to Florentine society, and had been mentioned
in more than one letter as the distinguished Governor of the
Mandarins, who had been called home from his seat of government on a
special mission of great importance. On the second day he went out
to call at the embassy and to leave his cards. "Have you been able
to learn whether he is here?" asked Lady Rowley of her husband in a
whisper, as soon as they were alone.

"Who;--Trevelyan?"

"I did not suppose you could learn about him, because he would be
hiding himself. But is Mr. Glascock here?"

"I forgot to ask," said Sir Marmaduke.

Lady Rowley did not reproach him. It is impossible that any father
should altogether share a mother's anxiety in regard to the marriage
of their daughters. But what a thing it would be! Lady Rowley thought
that she could compound for all misfortunes in other respects, if she
could have a daughter married to the future Lord Peterborough. She
had been told in England that he was faultless,--not very clever, not
very active, not likely to be very famous; but, as a husband, simply
faultless. He was very rich, very good-natured, easily managed,
more likely to be proud of his wife than of himself, addicted to no
jealousies, afflicted by no vices, so respectable in every way that
he was sure to become great as an English nobleman by the very weight
of his virtues. And it had been represented also to Lady Rowley
that this paragon among men had been passionately attached to her
daughter! Perhaps she magnified a little the romance of the story;
but it seemed to her that this greatly endowed lover had rushed away
from his country in despair, because her daughter Nora would not
smile upon him. Now they were, as she hoped, in the same city with
him. But it was indispensable to her success that she should not seem
to be running after him. To Nora, not a word had been said of the
prospect of meeting Mr. Glascock at Florence. Hardly more than a
word had been said to her sister Emily, and that under injunction
of strictest secrecy. It must be made to appear to all the world
that other motives had brought them to Florence,--as, indeed, other
motives had brought them. Not for worlds would Lady Rowley have run
after a man for her daughter; but still, still,--still, seeing that
the man was himself so unutterably in love with her girl, seeing that
he was so fully justified by his position to be in love with any
girl, seeing that such a maximum of happiness would