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56 "Will nobody hold their tongue?—one of you tell me what has happened. Where is Lady Mandeville?" "Murdered!" said a dozen voices at once. "Not so bad as that, quite," said a voice, and in came Lady Mandeville herself, to the still greater alarm of the domestics, who took it for granted it was their mistress's ghost come to tell of their mistress's murder. "My poor little Frank," as the child made but one spring to the ground from his father's arms, and rushed with a scream of delight to his mother. "Dearest Ellen, what does all this mean?" "That, thank Heaven, I am safe at home," and, catching her husband's arm, Lady Mandeville, for the first time, laughed hysterically. A few words from Mr. Spenser did a great deal towards explaining much in a little time; and in five minutes the confusion had subsided sufficiently to allow the party to recollect they were very hungry: in half an hour they were seated round a supper-table, in all the delightful eagerness of eating and talking. Lady Mandeville narrated the scene of the bandit hair-dresser's declaration, while her auditors were divided between amusement and