5b floral conversation. 
mistress had passed a restless night and had just fallen 
asleep. 
At io a. m., on a second visit, the cousin was informed 
by the maid that Lady Alice would rather not see any one 
until she came down for the marriage. 
At ii a. m., the guests, with the family, met in the 
library. 
At 11:15, a dozen carriages, three of them having four 
horses, and two with outriders, drew up in front of the 
castle. 
At 11:25, the duke sent a servant to inform the Lady 
Alice that he hoped she would come down at once. 
At 11 =30, the servant returned, to inform the duke that 
“ her ladyship was not to be found !” 
Then the duke calmly requested that her ladyship’s 
maid should be sent to him in his morning-room. 
And, after a long interval, the report was brought to him 
that '■'•her ladyship's maid was not to be found!" 
Then some one discovered, on Lady Alice’s writing- 
table, a note to her father, the duke. It was, so Phyllis 
informed us, to this effect : that she had pleaded in vain 
that she did not love the Viscount - that it could not be 
right that her whole life should be turned into a lie - that 
it should be a life of hatred when it might be a life of love 
