wn interest. The note was as
follows: "Messrs. Camperdown and Son present their compliments to
Lady Eustace. They have received instructions to proceed by law for
the recovery of the Eustace diamonds, now in Lady Eustace's hands,
and will feel obliged to Lady Eustace if she will communicate to
them the name and address of her attorney. 62, New Square, May 30,
186--." The effect of this note was to drive Lizzie back upon the
Fawn interest. She was frightened about the diamonds, and was,
nevertheless, almost determined not to surrender them. At any rate,
in such a strait she would want assistance, either in keeping them or
in giving them up. The lawyer's letter afflicted her with a sense of
weakness, and there was strength in the Fawn connexion. As Lord Fawn
was so poor, perhaps he would adhere to the jewels. She knew that she
could not fight Mr. Camperdown with no other assistance than what
Messrs. Mowbray and Mopus might give her, and therefore her heart
softened towards her betrothed. "I suppose Frederic will be here
to-day," she said to Miss Macnulty, as they sat at breakfast together
about noon. Miss Macnulty nodded. "You can have a cab, you know, if
you like to go anywhere." Miss Macnulty said she thought she would
go to the National Gallery. "And you can walk back, you know," said
Lizzie. "I can walk there and back too," said Miss Macnulty,--in
regard to whom it may be said that the last ounce would sometimes
almost break the horse's back.

"Frederic" came and was received very graciously. Lizzie had placed
Mr. Camperdown's note on the little table behind her, beneath the
Bible, so that she might put her hand upon it at once, if she could
make an opportunity of showing it to her future husband. "Frederic"
sat himself beside her, and the intercourse for awhile was such as
might be looked for between two lovers of whom one was a widow, and
the other an Under-Secretary of State from the India Office. They
were loving, but discreetly amatory, talking chiefly of things
material, each flattering the other, and each hinting now and again
at certain little circumstances of which a more accurate knowledge
seemed to be desirable. The one was conversant with things in
general, but was slow; the other was quick as a lizard in turning
hither and thither, but knew almost nothing. When she told Lord Fawn
that the Ayrshire estate was "her own, to do what she liked with,"
she did not know that he would certainly find out the truth