'"But, Bessie, why? Do tell me. I didn't quite understand," I cried, feeling eager and excited too in a high degree, and quite ready to be as enthusiastic as Bessie herself—only, somewhat bewildered as to who was going to set foot on English ground, and why there should be such a commotion about him.
'"Hush! who is that?" said Bessie with a start, at the sound of approaching footsteps; and, even as she spoke, Henrietta Sidney came in sight, sauntering up the shady path.
'"Well, Frances, is the ruffle mended already?" she began, but stopped short at the sight of Bessie's flushed cheeks and sparkling eyes. "Something is the matter," she remarked at length, in her gentle, composed, perhaps rather languid way.
'"Oh Henrietta!" exclaimed Bessie, springing forward and seizing both her hands; "if it is only you, I don't care. Yes, indeed, something is the matter. Such glorious tidings! The secret is out. And what do you think? The Duke of Monmouth is going to land in two days and claim his crown; and we shall have another civil war, to a certainty! There is that strange man that Pauline spoke of; but now, instead of the north parlour, he is in Madame's closet, talking to her and Mrs. Fortescue. Why he should come to tell them, I cannot imagine——"
'"But, Bessie, do stop one moment," interrupted Henrietta imploringly, "is this really true? And how did you find it out? This mysterious man did not surely confide all this to you and Frances!"
'"Oh no, no; they never meant us to hear it, of course." And Bessie and I hereupon poured out an explanation of how we had chanced to learn this wonderful piece of intelligence. Henrietta made no comment as she listened, but her face grew thoughtful and troubled. She evidently did not look at the affair quite in the same light that Bessie did.
'"And now, Henrietta," I began eagerly, when we had finished our story, "I want to know what they meant about the Duke of Monmouth, and why he is coming to England."
'"Hush!" she said in a tone that, for her, was almost sharp. And I was silenced directly; for, in spite of Henrietta's indolent, gentle manner, there was something about her now and then that made me feel slightly afraid of her. In fact I think that all the girls had a great respect for her judgment, though she was rather cold and shy, and by no means such a favourite among them as Bessie, or Pauline St. Aubert.
'"Indeed, Frances," she said earnestly, "you must not speak of this to any one else. You ought not to have told me. I wish, with all my heart, that we all knew as little of it now as we did half an hour ago."
'"But why?" asked Bessie, looking both crestfallen and alarmed at this view of the matter; for her excitement was a good deal damped by Henrietta's anxious tone and serious face.