of a bad nature; and when she called to mind that there had once been a probability that this individual might have become the husband of her Venetia, her child whom it had been the sole purpose of her life to save from the misery of which she herself had been the victim; that she had even dwelt on the idea with complacency, encouraged its progress, regretted its abrupt termination, but consoled herself by the flattering hope that time, with even more favourable auspices, would mature it into fulfilment; she trembled, and turned pale.

It was to the Bishop that, after dinner, Lady Annabel expressed some of the feelings which the reappearance of Cadurcis had occasioned her.

‘I see nothing but misery for his future,’ she exclaimed; ’I tremble for him when he addresses me.  In spite of the glittering surface on which he now floats, I foresee only a career of violence, degradation, and remorse.’

‘He is a problem difficult to solve,’ replied Masham; ’but there are elements not only in his character, but his career, so different from those of the person of whom we were speaking, that I am not inclined at once to admit, that the result must necessarily be the same.’

‘I see none,’ replied Lady Annabel; ’at least none of sufficient influence to work any material change.’

‘What think you of his success?’ replied Masham.  ’Cadurcis is evidently proud of it.  With all his affected scorn of the world, he is the slave of society.  He may pique the feelings of mankind, but I doubt whether he will outrage them.’

‘He is on such a dizzy eminence,’ replied Lady Annabel, ’that I do not believe he is capable of calculating so finely.  He does not believe, I am sure, in the possibility of resistance.  His vanity will tempt him onwards.’

‘Not to persecution,’ said Masham.  ’Now, my opinion of Cadurcis is, that his egotism, or selfism, or whatever you may style it, will ultimately preserve him from any very fatal, from any irrecoverable excesses.  He is of the world, worldly.  All his works, all his conduct, tend only to astonish mankind.  He is not prompted by any visionary ideas of ameliorating his species.  The instinct of self-preservation will serve him as ballast.’

‘We shall see,’ said Lady Annabel; ’for myself, whatever may be his end, I feel assured that great and disgraceful vicissitudes are in store for him.’

’It is strange after what, in comparison with such extraordinary changes, must be esteemed so brief an interval,’ observed Masham, with a smile, ’to witness such a revolution in his position.  I often think to myself, can this indeed be our little Plantagenet?’

‘It is awful!’ said Lady Annabel; ’much more than strange.  For myself, when I recall certain indications of his feelings when he was last at Cadurcis, and think for a moment of the results to which they might have led, I shiver; I assure you, my dear lord, I tremble from head to foot.  And I encouraged him!  I smiled with fondness on his feelings!  I thought I was securing the peaceful happiness of my child!  What can we trust to in this world!  It is too dreadful to dwell upon!  It must have been an interposition of Providence that Venetia escaped.’