th the Marquis of Auld Reekie, who was Lady
Glencora's uncle, and had been her guardian. But Alice had kept
herself aloof from her grand relations on her mother's side, choosing
rather to hold herself as belonging to those who were her father's
kindred. With Lady Glencora, however, she had for a short time--for
some week or ten days,--been on terms of almost affectionate
intimacy. It had been then, when the wayward heiress with the bright
waving locks had been most strongly minded to give herself and her
wealth to Burgo Fitzgerald. Burgo had had money dealings with George
Vavasor, and knew him,--knew him intimately, and had learned the
fact of his cousinship between the heiress and his friend's cousin.
Whereupon in the agony of those weeks in which the sagacious heads
were resisting her love, Lady Glencora came to her cousin in Queen
Anne Street, and told Alice all that tale. "Was Alice," she asked,
"afraid of the marquises and the countesses, or of all the rank and
all the money which they boasted?" Alice answered that she was not at
all afraid of them. "Then would she permit Lady Glencora and Burgo
to see each other in the drawing-room at Queen Anne Street, just
once!" Just once,--so that they might arrange that little plan of an
elopement. But Alice could not do that for her newly found cousin.
She endeavoured to explain that it was not the dignity of the
sagacious heads which stood in her way, but her woman's feeling of
what was right and wrong in such a matter.

"Why should I not marry him?" said Lady Glencora, with her eyes
flashing. "He is my equal."

Alice explained that she had no word to say against such a marriage.
She counselled her cousin to be true to her love if her love was in
itself true. But she, an unmarried woman, who had hitherto not known
her cousin, might not give such help as that! "If you will not help
me, I am helpless!" said the Lady Glencora, and then she kneeled at
Alice's knees and threw her wavy locks abroad on Alice's lap. "How
shall I bribe you?" said Lady Glencora. "Next to him I will love you
better than all the world." But Alice, though she kissed the fair
forehead and owned that such reward would be worth much to her, could
not take any bribe for such a cause. Then Lady Glencora had been
angry with her, calling her heartless, and threatening her that she
too might have sorrow of her own and want assistance. Alice told
nothing of her own tale,--how she had loved her cousin and had b