This young woman, who had been accustomed to reign over most of the men
about her, felt, in her newly-learned humility, a sense of elation from
merely having been a little while in the presence of the man whom she
loved. She reflected on his musing smile, had no thought that it
concerned her, and hoped nothing better than that he might never find
out how dear he was to her.
As for John Mortimer, he returned to the town, musing over some turn in
political affairs that pleased him, cogitating over the contents of a
bill then under discussion in Parliament, wondering whether it would get
much altered before the second reading, while all the time, half
unconsciously to himself, the scene in that other Parliament was present
to him.
Just as a scene; nothing more. Emily sitting on his throne--his! with
his smallest child nestling in her arms, so satisfied, one knew not
which of the two had the most assured air of possession. Half unaware,
he seemed to hear again the contented sighing of the little creature in
her sleep, and Emily's low, sweet laugh when she saw his astonishment at
her presence.
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