inously through her frame,
storming at the base epithet by which her lover was mentioned, flooding
grandly over the ignominies cast on him by the world. She met the world,
as it were, in a death-grapple; she matched the living heroic youth
she felt him to be, with that dead wooden image of him which it thrust
before her. Her heart stood up singing like a craven who sees the tide
of victory setting toward him. But this passed beneath her eyelids. When
her eyes were lifted, Ferdinand could have discovered nothing in them
to complain of, had his suspicions been light to raise: nor could Mrs.
Shorne perceive that there was the opening for a shrewd bodkin-thrust.
Rose had got a mask at last: her colour, voice, expression, were
perfectly at command. She knew it to be a cowardice to wear any mask:
but she had been burnt, horribly burnt: how much so you may guess
from the supple dissimulation of such a bold clear-visaged girl. She
conquered the sneers of the world in her soul: but her sensitive skin
was yet alive to the pangs of the scorching it had been subjected to
when weak, helpless, and betrayed by Evan, she stood with no philosophic
parent to cry fair play for her, among the skilful torturers of Elburne
House.

Sir Franks had risen and walked to the window.

'News?' said Lady Jocelyn, wheeling round in her chair.

The one eyebrow up of the easy-going baronet signified trouble of mind.
He finished his third perusal of a letter that appeared to be written
in a remarkably plain legal hand, and looking as men do when their
intelligences are just equal to the comprehension or expression of an
oath, handed the letter to his wife, and observed that he should be
found in the library. Nevertheless he waited first to mark its effect
on Lady Jocelyn. At one part of the document her forehead wrinkled
slightly.

'Doesn't sound like a joke!' he said.

She answered:

'No.'

Sir Franks, apparently quite satisfied by her ready response, turned on
his heel and left the room quickly.

An hour afterward it was rumoured and confirmed that Juliana Bonner had
willed all the worldly property she held in her own right, comprising
Beckley Court, to Mr. Evan Harrington, of Lymport, tailor. An abstract
of the will was forwarded. The lawyer went on to say, that he had
conformed to the desire of the testatrix in communicating the existence
of the aforesaid will six days subsequent to her death, being the day
after her funeral.

There had