of that ambition which had so long taken possession of her, and she saw
herself, at length, in all the pride of her station, and her beauty the
object of a hundred flatteries.

Feted at the Court, distinguished by the special attentions of the
Princes, most courteously received in all the society of the most
exclusive capital of Europe, the whirl of pleasure and excitement as
effectually precluded thought as it defied reflection. Hitherto she
had seen the world only as a dependant, or at least as something
appertaining to Lady Hester, in whose caprices she was bound to share,
making partnery, as it were, in all her likings and dislikings; but now
she was become the centre around which all these attentions revolved,
and her own will was the directing impulse of every action.

Of all the cities of the Continent, Vienna was most remarkable for
almost instinctively adopting the tone of its Court in respect to a
distinguished visitor. There was something like intuition in the way in
which they guessed the feeling of royalty, and as quickly made it their
own.

The restricted limits of the first society, of course, made this
practicable, as well as the fact that all belonging to it were more or
less engaged in the service of the Emperor. Kate Dalton was now to enjoy
this flattery, and find herself, wherever she went, the special object
of attention.

At the Hof Theatre, where they played her favorite operas; at the great
reviews in the Prater, at the balls of the palace, or the _dejeuners_ of
Schonbrunn, she seemed the occasion of the fete, and to do _her_ honor
all appeared assembled. Carried away by the triumphant delight of
pleasure so associated with power, she either forgot at times the price
at which her greatness had been purchased, or was disposed to still the
beatings of her heart by the thought, "My destiny is chosen; it is too
late to look back." To have grieved over her lot, besides, would have
seemed an utter selfishness, seeing that she was the means of dispensing
such happiness to all her family. Her poor father placed once more
in comfort; Nelly free to follow the dictates of her charming fancy,
without the alloying sense of toil; and dear Frank, in all the
exuberant joy of his promotion, eternally reminding her that she was his
patroness. The quick clatter of his charger's hoofs in the courtyard,
the clank of his sabre as he ran up the stairs, were but the glad
prelude to his daily outpouring of gratitud