oom, Lady Conway spoke so graciously, that Clara, was
quite distressed at looking over her head. Mary looked somewhat
oppressed, saying her mother had not been so well that day; and she was
disposed to keep in the background, and occupy herself with Clara; but
it was quite contrary to the Giraffe's notions to be engrossed by any
one when Louis was coming. As if she had divined Mary's intentions of
keeping her from importuning him, she was continually gazing at the
door, ready at once to claim his attention.

At first, the gentlemen only appeared in a black herd at the door,
where Mr. Calcott had stopped Lord Ormersfield short, in his eagerness
to impress on him the views of the county on a police-bill in course of
preparation for the next session. The other magistrates congregated
round; but James Frost and Sydney Calcott had slipped past, to the
piano where Lady Conway had sent Miss Calcott and Isabel. 'Why did not
Fitzjocelyn, come too?' was murmured by the young group in the recess
opposite the door; and when at last he became visible, leaning against
the wall, listening to the Squire, Virginia declared he was going to
serve them just as he used at Beauchastel.

'Oh, no! he shan't--I'll rescue him!' exclaimed Clara; and leaping up
to her cameleopard attitude, she sprang forward, and, with a voice
audible in an unlucky lull of the music, she exclaimed, 'Louis! Louis!
don't you see that I am here?'

As he turned, with a look of surprise and almost rebuke, her own words
came back to her ears as they must have sounded to others; her face
became poppy-coloured, nothing light but her flaxen eyebrows; and she
scarcely gave her hand to be shaken. 'No, I did not know you were
coming,' he said; and almost partaking her confusion, as he felt all
eyes upon her, he looked in vain for a refuge for her.

How welcome was Mary's kind face and quiet gesture, covering poor
Clara's retreat as she sank into a dark nook, sheltered by the old
black cabinet! Louis thanked Mary by a look, as much as to say, 'Just
like you,' and was glad to perceive that James had not been present.
He had gone to ask Miss Faithfull to supply the missing stanzas of a
Jacobite song, and just then returned, saying that she knew them, but
could not remember them.

Fitzjocelyn, however, capped the fragment, and illustrated it with some
anecdotes that interested Miss Conway. James had great hopes that she
was going to see him to the best advantage, but