uty of hope came in her face. It was May and he was
coming in June. She worked harder than ever. She rose early and retired
late; these months of hard study and hard reading had changed her more
than she knew herself. One year ago she had risen a beautiful, strong,
healthy girl, full of fire, and life, and power. Now she was a refined,
intellectual woman, full of genius and talent, full of poetry and
eloquence, full of originality and wit; then she was a girl to be
admired, now she was a woman who could rule a kingdom, whose power was
unlimited.

She had acquired more in these few months of study than some people
learn in years. She knew how great his delight would be, and she smiled
to think how entirely at her ease she should be, even with his stately
lady mother; she should feel no great awe of her in the future, for if
Heaven had not given her the position of a lady by birth, she had made
herself one by study and refinement.

So he was coming, and their real married life was to begin. She thought
with a shudder of the pain she had passed through, of the horror of that
terrible discovery. It was all over now, thank Heaven. It had never been
any brand or stigma to her; she had never felt any false shame over it;
she had never bowed her bright head as though a blight had passed over
her. She said to herself it was not her fault, she was not in the least
to blame. She had believed herself in all honor to be the wife of Lord
Chandos, and she could not feel that the least shadow of blame rested on
her.

He was coming home. Through the long hours of the summer day, she
thought of nothing else. True, since the month of June, his letters had
been very few and much cooler. True, it had been a severe shock to her,
to hear that he had gone to Nice; but, as his letter said nothing of
Lady Marion, and she knew nothing even of the existence of such a
person, that did not matter. Why had he gone to Nice when June was so
near? She wrote to him to ask the question, but his answer was: Because
his parents had gone there. Then she said no more; that seemed quite
natural. The only thing that occurred to her was, he would have a longer
journey in June; he would come to her as he had promised, but he would
take a longer time in traveling.

Lose faith in him! She flung back her head, with a bright, proud laugh.
No, nothing could shake her faith in him; his proud lady mother had
managed to get him under her influence--what did that matt