r was about to happen; and he was again
alone, contemplating the future glories of his house. Had he a
thought for his poor cousin Jeffrey, whose nose was now so terribly
out of joint? No, indeed. His thoughts were all of himself, and the
good things that were coming to him,--of the new world of interest
that was being opened for him. It would be better to him, this, than
being Chancellor of the Exchequer. He would rather have it in store
for him to be father of the next Duke of Omnium, than make half a
dozen consecutive annual speeches in Parliament as to the ways and
means, and expenditure of the British nation! Could it be possible
that this foreign tour had produced for him this good fortune? If so,
how luckily had things turned out! He would remember even that ball
at Lady Monk's with gratitude. Perhaps a residence abroad would be
best for Lady Glencora at this particular period of her life. If
so, abroad she should certainly live. Before resolving, however,
on anything permanently on this head, he thought that he might
judiciously consult those six first-rate London physicians, whom, in
the first moment of his excitement, he had been desirous of summoning
to Lucerne.

In the meantime Alice had gone up to the bedroom of the lady who was
now to be the subject of so much anxious thought. When she entered
the room, her friend was up and in her dressing-gown, lying on a sofa
which stood at the foot of the bed. "Oh, Alice, I'm so glad you've
come," said Lady Glencora. "I do so want to hear your voice." Then
Alice knelt beside her, and asked her if she were ill.

"He hasn't told you? But of course he wouldn't. How could he? But,
Alice, how did he look? Did you observe anything about him? Was he
pleased?"

"I did observe something, and I think he was pleased. But what is it?
He called me Alice. And seemed to be quite unlike himself. But what
is it? He told me that I was to come to you instantly."

"Oh, Alice, can't you guess?" Then suddenly Alice did guess the
secret, and whispered her guess into Lady Glencora's ear. "I suppose
it is so," said Lady Glencora. "I know what they'll do. They'll
kill me by fussing over me. If I could go about my work like a
washerwoman, I should be all right."

"I am so happy," she said, some two or three hours afterwards. "I
won't deny that I am very happy. It seemed as though I were destined
to bring nothing but misery to everybody, and I used to wish myself
dead so often. I shan't wi