to choke herself
with an agony of fear, because she had feared detection. Now she was
detected;--and what had come of it? That great officer of justice,
Major Mackintosh, had been almost more than civil to her; and her
dear cousin Frank was still a cousin,--dear as ever. People, after
all, did not think so very much of perjury,--of perjury such as hers,
committed in regard to one's own property. It was that odious Lord
George who had frightened her, instead of comforting, as he would
have done had there been a spark of the true Corsair poetry about
him. She did not feel comfortably confident as to what might be said
of her by Lady Glencora and the Duke of Omnium, but she was almost
inclined to think that Lady Glencora would support her. Lady Glencora
was no poor, mealy-mouthed thing, but a woman of the world who
understood what was what. Lizzie no doubt wished that the trials and
examinations were over;--but her money was safe. They could not take
away Portray, nor could they rob her of four thousand a year. As for
the rest, she could live it down.

She had ordered the carriage to take her to Mr. Camperdown's
chambers, and now she dressed herself for the occasion. He should not
be made to think, at any rate by her outside appearance, that she was
ashamed of herself. But before she started she had just a word with
Mrs. Carbuncle. "I think I shall go down to Scotland on Saturday,"
she said, proclaiming her news not in the most gracious manner.

"That is if they let you go," said Mrs. Carbuncle.

"What do you mean? Who is to prevent me?"

"The police. I know all about it, Lady Eustace, and you need not look
like that. Lord George informs me that you will probably--be locked
up to-day or to-morrow."

"Lord George is a story-teller. I don't believe he ever said so. And
if he did, he knows nothing about it."

"He ought to know, considering all that you have made him suffer.
That you should have gone on, with the necklace in your own box all
the time, letting people think that he had taken it, and accepting
his attentions all the while, is what I cannot understand! And
however you were able to look those people at Carlisle in the face,
passes me! Of course, Lady Eustace, you can't stay here after what
has occurred."

"I shall stay just as long as I like, Mrs. Carbuncle."

"Poor dear Lucinda! I do not wonder that she should be driven beyond
herself by so horrible a story. The feeling that she has been living
all this