meet at her cousin's house. Lady Glencora herself
she had liked,--and had loved too with that momentary love which
certain circumstances of our life will sometimes produce, a love
which is strong while it lasts, but which can be laid down when the
need of it is passed. She had liked and loved Lady Glencora, and had
in no degree been afraid of her during those strange visitings in
Queen Anne Street;--but she was by no means sure that she should like
Lady Glencora in the midst of her grandeur and surrounded by the pomp
of her rank. She would have no other friend or acquaintance in that
house, and feared that she might find herself desolate, cold, and
wounded in her pride. She had been tricked into the visit, too, or
rather had tricked herself into it. She had been sure that there had
been a joint scheme between her cousin and Lady Midlothian, and could
not resist the temptation of repudiating it in her letter to Lady
Glencora. But there had been no such scheme; she had wronged Lady
Glencora, and had therefore been unable to resist her second request.
But she felt unhappy, fearing that she would be out of her element,
and more than once half made up her mind to excuse herself.

Her aunt had, from the first, thought well of her going, believing
that it might probably be the means of reconciling her to Mr Grey.
Moreover, it was a step altogether in the right direction. Lady
Glencora would, if she lived, become a Duchess, and as she was
decidedly Alice's cousin, of course Alice should go to her house when
invited. It must be acknowledged that Lady Macleod was not selfish
in her worship of rank. She had played out her game in life, and
there was no probability that she would live to be called cousin by
a Duchess of Omnium. She bade Alice go to Matching Priory, simply
because she loved her niece, and therefore wished her to live in the
best and most eligible way within her reach. "I think you owe it as a
duty to your family to go," said Lady Macleod.

What further correspondence about her affairs had passed between Lady
Macleod and Lady Midlothian Alice never knew. She steadily refused
all entreaty made that she would answer the Countess's letter, and at
last threatened her aunt that if the request were further urged she
would answer it,--telling Lady Midlothian that she had been very
impertinent.

"I am becoming a very old woman, Alice," the poor lady said,
piteously, "and I suppose I had better not interfere any further.