oing on all over the world, it has come
to seem to me that with Christina in such a position I should be really
very nervous. Even in such a position she would hold her head very high,
and if anything should happen to her, she would make no concessions
to the popular fury. The best thing, if one is prudent, seems to be a
nobleman of the highest possible rank, short of belonging to a reigning
stock. There you see one striding up and down, looking at his watch, and
counting the minutes till my daughter reappears!"

Rowland listened to all this with a huge compassion for the heroine of
the tale. What an education, what a history, what a school of character
and of morals! He looked at the prince and wondered whether he too had
heard Mrs. Light's story. If he had he was a brave man. "I certainly
hope you 'll keep him," he said to Mrs. Light. "You have played a
dangerous game with your daughter; it would be a pity not to win. But
there is hope for you yet; here she comes at last!"

Christina reappeared as he spoke these words, strolling beside her
companion with the same indifferent tread with which she had departed.
Rowland imagined that there was a faint pink flush in her cheek which
she had not carried away with her, and there was certainly a light in
Roderick's eyes which he had not seen there for a week.

"Bless my soul, how they are all looking at us!" she cried, as they
advanced. "One would think we were prisoners of the Inquisition!" And
she paused and glanced from the prince to her mother, and from
Rowland to the Cavaliere, and then threw back her head and burst into
far-ringing laughter. "What is it, pray? Have I been very improper? Am I
ruined forever? Dear prince, you are looking at me as if I had committed
the unpardonable sin!"

"I myself," said the prince, "would never have ventured to ask you to
walk with me alone in the country for an hour!"

"The more fool you, dear prince, as the vulgar say! Our walk has been
charming. I hope you, on your side, have enjoyed each other's society."

"My dear daughter," said Mrs. Light, taking the arm of her predestined
son-in-law, "I shall have something serious to say to you when we reach
home. We will go back to the carriage."

"Something serious! Decidedly, it is the Inquisition. Mr. Hudson,
stand firm, and let us agree to make no confessions without conferring
previously with each other! They may put us on the rack first. Mr.
Mallet, I see also," Christina added, "