buried her face on Lady Jane's shoulder,
and shook with the storm of grief that swept over her. Lady Jane
motioned us to leave, and we withdrew sorrowfully enough.

It was weeks before the poor girl recovered her old liveliness;
but she could not combat against the natural elasticity of youth,
though the struggle left its trace in a sudden maturity quite
unlooked for. Her relation towards the Vicomte became visibly
colder; and he, simple soul, instead of being spurred to greater
effort, went blundering on in his direct childlike way, with but
small effect, though warmly reinforced by Lady Jane.

All this time His Royal Highness Prince Charles was making no slight
stir in Paris. He was in deep disgrace with the King, whom he
treated with the most studied discourtesy. An unwelcome and dangerous
intruder, he paid not the slightest attention to the repeated
requests that he should leave the capital; he kept open house in
his hotel on the Quai des Theatins, and appeared nightly at the
Opera despite every consideration of good taste and breeding. And
yet one-half Paris looked on and applauded, blaming the King for
his inhospitality to this hero of a hundred flights.

I did my own prospects of advancement no small harm by allowing
myself to accompany Margaret and Lady Jane to one of his levees,
where he bestowed much fulsome flattery on me, though he took good
care it should reflect on himself, for he never could pass over an
occasion to shine before a woman--one of the weakest vanities that
ever inflated the soul of man.

The Vicomte was much chagrined over our going, and inclined to lay
the blame upon me.

"M. de Kirkconnel," said he, addressing Margaret, "should know that
such a proceeding is extremely injudicious when the Prince stands
in such ambiguous relations towards the Court; especially when
aware of my position towards you and my official duty in the present
difficult negotiations with the Prince."

"'M. de Kirkconnel,' as you style him," retorted Margaret, with
great spirit, "has only done his duty, M. le Vicomte, as 'a
gentleman and a man of honour,' in accompanying two ladies to pay
their respects to the son of their King--whatever may be his
relations towards a time-serving government."

"Tut, tut, Margaret!" broke in Lady Jane, "none of your hoity-toity
airs? Gaston is perfectly right. I blame myself for not having
thought of his position in the matter. We'll keep ourselves outside
these delicate ques