By one of those mental efforts which her strange lot often forced her to practise, Venetia at length composed herself, and returned to the room where she believed she would meet her mother, and hoped she should see Cadurcis.  He was not there:  but Lady Annabel was seated as calm and busied as usual; the Doctor had departed.  Even his presence would have proved a relief, however slight, to Venetia, who dreaded at this moment to be alone with her mother.  She had no cause, however, for alarm; Lord Cadurcis never appeared, and was absent even from dinner; the day died away, and still he was wanting; and at length Venetia bade her usual good night to Lady Annabel, and received her usual blessing and embrace without his name having been even mentioned.

Venetia passed a disturbed night, haunted by painful dreams, in which her father and Cadurcis were both mixed up, and with images of pain, confusion, disgrace, and misery; but the morrow, at least, did not prolong her suspense, for just as she had joined her mother at breakfast, Mistress Pauncefort, who had been despatched on some domestic mission by her mistress, entered with a face of wonder, and began as usual:  ’Only think, my lady; well to be sure, who have thought it?  I am quite confident, for my own part, I was quite taken aback when I heard it; and I could not have believed my ears, if John had not told me himself, and he had it from his lordship’s own man.’

‘Well, Pauncefort, what have you to say?’ inquired Lady Annabel, very calmly.

’And never to send no note, my lady; at least I have not seen one come up.  That makes it so very strange.’

‘Makes what, Pauncefort?’

’Why, my lady, doesn’t your la’ship know his lordship left the abbey yesterday, and never said nothing to nobody; rode off without a word, by your leave or with your leave?  To be sure he always was the oddest young gentleman as ever I met with; and, as I said to John:  John, says I, I hope his lordship has not gone to join the gipsies again.’

Venetia looked into a teacup, and then touched an egg, and then twirled a spoon; but Lady Annabel seemed quite imperturbable, and only observed, ’Probably his guardian is ill, and he has been suddenly summoned to town.  I wish you would bring my knitting-needles, Pauncefort.’

The autumn passed, and Lord Cadurcis never returned to the abbey, and never wrote to any of his late companions.  Lady Annabel never mentioned his name; and although she seemed to have no other object in life but the pleasure and happiness of her child, this strange mother never once consulted Venetia on the probable occasion of his sudden departure, and his strange conduct.

BOOK IV.

CHAPTER I.

Party feeling, perhaps, never ran higher in England than during the period immediately subsequent to the expulsion of the Coalition Ministry.  After the indefatigable faction of the American war, and the flagrant union with Lord North, the Whig party, and especially Charles Fox, then in the full vigour of his bold and ready mind, were stung to the quick that all their remorseless efforts to obtain and preserve the government of the country should terminate in the preferment and apparent permanent power of a mere boy.