ned so hot at this that he rose quickly, and walked along all four
sides of the quadrangle to cool himself before going to the door once
more and giving a sharp ring.

"Are the servants going to lie in bed all day?" he said peevishly.
"They ought to be down before this."

But the ring meeting with no response, he sat down again to try and
think out what the consequences of the events of the morning would be.
Here, however, he found himself confronted by a thick, black veil, which
shut out the future. It was easy enough to read the past, but to
imagine what was to come was beyond him.

At last, when quite an hour had passed, he grew impatient, and rang
sharply this time, to hear a window opened somewhere at the top of the
house; and when he looked up, it was to see a head thrust forth and
rapidly withdrawn.

Five minutes or so afterward he heard the shooting of bolts and the
rattling down of a chain, the door was opened, and a pretty-looking
maidservant, with sleep still in her eyes, confronted him
ill-humouredly.

"How late you are!" cried Frank.

"No, sir; please, it's you who are so early. We didn't go to bed till
past one."

"Is Lady Gowan up yet?"

"Lor' bless you, sir, no! Why--oh, I beg your pardon, I'm sure, sir. I
didn't know you at first; it's her ladyship's son, isn't it?"

"Yes, of course. I want to see her directly."

"But you can't, sir. She won't be down this two hours."

"Go and tell my mother I am here, and that I want to see her on
important business."

"Very well, sir; but I know I shall get into trouble for disturbing
her," said the maid ill-humouredly. "She was with the Princess till
ever so late."

The girl went upstairs, leaving Frank waiting in the narrow passage of
the place, and at the end of a few minutes she returned.

"Her ladyship says, sir, you are to come into her little boudoir and
wait; she'll dress, and come down in a few minutes."

Frank followed the maid to the little room, and stood waiting, for he
could not sit down in his anxiety. He felt hot and cold, and as if he
would have given anything to have hurried away, but there was nothing
for it but to screw up his courage and face the matter.

"She'll be half an hour yet," he muttered, "and that will give me time
to grow cool; then I can talk to her."

He was wrong; for at the end of five minutes there was the rustling of
garments, and Lady Gowan entered, in a loose morning gown, looking
startled at being