crowd was
great, so that he could not get near them or even keep them in sight,
but he was aware of the way in which they were going.

It was five minutes after this when he again saw her, and then she
was seated on a cane bench in the gallery, and an old woman was
standing close to her, talking to her. It was Mrs Marsham cautioning
her against some petty imprudence, and Lady Glencora was telling that
lady that she needed no such advice, in words almost as curt as those
I have used. Lord Hartletop had left her, feeling that, as far as
that was concerned, he had done his duty for the night. Burgo knew
nothing of Mrs Marsham,--had never seen her before, and was quite
unaware that she had any special connection with Mr Palliser. It was
impossible, he thought, to find Lady Glencora in a better position
for his purpose, so he made his way up to her through the crowd, and
muttering some slight inaudible word, offered her his hand.

"That will do very well thank you, Mrs Marsham," Lady Glencora said
at this moment. "Pray, do not trouble yourself," and then she gave
her hand to Fitzgerald. Mrs Marsham, though unknown to him, knew with
quite sufficient accuracy who he was, and all his history, as far as
it concerned her friend's wife. She had learned the whole story of
the loves of Burgo and Lady Glencora. Though Mr Palliser had never
mentioned that man's name to her, she was well aware that her duty as
a duenna would make it expedient that she should keep a doubly wary
eye upon him should he come near the sheepfold. And there he was,
close to them, almost leaning over them, with the hand of his late
lady love,--the hand of Mr Palliser's wife,--within his own! How Lady
Glencora might have carried herself at this moment had Mrs Marsham
not been there, it is bootless now to surmise; but it may be well
understood that under Mrs Marsham's immediate eye all her resolution
would be in Burgo's favour. She looked at him softly and kindly, and
though she uttered no articulate word, her countenance seemed to show
that the meeting was not unpleasant to her.

"Will you waltz?" said Burgo,--asking it not at all as though it were
a special favour,--asking it exactly as he might have done had they
been in the habit of dancing with each other every other night for
the last three months.

"I don't think Lady Glencora will waltz to-night," said Mrs Marsham,
very stiffly. She certainly did not know her business as a duenna, or
else the enormi