“Good-day, and many thanks, my lord.” The next morning, at the appointed hour, Lord Dazzleright’s carriage stood before the vine-shaded garden gate of the parsonage. It was a dark, gloomy, foreboding day, and sensibly affected the spirits of all concerned. Estelle prayed long and earnestly in her chamber, remaining on her knees, until a gentle rap at the door, and the voice of her faithful attendant, warned her that her friends were waiting. Then she arose, and over her simple grey silk dress wrapped a fine grey woolen shawl, put on a close cottage bonnet of grey crape, threw over it a black lace vail, took her gloves and her Bible, and followed her maid down stairs. Mr. Oldfield waited in the hall, and Lord Dazzleright in the carriage, to receive her. Lord Dazzleright’s kindness of heart suggested all things needful. “Where is her ladyship’s woman?” he inquired, after greeting Lady Montressor, and observing that she was unattended. “Is she not going with her mistress?” “Why, nothing has been said of it, my lord; we did not know that it would be convenient to your lordship to——” “Is that she? hasten, my good girl, throw on your bonnet, and get in here beside me—did you not know your lady would require your services?” said Lord Dazzleright, interrupting the Rector to hurry the maid. “Yes, my lord, I knew it well enough, only——” the rest of her sentence was lost in distance, as she hurried around the circular walk toward the house. She reappeared in five minutes, and took her place in the carriage. And Lady Montressor and the Rector occupying the back seat, and Lord Dazzleright and the maid the front one, they drove rapidly off toward the Exeter turnpike. A long, dreary ride, under a dark and weeping sky, and over a landscape humid with its fallen tears, brought them, at the close of day, into the city of Exeter, the capital of Devonshire, and the ancient seat of the West Saxon kings. They drew up, and turned into the court-yard of a quiet hotel in the neighborhood of the Assizes. There was no registry of names required there, as in our own “free” country, and therefore no gaping and staring crowd could identify the pale, beautiful woman, who came attended by a clergyman and an attorney, as the high-born lady, whose approaching trial for a grave offense, occupied all thoughts, and attracted crowds to the city; and no officious reporters could publish the fact that—“Lady Montressor occupied apartments at the ‘Crown and Sceptre.’” The next day was the Sabbath, during which Estelle, escorted by Mr. Oldfield, twice attended Divine service in public, without attracting attention. She passed the evening in her chamber, in prayer and self-communion, to be ready to meet the morrow and the opening of the Assizes. CHAPTER V. THE ASSIZES.