es half-mad
with expectation. This has been his excitement,--what racing and
gambling are to other men. At last, the place was there, ready for
him, and they offered it to him. They begged him to take it, almost
on their knees. The Duke of St Bungay was here all one morning about
it; but Mr Palliser sent him away, and refused the place. It's all
over now, and the other man, whom they all hate so much, is to remain
in."

"But why did he refuse it?"

"I keep on telling you--because of me. He found that I wanted looking
after, and that Mrs Marsham and Mr Bott between them couldn't do it."

"Oh, Cora! how can you talk in that way?"

"If you knew all, you might well ask how I could. You remember about
Lady Monk's ball, that you would not go to,--as you ought to have
done. If you had gone, Mr Palliser would have been Chancellor of the
Exchequer at this minute; he would, indeed. Only think of that! But
though you did not go, other people did who ought to have remained at
home. I went for one,--and you know who was there for another."

"What difference could that make to you?" said Alice, angrily.

"It might have made a great deal of difference. And, for the matter
of that, so it did. Mr Palliser was there too, but, of course, he
went away immediately. I can't tell you all the trouble there had
been about Mrs Marsham,--whether I was to take her with me or not.
However, I wouldn't take her, and didn't take her. The carriage went
for her first, and there she was when we got there; and Mr Bott was
there too. I wonder whether I shall ever make you understand it all."

"There are some things I don't want to understand."

"There they both were watching me,--looking at me the whole evening;
and, of course, I resolved that I would not be put down by them."

"I think, if I had been you, I would not have allowed their presence
to make any difference to me."

"That is very easily said, my dear, but by no means so easily done.
You can't make yourself unconscious of eyes that are always looking
at you. I dared them, at any rate, to do their worst, for I stood up
to dance with Burgo Fitzgerald."

"Oh, Cora!"

"Why shouldn't I? At any rate I did; and I waltzed with him for half
an hour. Alice, I never will waltz again;--never. I have done with
dancing now. I don't think, even in my maddest days, I ever kept it
up so long as I did then. And I knew that everybody was looking at
me. It was not only Mrs Marsham and Mr Bott, but eve