when it was understood that the duke of st. james had been delirious, public feeling reached what is called its height; that is to say, the curiosity and the ignorance of the world were about equal. everybody was indignant, not so much because the young duke had been shot, but because they did not know why. if the sympathy of the women could have consoled him, our hero might have been reconciled to his fate. among these, no one appeared more anxious as to the result, and more ignorant as to the cause, than mrs. dallington vere. arundel dacre called on her the morning ensuing his midnight observation, but understood that she had not seen sir lucius grafton, who, they said, had quitted london, which she thought probable. nevertheless arundel thought proper to walk down hill street at the same hour, and, if not at the same minute, yet in due course of time, he discovered the absent man.

in two or three days the young duke was declared out of immediate danger, though his attendants must say he remained exceedingly restless, and by no means in a satisfactory state; yet, with their aid, they had a right to hope the best. at any rate, if he were to go off, his friends would have the satisfaction of remembering that all had been done that could be; so saying, dr. x. took his fee, and surgeons y. and z. prevented his conduct from being singular.

now began the operations on the grafton side. a letter from lady aphrodite full of distraction. she was fairly mystified. what could have induced lucy suddenly to act so, puzzled her, as well it might. her despair, and yet her confidence in his grace, seemed equally great. some talk there was of going off to cleve at once. her husband, on the whole, maintained a rigid silence and studied coolness. yet he had talked of vienna and florence, and even murmured something about public disgrace and public ridicule. in short, the poor lady was fairly worn out, and wished to terminate her harassing career at once by cutting the gordian knot. in a word, she proposed coming on to her admirer and, as she supposed, her victim, and having the satisfaction of giving him his cooling draughts and arranging his bandages.

if the meeting between the young duke and sir lucius grafton had been occasioned by any other cause than the real one, it is difficult to say what might have been the fate of this proposition. our own opinion is, that this work would have been only in one volume; for the requisite morality would have made out the present one; but, as it was, the image of miss dacre hovered above our hero as his guardian genius. he despaired of ever obtaining her; but yet he determined not wilfully to crush all hope. some great effort must be made to right his position. lady aphrodite must not be deserted: the very thought increased his fever. he wrote, to gain time; but another billet, in immediate answer, only painted increased terrors, and described the growing urgency of her persecuted situation. he was driven into a corner, but even a stag at bay is awful: what, then, must be a young duke, the most noble animal in existence?

ill as he was, he wrote these lines, not to lady aphrodite, but to her husband:—

‘my dear grafton,

‘you will be surprised at hearing from me. is it necessary for me to assure you that my interference on a late occasion was accidental? and can you, for a moment, maintain that, under the circumstances, i could have acted in a different manner? i regret the whole business; but most i regret that we were placed in collision.

‘i am ready to cast all memory of it into oblivion; and, as i unintentionally offended, i indulge the hope that, in this conduct, you will bear me company.

‘surely, men like us are not to be dissuaded from following our inclinations by any fear of the opinion of the world. the whole affair is, at present, a mystery; and i think, with our united fancies, some explanation may be hit upon which will render the mystery quite impenetrable, while it professes to offer a satisfactory solution.

‘i do not know whether this letter expresses my meaning, for my mind is somewhat agitated and my head not very clear; but, if you be inclined to understand it in the right spirit, it is sufficiently lucid. at any rate, my dear grafton, i have once more the pleasure of subscribing myself, faithfully yours,

‘st. james.’

this letter was marked ‘immediate,’ consigned to the custody of luigi, with positive orders to deliver it personally to sir lucius; and, if not at home, to follow till he found him.

he was not at home, and he was found at ——‘s clubhouse. sullen, dissatisfied with himself, doubtful as to the result of his fresh manouvres, and brooding over his infernal debts, sir lucius had stepped into — — and passed the whole morning playing desperately with lord hounslow and baron de berghem. never had he experienced such a smashing morning. he had long far exceeded his resources, and was proceeding with a vague idea that he should find money somehow or other, when this note was put into his hand, as it seemed to him by providence. the signature of semiramis could not have imparted more exquisite delight to a collector of autographs. were his long views, his complicated objects, and doubtful results to be put in competition a moment with so decided, so simple, and so certain a benefit? certainly not, by a gamester. he rose from the table, and with strange elation wrote these lines:—

‘my dearest friend,

‘you forgive me, but can i forgive myself? i am plunged in overwhelming grief. shall i come on? your mad but devoted friend,

‘lucius grafton.

‘the duke of st. james.’

they met the same day. after a long consultation, it was settled that peacock piggott should be entrusted, in confidence, with the secret of the affair: merely a drunken squabble, ‘growing out’ of the bird of paradise. wine, jealousy, an artful woman, and headstrong youth will account for anything; they accounted for the present affair. the story was believed, because the world were always puzzled at lady aphrodite being the cause. the baronet proceeded with promptitude to make the version pass current: he indicted ‘the universe’ and ‘the new world;’ he prosecuted the caricaturists; and was seen everywhere with his wife. ‘the universe’ and ‘the new world’ revenged themselves on the signora; and then she indicted them. they could not now even libel an opera singer with impunity; where was the boasted liberty of the press?

in the meantime the young duke, once more easy in his mind, wonderfully recovered; and on the eighth day after the ball of beauty he returned to the pavilion, which had now resumed its usual calm character, for fresh air and soothing quiet.