'What is it, Plantagenet?' she exclaimed, jumping up from her
chair.

'I never cared for your ridicule hitherto, Cora, but now I feel
that I want your sympathy.'

'If you are going to do anything,--to do really anything, you
shall have it. Oh, how you shall have it!'

'I have received her Majesty's orders to go down to Windsor at
once. I must start within half an hour.'

'You are going to be Prime Minister!' she exclaimed. As she
spoke she threw her arms up, and then rushed into his embrace.
Never since their first union had she been so demonstrative
either of love or admiration. 'Oh, Plantagenet,' she said, 'if I
can do anything I will slave for you.' As he put his arm round
her waist he already felt the pleasantness of her altered way to
him. She had never worshipped him yet, and therefore her worship
when it did come had all the delight to him which it ordinarily
has to the newly married hero.

'Stop a moment, Cora. I do not know how it may be yet. But this
I know, that if without cowardice I could avoid this task, I
would certainly avoid it.'

'Oh no! And there would be cowardice; of course there would,'
said the Duchess, not much caring what might be the bonds which
bound him to the task so long as he should certainly feel himself