ve her into her service and
take her to England, she would concert measures with Somerset, her
lover, which would greatly aid Margaret in the plans which she might
form for effecting the downfall of Gloucester.

[Sidenote: Lady Neville returns.]

[Sidenote: Mystery.]

Margaret at once and very gladly acceded to this request, and took
Lady Neville with her to England. She treated her with great
consideration and honor; but still Lady Neville maintained a strict
reserve in all her intercourse with the other ladies of the court,
and kept herself in great seclusion, especially after the arrival of
the bridal party in England. Her pretext for this was her deep
affliction at the loss of her friend and patroness the Dauphiness of
France. But the other ladies of the court were not wholly satisfied
with this explanation. They were fully convinced that there was more
in the case than met the view, especially when they found that on the
arrival of the party in England the stranger seemed to take special
pains to avoid meeting the Duke of Gloucester. They exerted all their
powers of watchfulness and scrutiny to unravel the mystery, but in
vain.

CHAPTER IX.

PLOTTINGS.

[Sidenote: Personal and political intrigues.]

[Sidenote: Margaret's beauty.]

It was in this way that public affairs were mingled and complicated
with private and personal intrigues in the English court at the time
of Margaret's arrival in the country. Margaret was of a character
which admirably fitted her to act her part well in the management of
such intrigues, and in playing off the passions of ambition, love,
resentment, envy, and hate, as manifested by those around
her--passions which always glow and rage with greater fury in a court
than in any other community--so as to accomplish her ends. She was
very young indeed, but she had arrived at a maturity, both mental and
personal, far beyond her years. Her countenance was beautiful, and her
air and manner possessed an inexpressible charm, but her mental powers
were of a very masculine character, and in the boldness of the plans
which she formed, and in the mingled shrewdness and energy with which
she went on to the execution of them, she evinced less the qualities
of a woman than of a man.

[Sidenote: Lady Neville supposed to be dead.]

[Sidenote: Her father.]

It was supposed by all parties in England that Lady Neville was dead.
Of course the Duke of Gloucester had no idea that any one co