. Bonteen, or Miss Fitzgibbon.

"Have you seen the young Duke?" asked Mr. Ratler of Barrington Erle.

"Yes; I have been with him this morning."

"How does he like it?"

"He's bothered out of his life,--as a hen would be if you were to
throw her into water. He's so shy, he hardly knows how to speak to
you; and he broke down altogether when I said something about the
Lords."

"He'll not do much more."

"I don't know about that," said Erle. "He'll get used to it, and go
into harness again. He's a great deal too good to be lost."

"He didn't give himself airs?"

"What!--Planty Pall! If I know anything of a man he's not the man to
do that because he's a duke. He can hold his own against all comers,
and always could. Quiet as he always seemed, he knew who he was, and
who other people were. I don't think you'll find much difference in
him when he has got over the annoyance." Mr. Ratler, however, was of
a different opinion. Mr. Ratler had known ma