o appreciate the perils, answered nothing to this taunt, but bowing
reverently, led her from the apartment. Her sudden appearance, and the
animated scene which followed, had entirely absorbed, for the moment,
the recollection of his father and of the Countess of Derby; and while
the dumb attendant of the latter remained in the room, a silent, and, as
it were, stunned spectator of all that had happened, Peveril had become,
in the predominating interest of Alice's critical situation, totally
forgetful of her presence. But no sooner had he left the room, without
noticing or attending to her, than Fenella, starting, as from a trance,
drew herself up, and looked wildly around, like one waking from a dream,
as if to assure herself that her companion was gone, and gone without
paying the slightest attention to her. She folded her hands together,
and cast her eyes upwards, with an expression of such agony as explained
to Charles (as he thought) what painful ideas were passing in her mind.
"This Peveril is a perfect pattern of successful perfidy, carrying off
this Queen of the Amazons, but he has left us, I think, a disconsolate
Ariadne in her place.--But weep not, my princess of pretty movements,"
he said, addressing himself to Fenella; "if we cannot call in Bacchus to
console you, we will commit you to the care of Empson, who shall drink
with _Liber Pater_ for a thousand pounds, and I will say done first."

As the King spoke these words, Fenella rushed past him with her wonted
rapidity of step, and, with much less courtesy than was due to the royal
presence, hurried downstairs, and out of the house, without attempting
to open any communication with the Monarch. He saw her abrupt departure
with more surprise than displeasure; and presently afterwards, bursting
into a fit of laughter, he said to the Duke, "Oddsfish, George, this
young spark might teach the best of us how to manage the wenches. I have
had my own experience, but I could never yet contrive either to win or
lose them with so little ceremony."

"Experience, sir," replied the duke, "cannot be acquired without years."

"True, George; and you would, I suppose, insinuate," said Charles, "that
the gallant who acquires it, loses as much in youth as he gains in art?
I defy your insinuation, George. You cannot overreach your master, old
as you think him, either in love or politics. You have not the secret
_plumer la poule sans la faire crier_, witness this morning's work. I