It had been arranged that, instead of visiting the Elthornes at the Rectory, Evelyn should be their guest in a small house, which, for the benefit of his wife’s health, the Rector had hired for a couple of months, upon one of the inlets of Morecambe Bay, near Arnside Knot; and accordingly, early on the following morning, she repaired to the Rectory, in order to commence the journey thence with her friends. Before the party had got far upon the road to the station, they met the postman, and a letter was put into the hands of Evelyn. Having read it with deep thankfulness and emotion, she handed it on to Mr. Elthorne, who forthwith insisted on reading it aloud for the benefit of the rest. The letter was indeed an important one. It announced that, in consideration of the great services of her brother, Captain Lionel Manwaring, to his Queen and Country, Her Majesty was pleased to offer to his sister, Miss Evelyn Manwaring, the suite of apartments in Hampton Court Palace which had lately become vacant by the death of Lady Glengriskin, and that it was the Queen’s gracious intention to put them in a state of complete repair before she came to occupy them. CHAPTER XVII. EVELYN VISITS THE DUCHESS. THE reader (who is blessed with a good memory) will remember that at the end of our first chapter Miss Sarah Strong had made an appointment to take the newly-arrived Miss Manwaring to call upon the Duchess of Ribblesdale, and punctually at the hour fixed, she arrived to fulfil her promise. The entrance to her Grace’s apartments was situated in the first quadrangle, and after ascending a somewhat narrow flight of stairs, and passing through a long corridor, the two ladies were ceremoniously introduced into the presence of the “Vice-reine” of Hampton Court. The Duchess rose as they entered. She was a little, upright woman, dressed in plain black silk. A single diamond of great size glistened on her left hand, and, depending from a plain gold chain which hung around her neck, she wore a locket or pendant containing a huge emerald. She wore no cap, but about her hair, which was of a beautiful silver tint, was disposed, Spanish-fashion, some fine old black lace, beneath which shone magnificent dark eyes, which lighted up a face beaming with benevolence, and still retaining some portion of the singular beauty for which it had formerly been celebrated.