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BY ORDER OF THE CZAR. 185

an excuse when I say Dolly was not out of my thoughts ; for all the time I have been thinking of my work and doing it, my ambition was engaged as much on her account as my own. And I was anxious to make my arrangements for our trip to Venice."

11 1 told Dolly," said Mrs. Milbanke, now laying down her sceptre and sinking gracefully into a chair, " that you could not fail to have a proper explanation ; but she is a sensitive girl, and of course she very much expected to see you yesterday. I was going to your mother's when you were announced. If you will bring Dolly I will send the carriage back for you."

" I shall be delighted," said Philip.

Whereupon Jennie went upstairs to her sister, who, much engrossed with a popular authoress' last novel, had for the time being forgotten her own troubles in those of a romantic hero, who, despite his Oriental palace and his many conquests amongst princesses and beauties of the purest blood, married and otherwise, was unhappy on account of some village maiden who had unconsciously made a hot and fierce onslaught upon his hitherto un- touched sensibilities.

"You must come down, my darling," said Jennie, " Philip is here, very contrite, awfully unhappy ; he has been very busy on a work which he hopes to finish in order to be able to get away with us next week. I talked to him rather severely, but I am sorgr now, because he is so sorry. Come down, dear ; I will go on to his mother's and he will bring you ; he looks very handsome."

Dolly laid aside her novel ; got up from her luxurious little couch, which was quite a decoration at the foot of her dainty little bed; looked at herself in a convenient mirror; the investigation was satisfactory, both to herself and to her sister ; and might have been to any male connoisseur of female beauty. Soft, rosy cheeks, a