urn before her guests were stirring the next
morning, and herself account for Miss Hamilton's sudden return home. Few
words were sufficient for Allison, who was in all respects well fitted
for the situation she held near a person of the Duchess of Rothbury's
character; and the carriage rolled rapidly from Airslie.

Not another word passed between the travelling companions. In feverish
agitation on the part of Caroline, in cold, unbending sternness on that
of the Duchess, their journey passed. To the imagination of the former,
the roll of the carriage-wheels was the sound of pursuing horses; in
every turn of the road her fevered fancy beheld the figure of Lord
Alphingham: at one time glaring on her in reproachful bitterness, at
another, in mockery, derision, satire; and when she closed her eyes,
those visions still tormented, nor did they depart till she felt her
mother's arm around her, her gentle voice pronounce her name.

True to her determination, the Duchess left London as early as six the
following day, and, as usual, was the first within the breakfast-room,
and little could her friends imagine that since they had left her the
preceding evening she had made a journey to London and back. Caroline's
indisposition, which had been evident for several days, although she had
not complained till the day before, easily accounted for her return
home, although the exact time of her doing so was known to none save her
Grace herself; and even if surprise had been created, it would speedily
have passed away in the whirl of amusements which surrounded them. But
the courted, the admired, the fascinating Viscount no longer joined the
festive group. His friend Sir Walter Courtenay accounted for and excused
his absence, by stating that Lord Alphingham had received a disagreeable
letter from an agent of his in Scotland, which demanded his instant
presence; that he intended passing through London, thence proceed to the
North, where, in all probability, he should await the hunting season,
being engaged to join a large circle of noble friends.

It would be useless to linger on the impotent fury of Lord Alphingham
when he discovered his well-conceived plans were utterly frustrated, and
that his intended victim had eluded him, under the stern guardianship of
the Duchess of Rothbury. In the first bitter moment of disappointment,
he refused to accuse Caroline of any share in it, but believed their
plans had been, by some unforeseen circums