ceding the trial.
The Countess became on a sudden very popular. Exaggerated stories
were told of the romance of her past life,--though it would have been
well nigh impossible to exaggerate her sufferings. Her patience, her
long endurance and persistency were extolled by all. The wealth that
would accrue to her and to her daughter was of course doubled. Had
anybody seen her? Did anybody know her? Even the Murrays began to be
proud of her, and old Lady Jemima Magtaggart, who had been a Murray
before she married General Mag, as he was called, went at once and
called upon the Countess in Keppel Street. Being the first that
did so, before the Countess had suspected any invasion, she was
admitted,--and came away declaring that sorrow must have driven the
Countess mad. The Countess, no doubt, did not receive her distant
relative with any gentle courtesy. She had sworn to herself often,
that come what come might, she would never cross the threshold of a
Murray. Old Lord Swanage, who had married some very distant Lovel,
wrote to her a letter full of very proper feeling. It had been, he
said, quite impossible for him to know the truth before the truth had
come to light, and therefore he made no apology for not having before
this made overtures of friendship to his connection. He now begged to
express his great delight that she who had so well deserved success
had been successful, and to offer her his hand in friendship, should
she be inclined to accept it. The Countess answered him in a strain
which certainly showed that she was not mad. It was not her policy to
quarrel with any Lovel, and her letter was very courteous. She was
greatly obliged to him for his kindness, and had felt as strongly as
he could do that she could have no claim on her husband's relations
till she should succeed in establishing her rights. She accepted his
hand in the spirit in which it had been offered, and hoped that his
Lordship might yet become a friend of her daughter. For herself,--she
feared that all that she had suffered had made her unfit for much
social intercourse. Her strength, she said, had been sufficient to
carry her thus far, but was now failing her.

Then, too, there came to her that great glory of which the lawyer had
given her a hint. She received a letter from the private secretary
of his Majesty the King, telling her that his Majesty had heard her
story with great interest, and now congratulated her heartily on the
re-establishment of