e so. Gentlemen will always take the lady's part,--of
course. But I should be very sorry to have a daughter separated from
her husband,--very sorry."

Phineas, who had nothing now to gain from Lady Baldock's favour, left
her abruptly, and went on again. He had a great desire to see Lady
Laura and Violet together, though he could hardly tell himself why.
He had not seen Miss Effingham since his return from Ireland, and he
thought that if he met her alone he could hardly have talked to her
with comfort; but he knew that if he met her with Lady Laura, she
would greet him as a friend, and speak to him as though there were no
cause for embarrassment between them. But he was so far disappointed,
that he suddenly encountered Violet alone. She had been leaning on
the arm of Lord Baldock, and Phineas saw her cousin leave her. But
he would not be such a coward as to avoid her, especially as he knew
that she had seen him. "Oh, Mr. Finn!" she said, "do you see that?"

"See what?"

"Look; There is Mr. Kennedy. We had heard that it was possible, and
Laura made me promise that I would not leave her." Phineas turned his
head, and saw Mr. Kennedy standing with his back bolt upright against
a door-post, with his brow as black as thunder. "She is just opposite
to him, where he can see her," said Violet. "Pray take me to her. He
will think nothing of you, because I know that you are still friends
with both of them. I came away because Lord Baldock wanted to
introduce me to Lady Mouser. You know he is going to marry Miss
Mouser."

Phineas, not caring much about Lord Baldock and Miss Mouser, took
Violet's hand upon his arm, and very slowly made his way across
the room to the spot indicated. There they found Lady Laura alone,
sitting under the upas-tree influence of her husband's gaze. There
was a concourse of people between them, and Mr. Kennedy did not seem
inclined to make any attempt to lessen the distance. But Lady Laura
had found it impossible to move while she was under her husband's
eyes.

"Mr. Finn," she said, "could you find Oswald? I know he is here."

"He has gone," said Phineas. "I was speaking to him downstairs."

"You have not seen my father? He said he would come."

"I have not seen him, but I will search."

"No;--it will do no good. I cannot stay. His carriage is there, I
know,--waiting for me." Phineas immediately started off to have the
carriage called, and promised to return with as much celerity as he
could us