“Place them yonder, in my _secrétaire_, Leonard; I will read them later.” “Do so, and with heed; for to me there is much here that involves my own life—much that is still a mystery, and which I think you can unravel!” “I!” exclaimed Harley; and he was moving towards the _secrétaire_, in a drawer of which Leonard had carefully deposited the papers, when once more, but this time violently, the door was thrown open, and Giacomo rushed into the room, accompanied by Lady Lansmere. “Oh, my lord, my lord!” cried Giacomo, in Italian, “the signorina! the signorina!—Violante!” “What of her? Mother, mother! what of her? Speak, speak!” “She has gone—left our house!” “Left! No, no!” cried Giacomo, “She must have been deceived or forced away. The Count! the Count! Oh, my good lord, save her, as you once saved her father!” “Hold!” cried Harley. “Give me your arm, mother. A _second_ such blow in life is beyond the strength of man—at least of mine. So, so!—I am better now! Thank you, mother. Stand back, all of you—give me air. So the Count has triumphed, and Violante has fled with him! Explain all—I can bear it!” THE EARL OF DERBY’S APPEAL TO THE COUNTRY. When we addressed our readers, in the month of June last,[10] in a very earnest, and perhaps a somewhat apprehensive spirit, we declared that we did so “on the eve of a tremendous conflict, the results of which, in our deliberately formed opinion, shared by every thinking and experienced politician in the kingdom, affect the welfare of the Empire to an extent almost unprecedented, and also, at present, utterly incalculable.” That conflict has now taken place, or rather it is yet—while we are writing, very far on in this memorable month of July (the 24th inst.)—not quite over. It has been, indeed, a signal conflict: but between whom? And what is the issue? Has there been a victory, and consequently a defeat? Is it the Earl of Derby, sitting dismayed in his cabinet, from whose lips these sad words are at this moment falling, as he surveys the results of the general election of 1852, on which he had staked so much?—or is it his rival and opponent? But _who is he_?—or is his name legion? Is it Lord John Russell?—or Sir James Graham?—or the Duke of Newcastle?—or Lord Palmerston?—or, dropping for a moment to the _dii minores_, is it—Mr Cobden?