s it became known that the
Duke was approaching--some eager to know if the Duchess would be
with him; others laughing at the name, and vowing that Mrs. Morley
could never bear to part with her dear Mrs. Freeman even for an
hour!

The doors at the end of the room were thrown suddenly open. The
master of the house appeared, leading with great distinction of
manner a little knot of guests, who passed through the crowded
outer reception room at a slow pace, returning the many salutations
of the company with great show of goodwill, disappearing presently
behind the curtains which shut off the innermost room where the
lady of the house was awaiting them, with some of the more select
and high-born guests.

"That is the Duke," said Lord Claud to Tom, indicating a tall and
elegant man, who looked to him hardly old enough for the general of
so many victorious battles. He was singularly handsome, with a
languid grace of bearing that seemed strange in a soldier. He spoke
in a peculiarly modulated and refined voice, and plainly possessed
the art of saying the right thing to the right person, and that at
the right moment. His silver tongue had done as much good service
in keeping the Allies in harmony, as his military genius in forming
combinations and defeating the ends of the enemy.

At his side was the Duchess, a fine-looking woman of commanding
presence, not beautiful, but with a very elegant figure and
remarkably abundant hair, which she wore in a more tasteful way
than most of the company. A few paces behind came another notable
figure, that of Marshal Tallard, the French general whom
Marlborough had taken prisoner at Blenheim, and whom he had brought
with him to England; but whom he treated with every courtesy, and
with whom he bad formed something very like a real friendship.

Lord Claud whispered to Tom that Marshal Tallard had been the one
French general whose genius was in the least able to cope with that
of Marlborough; and to have him in safe keeping in this country was
a most excellent thing for the Grand Alliance.

As soon as the distinguished guests had disappeared, the buzz of
talk rose louder than before. Tom asked, in puzzled tones, what all
this chatter about Mrs. Morley and Mrs. Freeman meant; and Lord
Claud laughed, as he replied:

"Have you never heard of the whim of the Queen to call herself Mrs.
Morley in her letters to the Duchess, who in her turn is Mrs.
Freeman? And very well is she so named, for