which corresponded with what
was called the gilded chamber. His intention had been to remain in
the more public apartment, until the Lady Peveril should make her
appearance, with the good-natured purpose of assuring her that the
preceding day of tumult had passed in every respect agreeably to his
friends, and without any of those alarming consequences which might have
been apprehended from a collision betwixt the parties. But when it is
considered how severely he had been agitated by apprehensions for his
child's safety and health, too well justified by the fate of those who
had preceded her, it will not be thought surprising that the infantine
screams of Alice induced him to break through the barriers of form, and
intrude farther into the interior of the house than a sense of strict
propriety might have warranted.

He burst into the gilded chamber, therefore, by a side-door and narrow
passage, which communicated betwixt that apartment and the hall, and,
snatching the child up in his arms, endeavoured, by a thousand caresses,
to stifle the screams which burst yet more violently from the little
girl, on beholding herself in the arms of one to whose voice and manner
she was, but for one brief interview, an entire stranger.

Of course, Alice's shrieks were redoubled, and seconded by those of
Julian Peveril, who, on the appearance of this second intruder, was
frightened into resignation of every more manly idea of rescue than that
which consisted in invoking assistance at the very top of his lungs.

Alarmed by this noise, which in half a minute became very clamorous,
Lady Peveril, with whose apartment the gilded chamber was connected by a
private door of communication opening into her wardrobe, entered on the
scene. The instant she appeared, the little Alice, extricating herself
from the grasp of her father, ran towards _her_ protectress, and when
she had once taken hold of her skirts, not only became silent, but
turned her large blue eyes, in which the tears were still glistening,
with a look of wonder rather than alarm, towards the strange lady.
Julian manfully brandished his reed, a weapon which he had never parted
with during the whole alarm, and stood prepared to assist his mother if
there should be danger in the encounter betwixt her and the stranger.

In fact, it might have puzzled an older person to account for the sudden
and confused pause which the Lady Peveril made, as she gazed on her
unexpected guest, as if