Ravenshoe. By Henry Kingsley.

A MEETING. 263
more of Miss Buckjumper or Lady Brittlejug. He was desperately in love, and was dying for some excuse to withdraw his refusal of this morning. Pelagius Jas. Bottom would have come,
and mortgaged the paternal weaving business at the dice, but unfortunately his letters of introduction, being all addressed to respectable people, did not include one to Lord and Lady Welter.
All the young fellows would have come and played all night, till
church-time next morning, for her sake. As Lord Welter candidly told her that night, she was the best investment he had ever
made.
They did not want all the young fellows though. Too many
cooks spoil the broth. They only wanted the young Austrian,
and so Lord Welter said, after a time, " I was in hopes of seeing
you at my house to-night." That was quite enough. Fifty Hornbys would not have stopped him now.
Still they stood there talking. Adelaide was almost happy.
Which of these staid women had such power as she? There was
a look of pride and admiration even on Lord Welter's stupid face.
Yes, it was a great success. Suddenly all people began to look
one way and come towards the rails, and a buzz arose, "The
Queen,- the Queen!"
Adelaide turned just as the outriders were opposite to her.
She saw the dark, claret-colored carriage, fifty yards off, and she
knew that Lady Emily Montford, who had been her sister-bridesmaid at Lady Hainault's wedding, was in waiting that day. Hornby declares the whole thing was done on purpose. Let us be
more charitable, and suppose that her horse was startled at the
scarlet coats of the outriders; however it was, the brute took fright,
stood on its hind legs, and bolted straight towards the royal carriage. She reined it up within ten feet of the carriage step, plunging furiously. Raising her whip hand to push her hat more firmly
on, she knocked it off, and sat there bareheaded, with one loop of
her hair fallen down, a sight which no man who saw it ever forgot. She saw a look of amazed admiration in the Queen's face.
She saw Lady Emily's look of gentle pity. She saw her Majesty
lean forward, and ask who it was. She saw her name pass Lady
Emily's lips, and then she saw the Queen turn with a frown, and
looking steadily the other way.
Wrath and rage were in her heart, and showed themselves
one instant in her face. A groom had run out and picked up
her hat. She bent down to take it from him, and saw that it
was Charles Ravenshoe.
Her face grew soft again directly. Poor thing! she must
have had a kind heart after all, crusted over as it was with
vanity, pride, and selfishness. Now, in her anger and shame, she
could have cried to see her old love so degraded. There was