ulars.'

'After his mother's death poor Pelham was less easily controlled: he
grew restless and discontented, and both he and my uncle fell under the
influence of an underbred idle youth in the neighbourhood, who contrived
at last to get Sir Antony's consent to his taking Pelham abroad with him
as his pupil. At Florence they met with these ladies, who made much of
their cousin, and cajoled the tutor, till this marriage was effected.'

'She must be nearly double his age.'

'She will manage him the better for it. There was great excuse for her.
The life she was obliged to lead was almost an apology for any way of
escape. If only it had been done openly, and with my uncle's consent, no
one could have had any right to object, and I honestly believe it is a
very good thing for all parties.'

'Would Sir Antony have consented?'

'I have little doubt of it. He was hurt at first, but he was always
fond of Jane. She is very attentive to him, and I hope makes him quite
comfortable. He wrote to ask me to come and see them at Worthbourne, and
I am on my way. I see it is getting late. Good-bye.'

Theodora's heart had been bounding all this time. Her first impulse was
to rush up to tell Violet; but as this could not be, she snatched up
a bulky red volume, and throwing over the leaves till she came to
F.--Fotheringham, Sir Antony, of Worthbourne, looked down the list of
his children's names, and beheld that the only one not followed by the
fatal word "died" was Antony Pelham.

What had they all been doing not to have thought of this before?
However, she recollected that it would have seemed as impossible
that the half-witted youth should marry as that he should be on the
Continent. The escape from the certainty that had so long weighed
on her, taught her what the pain had been; and yet, when she came to
analyze her gladness, it seemed to melt away.

She dwelt on her period of madness--her wilful, repeated rejection of
warning; she thought of the unhappy Derby day--of her own cold 'Very
well'--her flirtation with Lord St. Erme. She recollected the passage
with Annette Moss: and then, for her present person, it was changed
beyond recognition, as had just been proved; nor could she wonder, as,
turning to the mirror, she surveyed the figure in black silk and plain
cap, beyond which the hair scarcely yet peeped out--the clearness and
delicacy of skin destroyed, the face haggard with care and sorrow, the
eyelids swollen by watchful