“Can it be possible I have heard aright?  Have I indeed been thus deceived?” she asked, struggling to speak calmly, when the Duchess and her husband had left the room; and she fixed her sad, searching glance upon Caroline, who for a moment raised her head.

“Mother, dearest mother, condemn me, despise me as you please; I deserve it all,” she replied, in an accent of most piercing wretchedness.  “Only say that I may in time regain your love, your confidence; that you will take me to your heart again.  I have disregarded your affection; I have wilfully cast it from me.  Yet—­oh, if you knew all I have suffered.  Mamma, mamma, oh, speak but one word more of kindness!  I know I deserve it not, but my heart feels breaking.  I have no other friend on earth but you; oh, call me but your child again, mother!”

Her voice utterly failed, a film suddenly obscured her sight, and a sense of suffocation rose in her throat; the misery of the last ten days, the wretchedness and excitement of that day had deprived her of more strength than she was at all aware of, and with one convulsive effort to clasp her mother’s hand to her throbbing heart, she sunk exhausted at her feet.  Emmeline would have flown for assistance, but a look from her mother bade her pause, and she remained with Ellen to seek those restoratives that were at hand.  With a throbbing heart and trembling hand, Mrs. Hamilton raised her repentant child, and with the assistance of Emmeline placed her tenderly on the nearest couch, endeavouring, though for some few minutes in vain, to recall her scattered senses.  Tears fell from that fond mother’s eyes upon Caroline’s deathlike features, and ere life returned she had been pressed again and again to her heart, and repeated kisses imprinted on her marble brow.  It mattered not at that moment that she had been deceived, that Caroline had withdrawn alike her confidence and affection, that her conduct the last few months had been productive of bitter disappointment and extreme anguish, all, all was forgotten; the mother only knew her child was suffering—­only felt she was restored to her arms; again and again she kissed her erring child, beseeching her with fond and gentle words to wake and know she was forgiven.

Slowly Caroline recovered consciousness, and unclosing her eyes, gazed wildly yet sadly on all by whom she was surrounded.  All the father had struggled with Mr. Hamilton, as he stood by her side during the continuance of her swoon; but now sternness again darkened his brow, and he would have given vent to his wounded feelings in severe though just reproaches, but the beseeching glance, the agonized voice of his wife arrested him.

“Arthur, my husband, oh, for my sake, spare her now!” she passionately exclaimed, clasping his hand in hers, and looking up in his face with imploring earnestness.  “Spare her, at least, till from her own lips we have heard all; she is in no state to bear anger now, however deserved.  Arthur, dearest Arthur, oh, do not reproach her till we know what it is that has caused the wretchedness, the suffering we behold!  For my sake, spare her now.”