she lived. How her false step would have come home to her now!"

"False steps come home to most people," responded Mr. Carlyle, as he
took William by the hand, who then ran up. And, lifting his hat to Mrs.
Hare in the distance, he walked on.

She, Lady Isabel, walked on, too, by the side of the child, as before,
walked on with a shivering frame, and a heart sick unto death. The
justice looked after her, his mind unoccupied. He was in a maze of
bewilderment. Richard innocent! Richard, whom he had striven to pursue
to a shameful end! And that other the guilty one! The world _was_
turning upside down.

CHAPTER XXXIX.

MRS. CARLYLE IN FULL DRESS, AFY ALSO.

Merrily rose West Lynne on Thursday morning; merrily rang out the bells,
clashing and chiming. The street was alive with people; the windows were
crowded with heads; something unusual was astir. It was the day of the
nomination of the two candidates, and everybody took the opportunity to
make a holiday.

Ten o'clock was the hour named; but, before that hour struck, West Lynne
was crammed. The country people had come in, thick and threefold; rich
and poor; people of note, and people of none; voters and non-voters,
all eager to mix themselves up with the day's proceedings. You see the
notorious fact of Sir Francis Levison's having come forward to oppose
Mr. Carlyle, caused greater interest in this election than is usual,
even in small country places--and that need not be. Barbara drove in her
carriage, the two children with her, and the governess. The governess
said she preferred to remain at home. Barbara would not hear of it;
almost felt inclined to resent it as a slight; besides, if she took no
interest in Mr. Carlyle, she must go to take care of Lucy; she, Barbara,
would be too much occupied to look after children. So Madame Vine,
perforce, stepped into the barouche and sat opposite to Mrs. Carlyle,
her thick veil shading her features, and their pallor contrasting with
the blue spectacles.

They alighted at the residence of Miss Carlyle. Quite a gathering was
already there. Lady and Miss Dobede, the Herberts, Mrs. Hare, and many
others; for the house was in a good spot for seeing the fun; and all
the people were eager to testify their respect to Mr. Carlyle, in
contradiction to that other one. Miss Carlyle was in full rig; a
brocaded dress, and a scarlet-and-purple bow in front of it, the size of
a pumpkin. It was about the only occasion, in all Miss Carl