She called herself to her hearing the Countess of Ormont, and deigned to consult the most foolish friend she could have chosen--her aunt; and even listened to her advice, that she should run about knocking at all the doors open to her, and state her case against the earl.

It seemed the course to take, the moment for taking it.

Was she not asked if she could now at last show she had pride?
Her pride ran stinging through her veins, like a band of freed prisoners who head the rout to fire a city.

She charged her lord with having designedly--oh! cunningly indeed left her to be the prey of her enemies at the hour when he knew it behoved him to be her great defender.

There had been no disguise of the things in progress: they had been spoken of allusively, quite comprehensibly, after the fashion common with two entertaining a secret semi-hostility on a particular subject; one of them being the creature that blushes and is educated to be delicate, reserved, and timorous.