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If you are not located in the United States, you'll have -to check the laws of the country where you are located before using this ebook. - - - -Title: The Exclusives (vol. 3 of 3) - -Author: Charlotte Campbell Bury - -Release Date: October 13, 2017 [EBook #55746] - -Language: English - -Character set encoding: UTF-8 - -*** START OF THIS PROJECT GUTENBERG EBOOK THE EXCLUSIVES (VOL. 3 OF 3) *** - - - - -Produced by Chris Whitehead and the Online Distributed -Proofreading Team at http://www.pgdp.net (This file was -produced from images generously made available by The -Internet Archive) - - - - - - - - - - THE - EXCLUSIVES. - - VOL. III. - - - - - THE - EXCLUSIVES. - - IN THREE VOLUMES. - - VOL. III. - - SECOND EDITION. - - LONDON: - HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY, - NEW BURLINGTON STREET. - - 1830. - - - - - LONDON: - - Printed by J. L. Cox, Great Queen Street, - Lincoln's-Inn Fields. - - - - -THE EXCLUSIVES. - - - - -CHAPTER I. - -THOUGHTS FOR COUNSEL. - - -When Lady Delamere returned with her niece, and the latter had been -left in a state of comparative composure to the best of all earthly -restoratives, sleep, Lady Dunmelraise listened with anxious interest -to the relation of her daughter's sudden indisposition, which Lady -Delamere did not hesitate to attribute to her having witnessed Lord -Albert's attentions to Lady Hamlet Vernon during the whole evening, in -the very box opposite to them at the Opera. - -"I observed her," said Lady Delamere, "for some time struggling with -her feelings, and hesitated whether it were best to take notice of, -or allow them to subside uncommented upon: seeing, however, that at -length all her efforts were unavailing, and that her agitation rather -increased than the reverse, I judged it necessary to propose our -returning home. At that instant, Adeline fainted; and now, dear sister, -I think that, for Adeline's sake, it is my duty to speak to you without -reserve on the subject of Lord Albert D'Esterre. The state of your -health, on your arrival in London, and the fear of agitating you, have -alone prevented my touching on this subject sooner; but I hope you -will forgive me, and feel that I was right, when I acknowledge that I -have already spoken generally to Adeline herself upon the prospects -attendant on her engagement. - -"You will also readily believe, I trust, that, knowing your sentiments -and principles, I could not say any thing that you would disapprove, -nor that I would assume to myself any parental authority, which is -alone your right, in what I said; but at the same time I ventured -upon what I conceived to be Lord Albert's very culpable neglect; -and, although I fear much more might have been said with truth, yet -my counsel went merely to impress on Adeline's mind a sense of the -seriousness of married life, and of the necessity of both parties -examining thoroughly the grounds on which they rest their hopes of -happiness, before they become bound indissolubly together. I also -expatiated upon the propriety of her mixing in the great world -during your stay in London, which would afford her an opportunity of -judging many things which she could not do in a life of retirement. -I added, that the same person is too often not the same, when placed -in different scenes, and with different objects of attraction and -temptation around him; for I wished to open Adeline's eyes to a clear -discernment of whatever might be necessary for her to know; and, having -done this, leave it to her own excellent understanding to draw the -salutary conclusion." - -"You are right, my dear sister, and I thank you; but it is strange that -Adeline should never have mentioned this conversation to me. She never -had a secret from me before in her lifetime." - -"Do not blame Adeline, I entreat you. If there be any blame any where, -it must rest with me; for dreading the effect which my suspicions might -have produced on your mind, while still suffering from your recent -increase of malady, I could not at that time bring myself to enter upon -a subject which I knew must harass you; and, acquainted as I am with -Adeline's superior prudence and rectitude of conduct,--qualities which -she possesses, indeed, beyond most persons of her age,--I deemed it -quite sufficient to give her that species of warning which would make -her look warily to certain points, respecting the observation of which -her very purity might have blinded her, but yet without saying any -thing sufficiently decided for her to deem it a breach of duty not to -repeat the conversation to you. Having explained this affair, I trust I -have absolved the dear, ingenuous Adeline from the least blame, which -might otherwise have attached to her concealing any thing of importance -from you, her mother." - -"Oh certainly, my dear sister; entirely so; and it is needless to dwell -on this longer. The matter of great moment, which I wish to discuss -with you, is, what steps should now be taken in regard to Lord Albert -D'Esterre, for some active measure does appear necessary after this -night's occurrence?" - -"Indeed it is a delicate business, and one on which I feel very -diffident in giving advice; but since you ask my opinion, I will not -conceal from you, that Lord Albert's character appears to me to be -much changed since his last visit to you, immediately after his return -from the continent: indeed, how should it be otherwise, when, by -all I can learn, he has associated only with those persons who form -a distinct circle; and amongst whom he must have imbibed, at least -superficially, all those habits and prejudices which are directly -opposed to his former life. - -"You knew, my dear sister, that our opinion of that coterie is pretty -much the same; and I believe it to be impossible for a young man to -become entangled in such a society, and not lose all correct principle. -This in itself would be a reason which would make me anxious for our -Adeline's happiness, if she were so connected; for to what dangers -would she not be exposed as a married woman, living in that class of -persons! Notwithstanding her firmness of character, I could not but -dread the contamination of perpetual bad example; and the more so, as -it does not appear in its own appalling form, but wears the semblance -of elegance and innocent pleasure. Thinking of these things, and -knowing, as I do, besides, that not only Lord Albert attaches himself -in particular to one of the circle, (I mean Lady Hamlet Vernon) but -that the world are beginning to talk openly on the subject, I really -think it is time some decision on your part should be taken." - -"All that you say makes me very sorrowful, my dear sister," replied -Lady Dunmelraise; "and I see too clearly the truth of your advice not -to follow it; but then, you know, we must consider the dear Adeline's -feelings; we must endeavour to spare her present pain, so far as we -consistently can with future and lasting happiness. But I fear, let the -blow come as it may, it will fall heavily on her. I have myself not -been without my suspicions, as I already told you, of Lord Albert's -change of sentiments in respect to my daughter; but knowing her deep -attachment to him, and dreading the effects of a hasty overthrow of -all her long-cherished hopes, having at the same time no positive -proof of Lord Albert's delinquency, I could do no more, hitherto, -than you have done; that is, speak in general terms of the very great -importance of a strict examination of oneself, and the object of one's -attachment, previously to marriage, not only in regard to the more -weighty considerations of principle and temper, but also in respect to -those habits and pursuits, which either cement the delights of daily -communication, or, if dissimilar, produce at first estrangement, and -in time, it may be, indifference or disgust. Of all these, and such -as these, I spoke minutely, and even ventured to throw out doubts -respecting Lord Albert's occupations and recreations continuing to be -of a nature that accorded with her own. I then hinted at a change of -associates naturally leading to a change of feelings; 'but,' I added, -'you are the only person, my dearest child, after all, who can decide -upon the truth of these observations in this instance; and what I -recommend to you is, to look narrowly yourself to these points, and -employ the interval before your final decision in determining this -momentous question for yourself.' - -"Thus far I have spoken to her. Since, however, the scene of to-night -seems to have precipitated matters to a climax,--to the necessity, at -least, of a disclosure of the extent of our fears,--I must endeavour to -break them to her to-morrow in such a manner as will be least likely to -shock her feelings; but, alas! I much fear that the shock has already -been felt, has come to her in its worst and keenest guise, and on such -a heart as hers I dread the consequences. At her years the blight of a -cherished hope is often physically fatal; the frame is not strengthened -to bear the crush of sorrow, and life itself yields to the pressure." -Lady Dunmelraise's voice faltered, and her sister felt an answering -pang to that which she so touchingly expressed. "Still," resumed Lady -Dunmelraise, after a moment's pause, "it will be kinder and wiser, in -as far as respects addressing myself to Lord Albert, to let the matter -take its own course, and end itself. The time when a final decision -must be made is now very short; I shall then have a right to demand an -explicit avowal of his intentions, or to put a final termination to my -daughter's engagement with him. - -"Meanwhile, I shall speak unreservedly to her. Now that she has (poor -dear! my heart bleeds for her!) witnessed, at least once, a scene -that confirms all my worst fears, she will be alive to the justice -of my representations, and with her own quickness of perception and -delicacy of feeling, will judge for herself on similar occasions, -should such recur; in which case, the dignity of her offended affection -will strengthen her for the trial: for what we take upon ourselves to -bear is always a burden more easily endured than that imposed upon -us by another. If, however, we should be mistaken; if, haply, we do -Lord Albert injustice; if appearances are deceptive, and that he is -in fact unchanged; we shall have spared much unnecessary pain, and -all self-accusation for undue precipitation." The sisters having thus -settled the point which involved the happiness of one so dear to them, -separated for the night. - -Lord Albert D'Esterre, on his part, when he reached home from the -Opera, became the victim of those baffling feelings which had more -than once torn his heart in pieces; for although he felt that he had -stronger grounds than ever to suspect Lady Adeline of a preference -for another, yet so long and so deeply rooted had been his dream of -attachment for her, that at intervals a tide of tenderness returned, -and he involuntarily dwelt on the idea, that one who had been -considered by him as his own, one who professed to feel herself bound -to him, could not, without some fault on his part, prove false to -herself and him. And was he without fault in respect to his treatment -of her? It was a question he did not dare to answer; but he felt sure, -that whatever fancy played on the surface of his heart, Adeline _alone_ -was enshrined there; and this assurance came to him with greater power, -as the excitement he experienced while he had been in the society of -Lady Hamlet Vernon gradually died away when no longer in her presence. - -The next morning he wavered for a considerable time, whether to go in -person to inquire for Lady Adeline, or merely send; and his feelings -of wounded pride and genuine affection, which latter surpasses all -pride, alternately rose and fell in his breast. "I would not betray -displeasure," he said to himself; "for, if the offence is real, -displeasure would be too weak a feeling for so deep an injury, and, -to a coquette, the knowledge that she gives pain is a triumph: I will -not go, therefore; I will write." And he decided on despatching a -note, pleading important business as the cause of his not attending -personally to inquire for her, which excuse was in part true. After -having so far satisfied himself by doing what he thought best under all -circumstances, he went to Lord Glenmore's, to lose, if possible, the -sense of his sorrow, in matters of so high and engrossing a nature, -that he knew, could any thing prove a cure for love, they must. - -Far different, however, from the feelings and thoughts which had -agitated the breast of Adeline, her affectionate relatives, and Lord -Albert himself, were those which agitated Lady Hamlet Vernon. She had -but one thought, one intense interest, and she cared not by what means -she followed up its success. In recalling the last scene in which she -had been an actor, she was not likely to lose sight for a moment of -the advantage she perceived that she had obtained over the object of -her pursuit; and although entertaining little doubt as to the cause of -Lady Adeline's indisposition, she was still anxious to assure herself -that her surmises were right in regard to it, and also to learn the -visible effect which had been produced when Lord Albert hastened to her -in the Opera House; for although she thought she could not be at a loss -to unravel the clue, yet, for a thousand reasons, she was most anxious -to be acquainted, beyond all possibility of doubt, with every thing -respecting the occurrence. - -For this purpose, she sent a note, early in the morning, to Mr. Foley, -requesting him to lose no time in calling upon her. He was not tardy in -obeying her summons, and when he came, she cautiously avoided at first -entering upon the subject nearest her heart, and turned his attention -to the circumstance of a change of ministry, asking him if he had heard -any thing decisive on the subject. He repeated what had been reported -the preceding evening, namely, that Lord Glenmore had certainly -accepted office, and Lord Albert D'Esterre a post under him. This led -to the subject of Lady Adeline's indisposition, and the question, -whether the marriage between her and Lord Albert would ever take -place. Mr. Foley replied, that he thought the thing very unlikely. A -man engaged as Lord Albert now was, required, he conceived, a different -sort of wife, if any wife were not _de trop_. - -"But what occasioned the scene she made last night?" asked Lady Hamlet -Vernon. - -Mr. Foley replied, he thought there could be little doubt as to the -cause; adding, courteously, "You know Lord Albert was in your box all -the evening; and it could hardly be supposed, that any person at all -attached to him could see him engaged in earnest conversation with you -so long a time, without apprehension as to the consequences." - -Lady Hamlet Vernon endeavoured to suppress, at least to conceal, the -agitation of pleasure which she felt; and said, smiling, he was always -a flatterer, but that there could be no foundation for the uneasiness -ascribed to Lady Adeline's feelings, and that she was sure there was -some other cause; but really, she added, - -"My great interest was to ascertain that _your interests_ were safe in -this ministerial change; and if Lord Albert be really in power, I feel -certain you _have_ nothing to apprehend. As to Lady Adeline Seymour, I -am quite of your opinion; she is not at all calculated to be his wife. -From the interest which Lord Albert has shown in my welfare, I really -have a feeling of regard for him, and I should be sorry to see him -united to a woman who I am certain would not promote his happiness. Now -do _you_ think she would?" - -"To confess the truth, I do not believe it. Lady Adeline is very -amiable, very sweet, very simple-minded, but not at all fitted to -play a part in the busy world. I could not imagine her the wife of a -minister, or throwing any degree of lustre round an exalted station. -Elegant and endearing in private life as she certainly is; depend upon -it _that_ is her sphere; take her thence, and she would be nothing." - -Lady Hamlet Vernon seemed busy in thought, was silent for a few -moments, then turned to Mr. Foley, and fixing her eyes on his, asked -pointedly, - -"But do you think she is fond of Lord Albert?" - -"Fond! yes, perhaps so; the fondness of a child that has been told it -ought to love something, and has never made any comparisons whereby to -know what it likes." - -"That will _not_ do for Lord Albert D'Esterre, I am certain, and it -would be madness in him to persevere in forming such a union. You, dear -Mr. Foley, are intimate with her mother, Lady Dunmelraise; does she -ever speak to you on the subject?" Then, without waiting for an answer, -Lady Hamlet Vernon went on to say, "If an opportunity _should occur_, -do you not think that, as a friend of the families, you ought to state -your opinion of this unpropitious marriage; I mean without prejudice -to Lord Albert D'Esterre, for I would not for the world be supposed to -say any thing which could be offensive or undervaluing in regard to -him. If you knew him intimately, which I hope you will do, you would, I -feel confident, not only like, but esteem him. It is from my doing so, -who have had opportunities of reading his real character, that I think -it a duty in any friend of Lady Dunmelraise to make her aware that -her daughter is not suited to him, from an opposition of tastes and -pursuits, different habits, and different ends in life, all which would -render a union between them destructive of mutual happiness." - -During Lady Hamlet Vernon's conversation, Mr. Foley's countenance -underwent many changes, of which she was at first doubtful how to read -the meaning. At length, after a considerable pause, he replied--"Lady -Dunmelraise has never spoken to me on the business, and I do not see -how I could, with any propriety, touch on any part of the subject on -which we have been conversing, unless, indeed, she were first to open -the matter to me; besides," (he added, with increasing agitation,) "an -attempt of the kind, on my part, would most probably defeat the end, as -Lady Dunmelraise might suppose such advice, coming from me, was perhaps -influenced by wishes and views of my own, and I would not----." - -"You would not," interrupted Lady Hamlet Vernon, "so far confess the -truth, for I see plainly that you yourself love Lady Adeline," keeping -her eyes on him as she spoke. Mr. Foley hesitated; he seemed to wish to -answer her, but knew not how. - -"Now do not, my dear Mr. George Foley, from any false delicacy, be -desirous of concealing the truth from me: you do love Lady Adeline -Seymour; and if so, why should you not urge your suit? For _you_, I -conceive this alliance to be very desirable; it is quite different with -regard to Lord Albert D'Esterre. A quiet, simple, domestic companion, -such as you pourtray Lady Adeline to be, would prove exactly consonant -with your wishes; her fortune is vast; and the general tenor of her -education and life were well adapted to form her character to that -sort of tranquil obedience which I know you deem a prime requisite in -a wife. Lady Dunmelraise's interest in you is a great step in your -favour; fortune to you is a _great object_; and the marriage would be -such as would, I think, contribute to your wishes and your welfare." - -Lady Hamlet Vernon saw that she had touched a theme in which Mr. -Foley's interests were deeply involved; for as she proceeded to -expatiate on the various advantages which would attend Mr. Foley's -adopting her advice, he listened with more and more attention, and even -betrayed the greatest apparent pleasure. Lady Hamlet Vernon marked -the progress she had made, and felt sure that the discovery at which -she had now arrived, of the coincidence of his feelings with her own, -laid a sure foundation for the accomplishment of her plans, while, at -the same time, it removed from herself, in a great measure, the danger -of being thought to be the principal mover in a matter which required -so much tact and delicacy to carry it through successfully: she saw -clearly, that it was only requisite, by following up her counsel to -Mr. Foley (which was in fact to confirm him in his own wishes), to -overcome any scruples which he might have entertained, from the fear -of appearing to act on selfish motives alone; and Lady Hamlet Vernon -was confident, from this conversation, that she had already made very -great progress. It had required only a spark to set the train on fire; -and she felt certain that every word she uttered would render him more -alive to the true state of his feelings, and consequently more apt to -betray them in his conduct towards Lady Adeline. - -Lady Hamlet Vernon had too much knowledge of the world, and of human -nature, to press the matter further at the present moment, or to -attempt to bind, by any direct promise, a person who only required the -spring of his desires to be set in action, in order to play his own -part. Mr. Foley, too, seemed little inclined, at the present moment, to -enter any further on the subject, and by tacit consent it was suffered -to drop; but when he took leave of Lady Hamlet Vernon, it was only a -natural consequence of the counsel she had given him, that he should -bend his steps towards South Audley-street, to make his inquiries for -Lady Adeline. How easy is it for the stronger to direct the weaker mind -to good or evil, without exciting any suspicion in the latter that it -is assuming the mastery, or doing any thing but what it meant to do of -its own proper movement; and what small occurrences sometimes determine -a line of conduct either virtuously or the reverse! - -Thus it was with Mr. George Foley in the present instance. It certainly -had crossed his mind more than once, that Lady Adeline Seymour would -make him a very eligible wife, and his affections (such at least as he -could have entertained for any object, _blazé_ and apathetic as he had -become from a long course of idleness and dissipation) had undoubtedly -been directed towards her; but the knowledge of the existing engagement -between Lord Albert D'Esterre and herself, and a certain apprehension, -frequent in timid minds that are neither quite good nor quite bad, lest -he should forfeit Lady Dunmelraise's protection, had always checked -his hopes, and kept these aspirations in subjection: but it required -only the suggestions of one somewhat less timid than himself on this -head, to direct his views to a determined pursuit of the object; and he -resolved, with proper caution, to feel his way, but, at the same time, -to lose no opportunity of following up Lady Hamlet Vernon's advice. - - - - -CHAPTER II. - -A VISIT TO THE NEW-MADE MINISTER'S WIFE. - - -When Lord Albert had sent his note of inquiry to Lady Adeline Seymour, -he proceeded to Downing-street to meet Lord Glenmore, there to enter -on his official duties; and, notwithstanding the agitation of his mind -on other subjects, he went prepared to commence his new career with -that glow of ardour, which, when tempered by prudence, is so conducive -to honourable success. The reports which had so strongly prevailed for -the last two days in the great world, of Lord Glenmore's appointment -in the ministry, and of Lord Albert D'Esterre's being joined with him -in the office which he had accepted, were now confirmed by a public -announcement of the changes that had taken place. - -Of course there were different opinions as to the eligibility of the -measures resorted to, as there always are in similar cases; but which -were, for the most part, formed according to the interests and wishes -of opposing parties, without any real feeling or care for the public -welfare: but, fortunately for the well-being of that public, there -are higher powers over-ruling the petty engines of mortal government, -and even the evil passions of mankind are sometimes made subservient -to the ways of Providence. Henry the Eighth, when he threw off the -papal yoke, and became an instrument of mighty and effective operation -in the religious and moral destinies of Britain, thought little of -any other end than that of securing his own illicit and ambitious -projects; but in his day and generation he was the appointed means to -bring about that invaluable constitution, which, resting on a firmer -basis than mere worldly wisdom could devise, we may be confident will -always have able defenders raised up for its support--whether they be -those who pursue worldly ends alone, and entertain no other dream in -their philosophy, or whether some hand of conscientious and religious -principle guide the helm: not that the choice of persons can therefore -be indifferent, for human means are still to be employed for human -measures; only that in this circumstance, as in all others, there -remains a point of confiding refuge to flee to, even when the political -horizon appears to good men overcast. - -At the present season, when difficulties of an almost insurmountable -nature seemed to gather round the minister, and to impede the easy -course of government, the accession of such a man as Lord Glenmore, -whose character stood too high for any suspicion to attach to his -integrity, and whose situation was too independent to admit the surmise -of his being influenced by motives of personal interest, was a matter -of the last importance: the same might in a degree be said of Lord -Albert D'Esterre, with the exception that he was younger, and that this -was his first step in the career of his public life. - -To Lady Tilney and her political friends, the recent changes were -certainly any thing but agreeable; for, so long as Lord Glenmore -remained unconnected with party, she considered that he was yet to -be gained over to that whose interests she espoused: and Lord Albert -D'Esterre having likewise taken the same course, was an additional -cause of regret to her; for she had looked upon him as a much -easier prize than the other, and one of nearly equivalent value. It -was therefore with unqualified disappointment that she heard the -confirmation of those fears which the current whisper of the preceding -days had not prepared her to receive with calmness. - -On Lady Hamlet Vernon, this circumstance acted with a different -effect. When she heard the intelligence of the changes in the -ministry confirmed, she considered it as an additional circumstance -of self-congratulation, superadded to those which had arisen from the -occurrence at the Opera and her conversation with Mr. Foley. Lady -Hamlet Vernon, though ambitious, was a person attached to no party; and -though the love of power was predominant in her nature, it was for the -sake of its own exercise, without any reference to any political side -of the question: she only saw, therefore, in Lord Albert's appointment, -the first step towards a career which would involve him at once in -absorbing interests, and leave his mind more easy to be diverted into -a channel in accordance with her wishes, and more likely to be drawn -off from that attachment which was destructive of them. She thought -too, and with some probability, that it was a measure which would be -discordant with Lady Adeline's views of private happiness, and might -possibly therefore influence the fulfilment of the engagement between -her and Lord Albert D'Esterre. - -Whilst the parties in question took these two opposite views of the -business, there was a third who deplored it in all sincerity of heart, -and already sickened under the idea of the protracted absences, and -the bustle of the public career, in which she was alternately either to -be the sufferer, or be called upon to share: with the sense, however, -of submission due in a wife to the interests and views of her husband, -she prepared to receive the congratulations of her friends, and to -fulfil the duties which she foresaw must attend on her situation, with -as much cheerfulness and alacrity as she could command. - -Lord Glenmore having told her that concealment was no longer necessary -respecting the arrangements now finally adjusted, he bade her in -the course of the day acquaint her family with the event; and, on -his leaving her, she immediately communicated the intelligence to -her parents. The first to congratulate her was Lord Melcombe, who -considered the matter as a piece of good fortune, and rejoiced in this -addition to his child's happiness. While offering his fond wishes for -Lord Glenmore's success, he added, with a smile; - -"I think, Georgina, he ought to be satisfied with your first _coup -d'essai_ in diplomacy, for you almost persuaded me yesterday that this -event was quite as improbable as my own appointment to office." - -In the course of the day a host of friends--for what persons in power -ever lacked these?--called to pay their compliments to the wife of the -newly-created minister: some came from curiosity, some in sincerity, -some with envious feelings, and some with views of interest. Among -those of the latter class may be enumerated the Leinsengens, the -Tenderdens, and the Tilneys, with smiles on their lips and detraction -in their hearts; the one not believing Lady Glenmore's indifference -to her situation to be real, and the other two, who knew her better, -despising her for her childish folly. - -"Well, my dear," said the Comtesse Leinsengen, entering her apartment -like a figure made of clock-work, that glides into the room on a stand, -"let me see how you do look under this _changement de decoration_; -just the same, I declare! _est il bien possible_?" Staring at her, -"_Tout cela ne vous fait ni froid ni chaud_--dat is _impossible_. _Au -reste_--you seem de very ting for your _poste, et je vous en fait mon -compliment_; for you will never be at a loss to know vat countenance -_tenir_, as yours does not undergo any change." The beautiful colour -which tinged Lady Glenmore's cheek at this speech proved the contrary, -as she replied; - -"You are mistaken, Comtesse; there are many things which would affect -me in a lively manner; and indeed the present subject of your -congratulations is far from indifferent to me; but----." - -"_Allons donc, une confidence_; at last we shall know what you do or do -not care for," interrupted the Comtesse Leinsengen. - -"As far as that confidence goes, certainly. I do not care, for -instance, in the least, either for power or place, in as far as regards -myself, and I prefer a quiet country life to that of London; but as my -husband has considered it right to take this step, I must teach myself -to like it too." The announcement of Lady Tenderden and Lady Tilney -interrupted this uncongenial _tête-à-tête_; and the latter, to hide her -chagrin and disappointment under an apparent friendly zeal, flew up -to Lady Glenmore in her most energetic manner, and assured her, that -although she could never agree with Lord Glenmore in politics, yet from -personal regard she sincerely wished him joy of his public success, -and hoped, that now he had the ball at his foot, he would use it to a -good purpose. "It is one thing to be at the bottom of the ladder, and -another upon it," she added; "and perhaps we may see Lord Glenmore -doing as so many others have done before now, looking down on his old -prejudices and mistakes, and taking up quite a different view of the -subject." - -Lady Glenmore was silent, but received Lady Tilney's expressions -of kindness with her usual sweetness and courtesy of manner. Lady -Tenderden joined in the congratulation. - -"At length, my sweet lady," she said, "you are enthroned, and we all -come to do you homage. But how very discreet you were; never betrayed -by word, look, or gesture, the secret which you were quite sure of; you -are really cut out for the part you have to play. I envy you _votre -petite air moue et doucereux_; don't you, Lady Tilney?" - -"Nothing can be better," she replied; "I prophesy that she will play -her part well." - -"You are all exceedingly obliging," Lady Glenmore replied, "but I have -no part to play. My husband, being in the ministry, luckily does not -impose any duty upon me, besides that of living more in the world than -I might otherwise do." - -"Poor lady, I pity you!" said Lady Tenderden ironically. - -"You will change your ideas, I foresee that," said Lady Tilney -prophetically. - -"You will remain just vat you are," said the Comtesse Leinsengen -impertinently, when the door opened, and the Duke of Mercington entered. - -"I beg you to receive my warmest congratulation, my dear Lady -Glenmore," he said, approaching her in his most _empressé_ manner, as -if his whole heart was in his words, and bowing to the other ladies -slightly as he passed them. "I give you and Glenmore joy alike; him -that he has gained his wish, and you in the consciousness that he has -done so; for I know that your happiness must be _mutual_ to render it -really happiness." - -"Oh, duke, I assure you all your compliments are trown away upon dat -ladi, on dat subject at least, for she declare not to like to be a -minister's wife at all." - -"Impossible! she is joking," replied the duke, looking at Lady Glenmore -with one of those apparently ingenuous smiles which habit had forced -upon his features, and which once were captivating so long as they -_were_ natural; "impossible that you who were formed to shine in -society should shrink from a situation for which you are so singularly -well adapted." - -"You are too good, duke, and I accept your flattering judgment upon -_credit_, for I have not been tried yet, and I _may_ disappoint you." - -"Oh never, we all know how charming you are; don't we, Lady Tilney?" - -"Yes, duke, you know we all bow to your judgment in every thing, -and I am sure we shall not begin to differ on _this_ point," she -replied, with an air of pique that was ill concealed under an affected -_bonhommie_. - -"We are not come here," said the Leinsengen, whispering to Lady -Tenderden, "to listen to all his _fadaises_; _c'est le radotage_ -dat we have been used to hear uttered by turns to every object of a -fresh _engouement_ for these last ten years." Then gliding up to Lady -Glenmore, she added, "I am quite charmed to see you _en des mains si -sures_, persons who vill give you such excellent advice; and now dat I -have rendered you _mes hommages_, I make _mes adieus_. Monsieur le duc, -I hope to see you at my next _levée_; Lady Glenmore of course; Lady -Tilney, _au revoir_." And then, when she reached the door, "_Ah ça_, -by de way, vill you, Lady Tenderden, go vid me to-night to _le théàtre -Français_?" - -"I should be delighted, but I am engaged to Lady Glenmore. Is not this -our evening?" turning to the latter. - -"Yes; but I beg you will not consider that binding." - -"Oh but I do, though, so _you must go with me_." - -"Of course," said the Comtesse Leinsengen contemptuously, "I am -extremely sorry, _mais il faut se consoler_;" and turning, she glided -away, but first whispered to Lady Tilney as she passed, "We shall have -nothing now but this tiresome _petite nouveauté_;" and she shrugged her -shoulders and departed. - -"What is the matter with the comtesse?" asked the Duke of Mercington; -"that _air d'imperatrice enragée_ does not at all become her." - -"No," replied Lady Glenmore, laughing, "I never knew any one that it -did." - -"Some persons," rejoined the duke, "some dark beauties, may look well -under the effect of a storm, though I confess I had always rather see -the lambent flame than the forked lightning;" and he looked his implied -admiration of Lady Glenmore. - -Lady Tilney did not know exactly what part to play in a scene where she -felt she was not the principal, although it is said there have been -times and seasons when she thought it politic to kiss _even the foot -of a person_ placed in a situation of imaginary greatness, and whose -favour she forgot herself so far as to court. She had come, however, -to Lady Glenmore with other views than either those of curiosity or -congratulation. Lady Tilney felt, that in the situation which Lady -Glenmore now held, she might with ease have led a party in society -independent of Lady Tilney or any of her coterie; and a fear that she -might take this step determined her on endeavouring, by counsel and an -assumption of directing how Lady Glenmore should conduct herself in her -station, to obtain in the first instance an influence over her, and -hold her in subserviency to her own wishes regarding society. She saw, -therefore, the Duke of Mercington and several others, who had come and -gone on the same errand, take their leave with satisfaction, and seized -the first moment when she was alone with Lady Glenmore to say: - -"Now, my dear Lady Glenmore, you, I am sure, will believe, that of all -who have paid their court to you on this happy event, there is no one -more sincere than myself: but I will go a step further than any other -of your friends, though perhaps I may be giving you offence; I would -counsel, I would advise you; for yours, my dear Lady Glenmore, you will -find to be a situation of some delicacy: there will be so many ready -to take offence if you do not do all they ask or expect of you; and -yet, you know, you must not _compromettez_ yourself, nor our society; -you must, in short, be discreet, and not _too good-humoured_. It will -require great tact to please those whom I am sure you wish to please, -and to give offence to none. Now Glenmore will be constantly engaged, -and you cannot expect him to give due attention to these _affaires de -société_. I really wish, that if ever you feel in any difficulty, you -would consider me as your friend, always ready to serve you; apply -to me, and I will give you my best advice: there are many, I know, -who will be ready to do the same thing by you, but beware of those in -whom you repose confidence. For instance, between ourselves, there is -the Comtesse Leinsengen, who is very charming, very clever, but not -sufficiently aware _how our_ society must be constituted, as indeed -no foreigners possibly can or ever will be, and not at all capable of -guiding intricate points connected with it: and then, you know, she is -_diplomate_ by nature and art; she will of course endeavour to win you -to an intimacy. At least, _c'est son metiér_. But again, I say, beware -of this, or you will compromise Lord Glenmore as well as yourself. -Against Lady Tenderden, too, though there is nobody I like better, you -must also be upon your guard; for she is not altogether to be trusted, -and she will betray your secrets from habit." - -Lady Glenmore, who had, hitherto, listened to this long harangue in -silence, and without showing any emotion, now looked a little surprised -at this last caution given by Lady Tilney, for she remembered the -opinion her husband had pronounced on Lady Tenderden; but still she -said nothing. The expression, however, which played in her countenance, -was not unobserved by Lady Tilney, as she added, "Oh, I know what _you_ -are thinking; Lady Tenderden _is_ a great favourite with Lord Glenmore; -but it's an old friendship, and now he is married, of course all that -will be on another footing." - -Lady Glenmore blushed, and felt the tears rising to her eyes, at the -renewal of an insinuation respecting her husband, which had once -before cost her much acute pain. Lady Tilney did not choose to observe -the effect which she saw her words had produced on the innocent Lady -Glenmore, and proceeded to object, in rotation, to every one whom she -thought might become powerful rivals in her influence over her. Then, -having proceeded to discuss every point political and influential -in society, and having persuaded Lady Glenmore to fix an early day -for a _cercle choisie_ at her house, and canvassed the pretensions of -the persons who were to be allowed to form it, she at length took her -departure, leaving Lady Glenmore perfectly overcome with the torrent of -eloquence and advice which she had so gratuitously given. - -While these empty insincerities, these crooked policies of polite life, -had been passing under Lady Glenmore's roof, and while Lord Albert -D'Esterre was busied in the graver but perhaps not less intricate and -deceptive details of _public_ affairs, the realities of whose endless -mazes he had that morning for the first time entered upon, Lady -Dunmelraise, in a far different scene, and on a far other occasion, was -preparing for one of the most painful tasks that duty demands of true -affection; that of probing the breast of a beloved object, with the -moral certainty of its being right so to do, in the hope of protecting -it from yet more cruel wounds. These are the heroisms of private life, -which pass unknown and unhonoured by the world, although they are -noted elsewhere, and are of frequent occurrence in the annals of daily -existence; and it was under the pressure of this painful determination -that Lady Dunmelraise passed a sleepless night, endeavouring to prepare -herself for to-morrow's duty. - -When she met her daughter at breakfast, her pale and altered -countenance half spoke the nature of her intended counsel before -she gave it utterance. Lady Adeline's own feelings were too much in -accordance with her mother's, for her not to read the cause of the -expression she saw painted on her face; and although she had forced -herself to leave her apartment, and to appear at the usual hour, and -even endeavoured to wear her own placid smile, in order not to give -Lady Dunmelraise unnecessary anxiety, still the very endeavour betrayed -the real state of her heart. The business of the breakfast passed -mechanically and in silence, with the exception of an interchange of -those few kindly monosyllables which convinced them mutually of the -participation each took in the other's anguish; and while Lady Adeline -was trying to suppress starting tears, Lady Dunmelraise determined to -break this cruel silence, and without preamble to come at once to the -subject. - -"My dearest Adeline, I need not tell you, love, that I feel with you -the sorrow and mortification of the occurrence of yesterday evening; -and it has come with double force on me, seeing the anguish it has -brought upon you. However much I may have been prepared for it by what -I have observed in Lord Albert's altered manner, yet I confess I am -surprised at the want of openness in his conduct, a want with which -I never should have thought he could have been charged. Love, it is -true, is easily directed into a new channel, unless religious principle -confirm it in its original course; but even where there is no sin, -according to the world's acceptation of sin in such change, still, from -the opinion I have hitherto entertained of his natural disposition, -I thought he would, with that ingenuousness of character for which I -have given him unbounded credit, have at least confessed the truth -openly; a line of conduct which, had he adopted, I am confident that, -however heavily the avowal might have fallen on your heart, there -would yet have remained a consolation in thinking that he was still -worthy of your esteem, and then an honest pride of the consciousness of -self-desert would have come in aid to sustain you to bear up against -desertion. I begin, however, to fear that esteem can have no part in -our sentiment towards him; for why should concealment be necessary, -if, at least, the cause of his estrangement from us were worthy of -himself?" Lady Adeline covered her face with her hands, as she rested -her arms on the table before her, and her tears trickled through her -delicate fingers, but she could not speak. "Calm yourself, my dearest -Adeline; for my sake, for your own sake, for resignation's sake, bear -up under this heavy affliction: it is a sore and early trial for you, I -well know; but if rightly entertained, it will bring its blessing with -it, as all our trials do. I do not mean to pretend that you are not to -suffer, or give a cold unfeeling philosophy to still the throbbings of -a young wounded heart; but I would lead you to sources of consolation, -which, although they may seem harsh and bitter at first, will in time, -and with God's blessing, have a beneficial effect." - -"I know," replied Lady Adeline, making an effort to speak, "I know, -dearest mamma, that all you say is meant in love, and is balm to me, -but these tears, these sobs, must have their course." - -Lady Dunmelraise replied to this natural appeal with answering tears; -and having first regained composure, she went on to say: - -"Think for a moment, my best child, how hopeless, how truly wretched, -would have been your situation, had you, when united to Lord Albert, -discovered, when it was too late, that his affections were not -entirely yours; and that he had, on his part, either from motives of -false delicacy, or, from what was still worse, a desire to possess your -fortune, persisted in fulfilling an engagement in which his heart at -best had a divided interest;--think, dearest, what would have been your -feelings in _such_ a case, and how mercifully you are dealt by in the -present suffering, in comparison of the irremediable sorrow which would -then have been your portion! - -"I need not now recall to your mind what I said on Lord Albert's -apparently altered state of feelings on our arrival in town. You, I am -certain, saw the change as well as myself, and felt it,--how deeply, -I hardly can bear to think; though we both seemed tacitly to agree, -that it would be better to await the result, than precipitate it by -any premature remarks, either to himself, or between each other. -And indeed this conduct, in a great measure, it is still my opinion -should be preserved; only, in as far as regards ourselves, my dearest -child, neither my sense of duty, nor my sense of sorrow, will permit -of longer silence on a subject which, I grieve to confess, judging by -appearances, is already settled; and it is with a view to prepare you -for such an issue, rather than to direct you to show any alteration -in your conduct towards Lord Albert, that I have thus spoken: when I -say show _no_ alteration, it is impossible that that advice could be -literally followed, after having seen a person avowedly under the most -sacred engagement to yourself pass the entire evening in the society -of another, whose general character will not authorize the supposition -that such attentions were without an especial object, and that too on a -day on which he had pleaded important business as his excuse for your -not seeing him; but what I mean by your showing no alteration of manner -towards him is, that neither our opinions nor our decisions should be -made known to him in this stage of the business." - -Lady Adeline had now mastered herself sufficiently to listen with -calmness to all her mother said; and she had drawn a seat near her, and -held Lady Dunmelraise's hand tenderly in hers, replying by a gentle -pressure to the sentiments she uttered: and now, when she could again -give her thoughts utterance, she said: - -"Speak on, dearest mamma, for even my rebel heart is soothed by -listening to your gentle voice." - -Lady Dunmelraise continued, "There are many reasons, you see, love, for -this line of conduct:-- - -"In the first place, we have only, my sweet child, our own observations -and surmises to guide us; and although these, I grant, are strong," -(Lady Adeline sighed heavily in answer to this remark) "yet to act upon -them would look like forcing Lord Albert to an immediate decision, -a step unwise, and unworthy of us, and whichever way it ended would -leave a doubt whether the decision were entirely from his heart or -not. Besides, as yet he may have erred, and perhaps become penitent; -if so, his own spontaneous confession alone could be a surety for -his sincerity. Then too, my love, I must also remind you, that by -nothing do a young woman's prospects suffer so much, on her first -entry into life, as by becoming the object of the world's observation -and idle talk, especially on the subject of a disappointment in love -or marriage. All that the generality of the world know at present, -concerning the existing engagement between yourself and Lord Albert, -is, that your dear father and his parents having considered that you -were by birth, fortune, and apparently by disposition when children, -united to each other; should you grow up, mutually entertaining the -same affection which you then evinced, that in such a case your union -would be a matter of congratulation to the families of both parties. -In short, it was one of those alliances that are often talked of -amongst children seemingly adapted to each other, but to be finally -dissolved or fulfilled, as circumstances should hereafter decide. - -"How far your own affections have become bound up in this engagement, -or how far Lord Albert has proved himself worthy or not of the intended -union, is hitherto a matter wholly unknown, and uncared for, by the -world at large: but now, however, that you are in the scene of London, -young, new, and with various extraneous advantages to excite envy, -if the affair were made a topic of discussion, the ill-natured part -of the community will be too glad to seize upon any _esclandre_ that -might answer them for a nine days' novelty; and such a hazard, your own -delicacy will point out to you, is therefore carefully to be avoided. -Till lately, the happy termination of our wishes had seemed probable, -and you, dearest child, have, I fear, given way to the belief that it -was impossible it should fail: but, however painful it may be to us -both, in the several relations in which we stand implicated in this -business, it is, you will allow, some satisfaction to think, that the -sacredness of these feelings will not necessarily be broken in upon by -a vulgar prying public; and that, in short, the world need know no -more of the matter than what I have already stated. - -"We have only, therefore, as I before remarked, to await the period -when decision must of course be made; that will be when we are in -the country, and when we shall escape all the unpleasant remarks -which would take place were we actually on the scene. Let me hope -also, dearest Adeline, that your eyes being self-opened to the -disappointment, you will know where to seek for succour against -yourself, and which alone can enable you to bear the blow, come when it -may." - -"Indeed, dearest mamma," said Lady Adeline, with that under tone of -voice that seems to fear its own sound, "whatever pain I endure, I -perfectly agree with you in all you have said, and implicitly yield to -your counsel; not only because it is my duty and interest to do so, but -because I see the matter exactly in the same light. Oh, I could have -borne all, had Albert only been more open and honest with me: but why -was he so cruel as to deceive me? why was he so tenderly affectionate -to me at Dunmelraise, after his return from abroad? why did he write to -me so kindly? why has he, since we have been in London even, made such -constant allusions to past and future happiness? Why all this, and -then so suddenly and cruelly neglect me for another? for I am sure he -does love another; mamma, do you not think he does?" - -"Alas! what comfort can I give you? You have seen with your own eyes, -and I must refer you, love, to your own feelings; who can so well tell -all things as they?" - -"But, dearest mamma, do you not think, that if he really did love -another he would have told me so?" - -"Why, dearest, it is difficult to reply to that question. Albert's good -feelings and principles could not be overthrown at once. It is never -thus. In a vicious career, people become unprincipled and hardened by -degrees. He may have found his heart estranged from you, and yet in the -first instance have been ashamed to own it, even to himself. The first -step to evil is the _deceitfulness_ of sin: with how many subterfuges -does it not conceal its true nature: it blinds the eyes, lest, looking -upon its native deformity, it should terrify its victim. There is -nothing so likely to have this fatal tendency, as the constant society -and intercourse with persons whose conduct, if not licentious (though I -fear too many of them deserve that epithet), is yet not guided by any -fixed or determined principle of action; whose lives at best are spent -from day to day without any serious thought, and without regard to any -thing but selfish indulgence. Albert has great influence, and there may -be more reasons than one why the party with whom he seems at present to -associate should wish to entangle him. I augured ill of his happiness -from the moment I heard of the circle in which he lived; and it came -to me with as much surprise as sorrow, for I never could have thought -to find one of his dispositions and habits (setting aside principle) -making such a choice of society. This it is which leads me to suppose -that some stronger power of evil than a mere love of idle pleasure has -lured him into the danger. But let this be your greatest comfort, that -you are not his wife, and are not to be thrown among persons of such -a stamp as his present associates; for whatever worldly advantages -they may possess, I should tremble for you, my dear child, were you -cast into a situation of such imminent peril to reason and to virtue. -A woman, to a certain extent, must mingle with the associates of her -husband; and such as these are, so in time must become, likewise, her -own character: for however incongruous they may be to her tastes and -feelings at first, yet if she is young, inexperienced, and pliant, the -brilliancy and polish of their exterior, and their whole attractions, -must dazzle and mislead her better judgment; and from the idea alone of -pleasing her husband, in as far as virtue and religion do not seem to -forbid it, she will conform herself to the habits and manners of those -around her, not being aware how these re-act again upon the general -tone of her own character." - -"But perhaps," said Lady Adeline timidly, and while a feverish flush of -hope and tenderness deepened in her cheek, "perhaps, were I his wife, I -might reclaim----." - -"Ah, dearest child," interrupted Lady Dunmelraise, "never hazard -evil that good may come of it; never rely upon such a precarious -contingency, nor upon your own strength; seek not temptation,--that is -presumptuous. Were you indeed his wife--as there is every reason at -present to be thankful you are not--then would have come the duty of -_that_ trial; but now another is appointed you, my love. Let us take -what is, and think only of that. We must not wilfully rush into danger, -to indulge selfish gratification." - -Lady Adeline threw herself into her mother's arms, and wept -unrestrainedly. "My dearest child, it has been a painful task to me to -give you pain. Soothe this anguish, I beseech you, and assist me in -the performance of what I feel is my duty, by regaining as much command -over yourself as you possibly can." - -While Lady Dunmelraise was yet speaking, a servant brought in a note -addressed to Lady Dunmelraise: it was from Lord Albert. She opened, -and having read it, gave it to Lady Adeline, who had known by its -very twist who it came from, and was in breathless anxiety to see its -contents. - -"It is worded kindly," said Lady Dunmelraise, "but he could not do -otherwise; and at the same time, I dare say, he felt much awkwardness, -and did not know how to come in person. I shall answer it, my love, in -the same spirit of gentleness; merely saying you are quite recovered, -only suffering the remains of languor after the sickness produced by -the heat of the Opera last night. And if Lord Albert should call in the -course of the day, do, I entreat you, betray no unusual symptoms of -agitation." - -Lady Adeline, with an aching head and still sobbing breath, promised -acquiescence; and in despite of herself, a ray of hope seemed to -emanate from the note, which cheered her, she scarce knew why, and -enabled her to suppress her emotion. Then retiring to her own chamber, -she there sought in prayer that strength and resignation which she knew -no earthly comforter could bestow on her. - -After the exhaustion of spirits which this conversation with her -daughter had produced, Lady Dunmelraise felt the promised visit of -her sister would be a cordial to her; nor did she wait long ere Lady -Delamere came. As soon as the latter was made acquainted with what had -passed, she said, "Dear Adeline! I expected this from her; yet her -behaviour is super-eminently amiable on this occasion, and must reward -you for all your sorrows. I perfectly agree with you on the policy of -the line of conduct you are to adopt with Lord Albert; and in pursuance -of this, should you not call upon the Tresyllians? You know they are -arrived." - -"Certainly I will; for although my health has for many years precluded -my mixing with the world, and exonerated me from all visiting, I shall -forego my general rule, and call on them without delay." - -"Come with me now," said Lady Delamere; "my carriage is at the door, -and I will bring you home again." To this proposal the sisters agreed, -and they departed together. The Tresyllians were not at home, and -Lady Dunmelraise felt glad to escape the meeting. On her return, she -learnt from Adeline, whom she found admirably serene and composed, -though pale, and with her eyes swollen with weeping, that Lord Albert -had not been there. The fact was, that the latter had been in reality -occupied the whole day; and it was only on his return to his house, -late in the afternoon, that he received Lady Dunmelraise's answer to -his note, his mind having been as it were forcibly taken off from -the subject nearest to his heart. He had profited by that wholesome -constraint which the occupations of men afford them, and prevents that -musing of the tenderer feelings which enervates and unfits for useful -exertion. Something like reason, and the distinct perception of things -which it never fails to bring in its train, had consequently resumed a -sway over him; and, when this was the case, his heart could not avoid -turning to the object of its first pure and honourable affection with -that ineffable sweetness of sensation that attends on innocent and -happy love. Then, half forgetting, half scorning, the suspicions he -had entertained, and which the scene of the preceding evening had but -too plausibly confirmed, he determined to call in South Audley-street -to see Lady Dunmelraise at least, if not Adeline; and as he walked -along, absorbed in mingled feelings that made him insensible to all the -noise and bustle of the busy crowd he passed through, he found himself -quickly at the door: his hand was on the knocker, when a cabriolet -drove up, and out of it stepped Mr. Foley. - -All Lord Albert's philosophy was overthrown by this incident; all -his love for and trust in Lady Adeline was destroyed; and his first -impulse was to leave a house in which he conceived he had no longer any -interest in seeking its inhabitants. But, the next moment, his better -judgment, if not his pride in not seeming to yield to a successful -rival, determined him to fulfil his first intention; and making rather -a cold and haughty return to Mr. Foley's salutation, they both entered -the door together. - - - - -CHAPTER III. - -THE FRENCH PLAY. - - -It was late when Lady Glenmore returned from Lady Melcombe's; and as -she drove home she pleased herself with the idea of talking over with -her husband the insipid and insignificant scene of the morning, as well -as losing in his society the recollection of those uneasy feelings -respecting Lady Tenderden, which Lady Tilney's allusion to past times -had created: and then glowed in her breast the one natural, honest -hope, which was ever uppermost in Lady Glenmore's heart, of meeting her -husband for the simple, single pleasure she enjoyed of _being in his -presence_. - -"Is Lord Glenmore come home?" was her first question when she alighted -from her carriage: the "No" was chilling. - -"Did he leave any message? has he sent any note?" Still "No, no," -sounded heavily in her ears. She prepared, however, for his return, -by taking more pains with her toilette than usual; and when she had -finished arraying herself, not according to the code of the _Belle -Assemblée_ or _Feuilles des Modes_, but in accordance with that of her -own young innocent face, her glass told her she had not done so in -vain. She then sat for some time with tolerable patience, first taking -up one book, then another, then throwing them down again; going to the -instrument, touching a few chords; turning over the ornamented leaves -of a Lilliputian music-book, invisibly written with a crow-quill; -pushing it away, leaving it to tumble down off the desk as it might, -and going to the window, the shutters of which she had not allowed the -servant to close, in order that she might listen to every cabriolet -that passed. At length she rang the bell, and was told that it was -eight o'clock. - -"Is there no message from Lord Glenmore?" "No, my lady. Shall dinner be -served?" "No--yes--no--yes; bring up something, any thing is enough;" -and away she went to her splendid board in her splendid apartment, with -a train of liveried domestics, to sit down to a lonely dinner with an -aching heart. She hastily dismissed the servants, and then leaning back -on her chair, and suffering the tears that were choking her to flow -over her face-- - -"I wish we were poor, and he not political," she said, sobbing; "I -should not then be left alone, I should not be absent from him." A -servant entered with a note. She endeavoured to conceal her tears, and, -hastily opening it, read a few kind words from Lord Glenmore, which -spoke his regret at being prevented from meeting her at dinner; and -hoping she would go early to the French play with Lady Tenderden, where -he would join them if possible. The ebb and flow of young feelings -are very quick; and this note was such a cordial, that, as she ran up -stairs, she carolled in the gaiety of her altered feelings: so soon had -she forgot disappointment in anticipated pleasure. - -In a few minutes more she was in her carriage on the way to the French -play. When she came into the box, she found it empty, and the play -begun. Lady Tenderden was not arrived; and by the time she had cast a -glance round the house, bowed to some of her acquaintance, and settled -her shawls, &c., she turned all her attention to the stage. It was a -play which had collected a class of audience seldom frequenting that -house; for it was one of those sterling comedies of Molière's, apart -from his too frequent grossness, which, with the true legitimate -intention of comedy, lashed the follies of the age for which it -was written, and was not without its prototype in the present. _Les -Précieuses Ridicules_ is a play that all unsophisticated natures must -enjoy, even those who, as in the case of Lady Glenmore, were not -acquainted with the times and the persons it was written to satirize; -and she herself evinced the pleasure she derived from it, by laughing -naturally and frequently. Her merry laugh called the observation of -several persons, not accustomed to see pain, or pleasure, or amusement, -ever expressed by any outward sign, and who attributed to the -uneducated only such marks of unconstrained nature; but others, again, -(some few), were pleased at any thing so unlike what they generally -beheld; and it conveyed to _them_ a reflected sensation of freshness of -enjoyment, such as they remembered to have felt when life was new, and -before they were schooled by the false fastidious system of the world -of ton, or _blazéd_ to the zest of pleasure. - -"What a pity," observed Lord Baskerville, speaking between his teeth, -in his company voice, "that that very pretty Lady Glenmore should make -herself so conspicuous."--He was in the Comtesse Leinsengen's box, -within one of that in which Lady Glenmore was sitting. - -"Not at all," replied Mr. Spencer Newcombe; "she only draws attention; -and one cannot look at a prettier woman." - -"_Peut-être_," said the Comtesse Leinsengen, "she does it for dat very -purpose, and takes dis new way of being _distingué_." - -"Insufferable!" rejoined Lord Baskerville; "if she were as beautiful as -an angel, she would disgust me with those _roturière_ manners." - -"I believe," said Mr. Leslie Winyard with a yawn, "that I must really -take compassion on her, and give her some good advice on the subject of -education." - -"_L'affaire est faite_," rejoined the comtesse, "if you take her -_en main; mais tout est pour le mieux dans ce meilleur des mondes -possibles_." - -Having thus settled the matter in Lady Tilney's box, Mr. Leslie Winyard -proceeded to that of Lady Glenmore, there to commence his destined -essay on education. "I am delighted," he said, "to see you in such good -health, and so intent on immortalizing Molière. If he could only know -what homage you are paying his talents in these expressions of your -mirth, how delighted he would be!" - -"Hush," said Lady Glenmore, "I will talk presently; but now I want to -listen to the play--it is so amusing." - -"So it is," he replied; "and I am glad to be with any one so natural, -and so much of my own way of thinking. I will, if you allow me, occupy -this place," taking the front seat, "and we will enjoy the thing -together." - -"Certainly," said Lady Glenmore, with a pleased expression of -countenance, which, though he knew better than to ascribe its influence -to himself, he was yet gratified to think that others might do so; -and while she continued intent on what was passing on the stage, Mr. -Winyard was busily looking round, _à-la-derobée_, to see what remarks -were passing on his being alone with the new minister's wife. This, -however, was a privilege which he did not long enjoy; for Lord Raynham -and Mr. Spencer Newcombe came in to make their bows and give their meed -of homage. After having courteously received them, Lady Glenmore turned -again to the stage, and they went on talking in an under tone together -at the back of the box. - -"I wish," said Lord Raynham, addressing Mr. Spencer Newcombe, "I wish -that we had any dramatist as clever now-a-days to lash our follies." - -"Do you think you would like it if you had?" asked his friend. -"Somehow or another, for my own part, I feel I get on just as well -without, and I suspect I am too old to be whipped. Depend upon it, -the reason why we are so well amused with this and some of the other -comedies of Molière is, because we think we are only laughing at -another generation, and another nation, whose _ridicules_ have nothing -in common with our own. No, no; believe me, we English do not like to -be satirized; we can bear it less well than any other nation I know. -Broad farce is our _sauce piquant_; but the exact delineation of our -peculiar vices and follies would not be well received, and indeed I -doubt if legitimate comedy, however well acted or written, would go -down at all." - -"My good friend," said Lord Raynham, "this very piece is not so widely -different from the follies of the present day as you may at first sight -imagine." - -"Perhaps so," replied his friend; "but one need not put on the cap, you -know; and then nobody can tell whether it fits or not." - -Lord Raynham continued (following the thread of his own fancy, rather -than replying to the speaker, as was his wont), "Change the names and -the modes of _Les Précieuses Ridicules_ to those of a certain set -existing now-a-days, and the principle of vanity and folly is much the -same in both; only that, perhaps, on the whole, those of the Hôtel de -Rambouillet were more to women's advantage after all; and had they -not pushed their system too far, it might have lasted longer than the -present dynasty of _ton_ is likely to do. Both are entirely false, both -equally far from the real, nay, genuine charm of true good society. - -"However, in all the freaks that vanity and fashion play, there have -been, and ever will be, some redeeming characters, who mix with all the -_fanfaronnade_ of the day, and yet remain uninfected with the epidemic -follies. She, for instance," indicating Lady Glenmore with a look; "can -any thing be more young and fresh, in mind and heart as well as years, -more gay, more natural?" - -"Certainly not; and it is quite invigorating to witness her -unsophisticated manners, and the genuine entertainment she derives from -that which she is come professedly to be diverted by; but then the -more's the pity, for it will not last long thus." - -"Do not forebode evil," replied Lord Raynham, who was in one of his -best _couleur de rose_ humours; "remember there were, and are, among -the _précieuses ridicules, depuis tout les temps, des Mesdames de -Sevigné et de Connel_, and I forget all their names, who retained -their own innocent individuality, and their natural grace of mind, amid -the most decided affectation and the most ridiculous pretensions." - -"Yes, but they were exceptions to general rules; and I do not augur so -well of that one," still meaning Lady Glenmore, "under the care of that -_Alcoviste_," alluding to Mr. Leslie Winyard. - -"Is not that Lady Tilney sitting alone in her box?" asked Lord Raynham: -"I must go make my obeisance, as in duty bound, or I may chance to -be discarded; and as we have no Molière to overturn our Hôtel de -Rambouillet[1], we had better keep its door open to us." - -[Footnote 1: Vide Molière's Preface to Les Précieuses Ridicules.] - -"Agreed," said Mr. Spencer Newcombe; and, bowing to Lady Glenmore, -they departed, leaving Mr. Leslie Winyard tenaciously keeping his -conspicuous place, with cane at lip, and glove in hand, and eyes -that were gathering the observations passed upon him with lynx-like -sharpness, while they seemed half closed in listless or consequential -apathy. In a few minutes after, the curtain dropped. - -"Oh!" said Lady Glenmore, "I am so sorry it is over! I do not know when -I have been so amused." - -"I, too, am sorry it is over; but _amused_ is not exactly the -explanation I should give of the _cause of my regret_;" and he -endeavoured that his eyes should explain what he _did_ mean. - -"No!" said Lady Glenmore with perfect _naiveté_; "then perhaps you have -seen the play often before, and have been looking at the company, not -at the stage?" - -"Did you ever play at the game called Magical Music?" asked Mr. Leslie -Winyard; "and if so, and that I were the performer on the instrument, I -should now touch it _forte fortissime_, for you are very near guessing -the truth." - -"I do not understand you," said Lady Glenmore, still unconscious of -his drift, and her attention caught by some one who was entering, and -causing a considerable stir. She hoped it was Lord Glenmore, which made -her ask suddenly what o'clock it was. "I am sure," she added, "it must -be very late, and I fear Lady Tenderden is not coming; and Glenmore, -too, said he would come; but I begin to be afraid they _neither_ of -them will;" and her countenance changed, and another spirit than that -of girlish amusement took possession of her, and she became silent, -overcast, and disquieted. - -"Were they to come _together_?" asked Mr. Leslie Winyard, insidiously -laying a peculiar emphasis on the last word. - -"Oh no!--that is to say, not that I know of. Lady Tenderden did not -tell me so." Mr. Leslie Winyard half smiled, and then, as if checking -himself, he rejoined carelessly, "Oh! you know these diplomatists are -the most slippery fellows imaginable; that is their trade: they are so -taken up with the affairs of the nation, they forget all other affairs. -But it _is_ odd that Lady Tenderden also should have forgotten her -engagement to you." - -Lady Glenmore made no reply, but she became more and more uneasy: her -colour went and came "like colours o'er the morning skies." She looked -anxiously around, and started at every step that seemed to pass the -door of her box, but yet, remembering certain lessons she had received, -she contrived to keep under her uneasiness. - -"Is there any thing I can do?" said Mr. Leslie Winyard, with an air of -interest and concern. "I am afraid you are not well. Would you like -to go home? I dare say my carriage is at the door, if yours is not -arrived, and that you would do me the honour to accept it." - -"Oh no!" she replied; "I am equally obliged to you, but I shall await -the end of the performance." - -Mr. Leslie Winyard now thought it was necessary to use all his art, -to draw off her attention from the subject that engrossed it, and, if -possible, fix it on himself. - -"I am not apt," he said, "to be often in good-humour with myself; in -truth, I have not much reason; but I am half inclined to suppose there -must be some redeeming clause in my composition, for I have frequently -observed that, after an hour or two of this sort of thing, you grow -restless and weary, and I declare I always feel the same. I plume -myself mightily in having discovered this similarity between us." - -"Pardon me, you are quite mistaken. I am often exceedingly well -diverted in public; and when Lord Glenmore is with me," and she -blushed, as if she had said something she ought not, "I am generally -well pleased to stay late, for I am never sleepy." - -Mr. Leslie Winyard thought that it was more troublesome to counteract -nature by art, than overcome art itself by art, as he replied, - -"Oh! certainly, I understand that; but what I meant to say was, that -it is not these scenes which afford one any real happiness; it is -the society of a few friends, a selection of persons who suit each -other, and who like the same things, and who are occupied in the -same interests. For instance, how very much more enchanting it is to -be singing a duet with you, than sitting at an opera, hearing the -artificial execution of those who sing by profession! for surely the -true intention of music is, that it should express our own feelings, -and transport us into a sort of half-beatific state, such as that -expressed by your '_Sempre più t'amo_.'" - -All this sentimental jargon, so different from the real nature of the -speaker, was accompanied by those glances of admiration which spoke a -much plainer language than even his words; but though the innocent Lady -Glenmore was as yet unaware of their tendency, and did not see through -the artificial refinement which Mr. Leslie Winyard thought it worth his -while to assume, in order to induce her to listen to him at all, there -was, nevertheless, a secret sense of genuine purity in her heart, which -made her dislike the license of his gaze; and she answered, fixing -her eyes on him with all the composure of perfect innocence, "It is -very delightful to me to go to the Opera; and the perfect finish of -the singing of professional people teaches me to improve my own. I am -much obliged to you for the compliment; but I assure you, if you only -heard me sing with my master, you would acknowledge that it is quite a -different thing from what it is when I sing with you, for I was always -afraid of putting you out, and that spoiled the little power I have." - -This speech certainly did _put him out_, and in his heart Mr. Leslie -Winyard cursed what he called her _niaiserie_; but he determined -that, sooner or later, he would be revenged. Concealing, however, his -mortification, he replied, "You were too good to consider me in any -way; but I am sure nothing that you could do would ever give me a -feeling of displeasure, whatever it might do of regret." He modified -the expression of his eyes as well as that of his words, and entered -with her into a long comparison of the charms of Paris and London in -their respective societies and manners, which engaged her attention; -and she listened with great complacency for some time, during which -he had continued to move his chair nearer and nearer her own, and to -appear to the public to be deeply engaged in the most interesting -conversation, while, at the same time, he succeeded in allaying any -discomfort she might have felt at his own too-marked admiration, -previously shown, by turning her attention into a totally different -channel, and determining to reserve a more open avowal of his -sentiments for a more favourable and distant period, when suddenly the -box door opened. Lady Glenmore started forward with an exclamation of -surprise and pleasure, supposing it to be her husband; but in this she -was mistaken, for Lady Tenderden entered alone. - -"I beg your pardon, my _dear ladi_, for being so late," said the -latter; "but you know how impossible it is to get away in any time -from a dinner party"--[the _impossibilities_ of a fine lady are to be -understood with certain modifications and meanings which do not belong -to the literal signification of the word]--"and I regret being detained -on all accounts;" Lady Tenderden went on to say, "first, because I have -lost your society; then, for the sake of de play, which of all things I -wanted to have seen: but you have been amused, I hope?" - -"Oh, exceedingly!" replied Lady Glenmore; and then her countenance -was overcast again at her husband's absence, and she sighed heavily, -so that Lady Tenderden hardly knew what to think, and for a moment -began to suppose that she had arrived inopportunely, and disturbed -a _tête-à-tête_; but then, again, remembering the character of Lady -Glenmore, she only turned to Mr. Leslie Winyard, and whispered, in -allusion to a circumstance connected with the _Précieuses Ridicules_, -"I am sure _you_ have been well entertained, although you have -only been studying _la carte du tendre_." Lady Glenmore was too -much absorbed in her disappointment, to pay any attention to their -conversation; and when she roused herself from her reverie, she longed -to ask Lady Tenderden if she knew any thing of the House, and whether -it had broken up or not; but she feared to incur her ridicule. Other -men came into the box to pay their court to Lady Tenderden; and Mr. -Leslie Winyard contrived, in the general move that took place, to -secure the chair immediately behind Lady Glenmore's, and endeavoured to -regain her ear; but her mind was quite abstracted, and herself totally -uninterested in all that was passing; so he leant back in his chair, -and affected to be absent also, that he might appear to others to be -occupied sympathetically with herself. - -At length Lady Glenmore could restrain her inquietude no longer; and -turning suddenly round, she said, "I wonder what can detain Lord -Glenmore! he promised to join me here." The different persons looked -at each other and smiled significantly; some in pity, some in derision, -all in contempt. - -"Oh you know, my dear," replied Lady Tenderden, "dese conjugal -appointments are _sensé_ to be broken; dey are de pie-crusts of life." -Every body laughed, and poor Lady Glenmore coloured, as she felt a sort -of indignation rise in her heart against the whole scene and the actors -therein. - -"But make yourself quite easy," Lady Tenderden added in a sort of -childish voice, "dere is no danger for Lord Glenmore; I will be -answerable for his safety." - -Mr. Leslie Winyard affected to feel for Lady Glenmore, and to -disapprove of this joke; and turning to her, he said in his most -_doucereux_ tone, "You may depend upon it, a very long debate has taken -place, and engages Lord Glenmore's absence from hence _necessarily_. It -was always expected that the House would sit very late to-night: what -else could keep him away from _you_?" he whispered, with an expression -that was intended should soothe her; and it did soothe her, and she -felt grateful, and rewarded him by one of her sweetest smiles, saying, - -"I conclude you are right." It was not long, however, before Lord -Boileau came into the box. - -"Boileau, are you come from the House?" said Mr. Leslie Winyard. - -"No," he replied; "the House was adjourned very early on account of the -ex-minister's illness, whose explanation was looked for." - -Lady Glenmore heard this circumstance with a beating heart; and looking -reproachfully at Mr. Leslie Winyard, she said, "You see you were -mistaken; why did you deceive me?" - -He affected, for a moment, to be overcome with disappointment and -chagrin, and then said in a low voice, "Oh, be not uneasy; there are so -many things may have detained a man in his station. Why do you suffer -yourself to be thus wretched? Would to Heaven he knew! If he did but -know, surely, surely he would be here. But how people mistake their own -happiness! Were I in his place--" - -"You would be where he is," said Lady Glenmore with composure. - -"Doubtless," rejoined Mr. Leslie Winyard with great presence of mind, -"for we cannot change natures with any one; nor indeed do we ever wish -it." And then he relapsed into silence. - -Although Lady Glenmore felt piqued and mortified at her husband's -having broken his promise to her, she could not bear that any one else -should cast the least blame upon him; and she dismissed her chagrin, -and forced herself to talk gaily, as though her heart was light. - -Mr. Leslie Winyard, apparently yielding to an irresistible impulse of -admiration, once, and once only, whispered to her, "Admirable creature! -it is only I that see through this disguise, and honour you for the -sacrifice you are making of your feelings, considering the motives by -which you are actuated." - -She turned this speech off as a joke; but there was something in it -which, though it pained, yet pleased her. How difficult it is for the -purest natures not to lean to self-approbation when it comes in the -soft breath of praise! Nevertheless, the minutes seemed hours to her -till the curtain dropped, and she arose quickly to depart. - -"Where are you going, _ma chère dame_?" said Lady Tenderden. -"Positively you must come with me. I have a _petit soupèr_ on purpose -for you; and as Lord Glenmore knows of old that it is my custom to have -this always after de play, having been prevented from joining us here, -he will not fail to come to my house, and we shall find him waiting for -us." - -"Do you really think so?" asked Lady Glenmore hesitatingly. - -"Yes, to be sure I do; at all events, you can but come and try; it -will be always time enough to go home afterwards." These persuasions, -adroitly pressed, won upon Lady Glenmore's easy credulity, and -she suffered herself to be handed down stairs, and got into Lady -Tenderden's carriage. - -"You look quite divinely to-night," said Lady Tenderden to her as they -drove along--"positively _ravissante; vous ferez fureur, je l'avois -toujours prédit_. Even when you had dat horrible English _modiste_ to -dress you, you were always lovely; but now--now that you have de _vraie -tournure_, and dat _le coupe de vos cheveux_, and de plait of your -petticoat, is _d'après le dernier goût_, depend upon it, all de hearts -will fly to you." - -Lady Glenmore laughed outright, it might be a little maliciously; for -she knew that no scissors, however classical in the estimation of her -companion, had touched the luxuriance of her beautiful hair, or any -body but her old English maid fashioned her petticoat; but she enjoyed -the mistake, and only thought, "This it is to be a minister's wife!" - -When arrived at Lady Tenderden's house, every thing was prepared for -the reception of the _petit soupèr_, that is to say, about twenty -people of the _élite_; and the rooms were lit only to that precise -degree of brilliancy which is best expressed by a _jour tendre_; but -there was _no Lord Glenmore_. - -Some of the gentlemen loitered round the instrument, touching the -notes, and humming some fashionable airs. "Apropos," said Lady -Tenderden, "nobody sings like Lady Glenmore, and Mr. Leslie Winyard -will accompany her in a duet." - -"Pardon me," said the latter, "I sing so ill, I should only _put Lady -Glenmore out_," and he looked at her significantly; "besides, joking -apart, I have such a cold, it is impossible I could utter a sound. But -perhaps Lady Glenmore may be prevailed upon to favour us with an air, -which will come doubly recommended when not marred by such an ignoramus -as myself. Here are all sorts of beautiful things lying about;" and -he turned over the music. "Not only all the modern, but all the -half-antiquated compositions. Above all, here is my old admiration; and -it has this advantage over many of its cotemporaries, it has _echappé -belle_, and is not hackneyed, for this cogent reason, that hardly any -body _can_ sing it. I mean Haydn's _Ariana à Naxos_." - -"Oh, charming!" echoed one or two _real_ amateurs; "do, Lady Glenmore, -do let us prevail with you to grant us the favour." - -"Come," joined Lady Tenderden's voice with the rest, "I am sure you -will not have ended before _Teseo_ will have arrived." Lady Glenmore -_was_ prevailed on to comply; and though she began unwillingly, it -was a composition so much in unison with her actual feelings, that -unconsciously she became identified with its expression; and she -sang with such impassioned tenderness, and looked so much the Ariana -that she sang, that all the men were in unfeigned raptures, and Lady -Tenderden sat biting her lips in despite for having pressed her to -the trial of her skill. Once or twice Lady Glenmore paused when there -was a change in the movement, and half rose, saying, "This is too -long, you will be tired;"--but she permitted a _douce_ violence, and, -reseating herself, finished the whole _scena_. However delightful her -performance, and however delighted her audience might be, the odour of -the delicate viands that now awaited them made a powerful diversion -in favour of the latter; and with _empressement_, while murmurs of -applause were still on the lips of many of her auditors, they hastened -to arrange themselves at the table. - -The Comtesse Leinsengen, who was of course of the party, observed to -Lord Baskerville, as he placed himself by her, "I am quite glad to put -de taste of dat horrid dull _Teseo_ out of my mouth. How people can -be so _baroque_ as to choose such long old-fashioned things, good for -nothing but your German professors!" - -Lady Tenderden said, "_Avouez, moi milor, qu'une romance ou barcarolle -vaut bien mieux_." - -"After all," said Lady Baskerville, "music is a good thing, but supper -is a better." And now came the general clatter of tongues and knives -and forks, sweeter than all the harmony of the spheres. - -"I have made a vow," said Mr. Leslie Winyard to Lady Glenmore; "guess -what it is." - -"No, tell me; for I never guessed any thing in my life." - -"Why, never again to sing with you, even should you deign to ask me, -for I am quite convinced of the truth of your hint, that I only mar the -perfection of your song; and besides, the true way to feel _with you_, -is to see _you feel_, unoccupied by any thought of one's own." Then, -as if he avoided dwelling on the theme of his admiration, he talked -gaily, and glanced at various topics with that agreeable lightness -of manner which scarcely touches what it lights on, and alternately -made her laugh and nearly cry, till her spirits got into that state of -excitement which obscures reason, and leaves the mind in some degree -open to impressions that, at soberer and more reflective times, it -would cast off as not analogous to its healthful state. - -It was at a very late hour that this party broke up. Day was breaking, -and with its clear pale light shaming their orgies, before Lady -Glenmore was actually on her way down stairs to depart; but suddenly -the morning was overcast with one of those thunder-storms not unusual -at the season, and torrents of rain burst from the clouds. A heavy -thunder-clap, that made the very houses rattle again, broke over the -spot where she stood: for an instant she paused, appalled, while the -company were rushing up and down past her, and snatching their various -coverings, to shield them as they flew to their carriages. - -"You are not afraid?" said Mr. Leslie Winyard, gently pressing the arm -that rested upon his. - -"No, not afraid," she answered; but her countenance was very serious, -and something seemed to reproach her for being in such a scene at such -an hour without any natural protector. She moved on, however, to her -carriage: it was the last at the door. "How do you go home?" she said -to Mr. Leslie Winyard. - -"Oh! any how," he answered; and he looked around. "I see my people have -thought it wise to avoid the storm, and left me to take care of myself." - -"Can I not set you down?" she asked, from an innocent impulse of -good-nature; and again a still louder clap of thunder rebounded over -their heads, and it was with difficulty the coachman held his horses, -as they reared and plunged violently. - -"If you will be so very gracious," he answered, stepping in after her; -and at the same time the carriage door was shut, the footman leaped up -behind, and off the horses flew to ---- street. - -"I am quite shocked," he said, "to take you out of your way; but really -I think it was not quite safe, with these young horses, to let you -go home alone, and unattended by any protector, in the midst of this -terrific storm." - -"Oh! as to that, I am sure Lord Glenmore would never let me have horses -that were not to be depended upon." - -"Will that tiresome name," thought Mr. Leslie Winyard, "never be out -of her mouth;" while he replied at the same time, "Doubtless he would -have _that_ care; for who would not be happy to have such a precious -charge as your safety delegated to him?" - -"I am very tired," said Lady Glenmore, yawning; "I wonder what made me -stay so late; but I will never do so again." - -"I fear, indeed," he answered, "that this, to me, most fortunate moment -will never return, and that I may never again be able to feel that -I am of the least use to you." At length they arrived at Mr. Leslie -Winyard's door. He reiterated his thanks, took his leave, waited at the -threshold till he saw her carriage depart, and Lady Glenmore proceeded -home. - -No sooner was Lady Glenmore alone, than she began to reflect on the -unsatisfactory way in which she had passed the night. She felt sorry -that she had been prevailed upon to go to the supper, or, having gone, -that she had staid so long; and, last of all, she regretted having set -Mr. Leslie Winyard down in her carriage. With these excited feverish -feelings, she arrived at her own door. - -As soon as she began to undress, she learnt from her maid that Lord -Glenmore had come home early, had waited till one o'clock for her -ladyship, and then gone to bed. "Dear, how provoking!" she said, -tearing off the ornaments she wore; "what could possess me to remain -out so late! How sorry I am!" and all the while she was demurring -in her own mind whether she should tell her husband that she had -set down Mr. Leslie Winyard, or pass the affair over in silence. -"He may be angry; and I meant no harm; and I cannot bear to see him -displeased. Why should I tell him? a thing, in fact, of such common -occurrence, and, in itself, so perfectly innocent." Thus, instead of -going to peaceful rest, did a feverish inquietude take possession of -her mind; for the first step of a married woman from the high road of -unquestioned purity is doing any thing, however trivial in itself, -of which, having done it, she feels she would _rather not_ tell her -husband. - - - - -CHAPTER IV. - -CROSS PURPOSES. - - -As Lord Albert ascended to the drawing-room, followed by Mr. George -Foley, whom he had so inopportunely met at Lady Dunmelraise's door, -he felt his heart beat quick within his breast (notwithstanding the -chilling reserve with which a cold indignation steeled it), on the -sudden return of those jealous suspicions which blazed forth afresh -on finding the object of them on the very threshold of Lady Adeline's -presence at the same moment with himself. - -Lord Albert was uncertain whether he should see Lady Adeline, or only -be admitted to Lady Dunmelraise. The former, however, had so far -regained an outward composure, that she had determined, should Lord -Albert call, to get over the pain of their first interview, and drink -the very dregs of her mortification at once. "I cannot suffer more," -she said, "under any circumstances; and in the strength of this anguish -I may be better able to endure, and receive it with becoming dignity, -than at an after-time, when my treacherous heart may again yield to -delusive hopes." - -Lady Adeline's mind, however, during the few hours which had elapsed -since Lady Dunmelraise had spoken to her, had profited by her mother's -kind and salutary counsel, and had, besides, found strength, in that -true spirit of resignation which bows to every event, with a perfect -conviction that every thing which concerns us is under the guidance of -a merciful Power who directs all things for our ultimate happiness; and -she acknowledged, with a feeling even of thankfulness, that, painful as -the trial was, it might have been far more painful, under circumstances -which must have rendered it of a deeper and more irremediable nature. -But after all that poor _human_ nature can do, the sense of sorrow for -a time overpowers all others; and when Lady Adeline heard Lord Albert's -well-known step, she would have fled his presence in despite of all her -previous resolves, had she not felt rooted to the spot. - -It was a relief, therefore, to her, when he was announced, to see Mr. -Foley enter with him. Lady Dunmelraise was not in the room; and it was -perhaps as well that Adeline had no conscious witness of what was -passing in her breast at the moment, as it enabled her to bear herself -with more apparent ease of manner, than if any person acquainted with -her heart's secret had beheld the meeting. She received Lord Albert's -extended hand, but there was a mutual and chilling coldness in the -touch, too unlike the feeling which usually accompanied the action, for -them not both to be aware of the difference of this from any former -greetings; and each ascribed to the other the cause of this sad change. - -Lord Albert was looking pale and harassed, but he was perfectly -calm, and inquired, with that steady voice which a sense of deep -injury conveys at the moment, after Lady Adeline's health, while he -expressed his concern at the indisposition under which she seemed to -have suffered so much the preceding evening. Her reply was short (for -she did not dare to trust herself with any allusion to the cause of -her illness), and she thanked him in as natural a manner as she could -assume; but her lip was blanched and quivered, and a tear was almost -glistening in her eye. To any one who knew what was really passing in -her heart, she would have appeared to have been saying to herself, "Is -it possible this is Albert? my Albert?" But turning the conversation -to some indifferent subject, she addressed herself with a semblance -of vivacity to Mr. Foley; that false vivacity to which the suffering -heart, when taking refuge from the moment's pressure, resorts, in order -to conceal its true feelings. Unfortunately Lord Albert was himself -too much blinded by his own at the time, to see through the specious -disguise she assumed; and with the perversity of jealous love, he put a -false construction on her every word and whole demeanour, and thought -he beheld in both the full confirmation of his suspicions. - -Under this false view, Lord Albert turned with visible indignation -away, as if to avoid the pain which Lady Adeline's behaviour inspired; -and he seemed to be intently admiring the pictures which hung on the -walls, and which he knew by heart: but as his eye wandered over them, -in fact, unconsciously, it rested on a portrait of himself,--the same -which, when awaiting Lady Adeline's arrival in London with such lively -impatience, he had then missed from its usual station. How a trifling -circumstance has power to double pain or pleasure, when it comes thus -laden with past and present allusion to the interests of the heart! The -idea at that time of its being her companion was joy to his spirit. -With what very different feelings did he regard it _now_! The whole of -his late hopes seemed to him a mockery, and his heart sickened at the -thought as he again turned from the contemplation and threw himself -into a chair. - -There was a soul-searching glance of tender reproach in the look which -he cast upon Lady Adeline. She coloured deeply, and was so intensely -affected, that it was with difficulty she could support herself. Had -there been no witness of their emotion, that moment would have brought -them to a mutual conviction of their true sentiments for each other; -but as it was, Lady Adeline strove to hide her feelings by turning -her countenance away from him, and talking with more earnestness in -a low, quick voice to Mr. Foley. Lord Albert rose, paced the room -hurriedly, and was on the point of rushing away, when at that moment -Lady Dunmelraise entered the apartment. At sight of her Lord Albert -recovered his self-possession. He approached Lady Dunmelraise with -composure, though with rather more of formal dignity in his manner -than he was accustomed to show towards one whom he knew so well, and -whom he had so long considered almost as a mother. There was a similar -restraint on her part; and to his measured expressions of regret on -the subject of Lady Adeline's sudden illness the preceding evening, she -replied coldly and briefly, and then passed on to indifferent subjects, -in which all present took their share. Lord Albert, however, rarely -addressed himself to Lady Adeline or Mr. Foley, but seemed pointedly to -confine his conversation to Lady Dunmelraise; while Lady Adeline, on -her part, fearing to lift her eyes to him, or trust her voice with the -most trivial expression immediately directed to him, continued to talk -to Mr. Foley, though in so unconnected and absent a manner, that could -he have overheard what she said, something like the truth must have -been forced upon his mind. - -After remaining a short half hour, which appeared to the parties most -interested like half a century, Lady Dunmelraise, wishing to act on -the principle she had explained to her daughter, of showing no very -marked difference towards Lord Albert, said, "Adeline will not venture -out this evening for fear of a return of her headache. Perhaps, Lord -Albert, if you are not engaged, you will dine and pass a quiet evening -with us?" It is difficult to say how far Lord Albert, whose heart was -ever alive to the slightest kindness, would have rejoiced to accept -this offer, and grasp at the cherished idea that his society was still -wished for, had not Lady Dunmelraise, in the same breath, turned to Mr. -Foley, saying; - -"George, will you not be of the party, and dine here too?" There was -a momentary cloud passed over Lord Albert's brow, and Mr. Foley had -accepted the invitation before he could reply. At length, after a -painful pause, Lord Albert said; - -"I should be happy, Lady Dunmelraise," and he spoke rather pointedly, -"to avail myself of the wish you have expressed to see me, but your -invitation reminds me that I have neglected to announce an event with -which, perhaps, you are already acquainted, but which I conceive our -intimacy demanded that I should make known to you myself, and which -I came here this day for the express purpose of doing, or I should -not have obtruded myself while I thought Lady Adeline's indisposition -would probably have prevented you from receiving _any one_;" and he -looked reproachfully at her as he said this. Lady Dunmelraise could not -suppress a movement of astonishment. Adeline stopped for want of breath -in her conversation with Mr. Foley, not knowing to what announcement -Lord Albert alluded; and there was but one thought present to her -fancy, one subject superseding all others in her mind; but she -endeavoured to still her extreme agitation by saying to herself, "He -never could have the refinement of cruelty to break off our engagement -so publicly in the presence of an indifferent person." She awaited, -nevertheless, in a state of terror that almost deprived her of a sense -of hearing, what he would next say. - -After a considerable pause, or one which seemed such to her, Lord -Albert spoke. - -"I do not know whether you care about politics, Lady Dunmelraise?" At -this word, politics, Adeline took courage. - -"No," said Lady Dunmelraise, at once relieved and recovered from her -surprise, for she also had thought his preface strangely portentous; -"no, I do not," she said: "they are not a woman's province, except in -as far as regards the interests of those dear to her. But what of them?" - -"Why only that changes have taken place, and----." - -"Oh yes," interrupted Lady Dunmelraise, as an increasing expression -of sunshine broke over her countenance, "I have heard that various -changes in the cabinet were intended, and that some of my friends were -to be advantaged by the move." - -"It is in confirmation of these reports that I came to inform you. -I now myself fill a place in the administration: not that it can be -of any consequence," he added, with some pique, and his lip trembled -as he spoke; "but as you used kindly to express an interest in me in -former times, I have thought it my duty that you should not learn this -circumstance from any other than myself." - -"Oh, my dear Lord Albert!" replied Lady Dunmelraise, "I am always happy -to hear of any event which you deem conducive to your happiness: I -hope that this, together with every future step in your life, will be -so likewise; and I very sincerely give you joy of having obtained this -object of your wishes. Adeline," turning to her daughter, "you too must -express your congratulations to Lord Albert." This was almost too much -for Lady Adeline's full heart, but without venturing to look directly -at him, she said; - -"Oh, I always do, mamma, wish him happy in every way." Lady Dunmelraise -was aware of her daughter's emotion, and endeavoured to relieve her by -addressing Lord Albert herself. - -"These arrangements will not, however, I hope, prevent our seeing you -at dinner to-day: you are not already so involved in the affairs of the -nation as not to be able to spend a few hours with your friends?" Lady -Adeline listened with the impatience of sickening hope for his reply; -in vain trying to soothe herself with the idea, that were he once more -as much in their society as he used to be, he would love them as dearly -as ever. - -"I am grieved," he said, in answer to Lady Dunmelraise, "that it is -quite out of my power, for I must be at the House almost immediately: a -lengthened debate is expected on the subject of the late changes, and -it is necessary I should be in my place." - -"We are equally sorry with yourself, dear Lord Albert! but we hope -another time to be more fortunate." Another pause ensued. Lady -Adeline's spirits again sank, but she continued her painful effort -to rally, by talking more than ever to Mr. Foley; and Lord Albert, -fancying that his presence was as irksome to her, as remaining longer -was painful to himself, immediately took his leave, and left the house -mortified, miserable, and out of humour with himself and the whole -world. He had really stated the fact, in pleading public business as -the cause of his declining Lady Dunmelraise's invitation; and he -had hardly time to reach the House before the commencement of the -debate. On arriving there, and soon after he had taken his seat, it -was announced that the member was seriously indisposed who had been -expected to give one of those explanations which (such is the low ebb -of character among British statesmen of the present day) every one who -has held part in the government of the country has latterly thought it -necessary to make in vindication of his public conduct. The question -was consequently put off; and the House, after some business of little -importance, and moving for new writs for those members who had accepted -situations under government, adjourned at an early hour. - -Lord Albert found himself thus relieved from the tie which had -prevented his accepting Lady Dunmelraise's invitation; but it was -no longer a question with him, as it would have been under other -circumstances, of returning to South Audley-street, and stating what -had occurred to set him at liberty, and requesting to avail himself of -the opportunity to receive the pleasure of dining there. This would -have been the act of a healthful mind, but under the mental disease -which now tormented him, he turned with scorn from the idea; for he -saw every thing in a distorted point of view, and ascribed to Lady -Dunmelraise and her daughter the unworthy design of intending to -provoke him to a relinquishment of his engagement with the latter, -either because they did not choose to break with him themselves, or -because they were not, perhaps, yet sure of Mr. Foley's intentions. -Nothing but jealousy could have raised such a suspicion, so unworthy -of them and of himself, respecting persons so long known, so much and -justly esteemed, so clearly loved: but what chimera is too monstrous -not to be born of that fiend which had taken possession of him? Under -this species of aberration, for it can be called by no milder name, he -threw himself on his horse, rode off, careless whither he went, and -found himself in the park. - -All the _élite_ of _ton_ were congregated around Kensington Gardens, -and amongst the carriages waiting, he observed Lady Hamlet Vernon's. -In the turbulence of his emotions, and in the press of business during -the morning, he now recollected that he had forgotten to tell her of -his official situation, although he felt that from her at least he -would meet with a sincere and lively participation in the satisfaction -he experienced at the success of his opening career in the political -world. But his heart was not satisfied; and, suffering under his fatal -delusion, he needed the balm of kindness, and turned to her for its -bestowal. Giving his horse, therefore, to his servant, he went into the -Gardens with the intention of finding her. They met as she was on the -point of leaving the party she was walking with, and returning to her -carriage. He accosted her with a sort of interest in his manner which -could not fail of being agreeable to her, and they continued walking -and conversing earnestly on the subject which he briefly communicated -to her. - -So earnestly, indeed, did they discuss the matter, that they found -themselves at length almost the only persons in the Gardens, and were -reminded only, by this circumstance, of the lateness of the hour. Lady -Hamlet Vernon, astonished, looked at her watch, and finding it past -seven o'clock, said she must hasten home, as she had invited persons -to dine with her, and pressed Lord Albert to join the party. This he -promised to do; and he felt a kind of false pleasure in thinking he -should, at least, be in the society of those who really valued him; for -there was a sting of pique and mortification at his heart, which Lady -Hamlet Vernon's conversation had not diminished, and which made him -gladly seek refuge out of himself for consolation. After the dinner, -the party broke up to go to Almack's, and Lord Albert D'Esterre, -_desœuvré_ and dissatisfied, was easily persuaded to accompany -Lady Hamlet Vernon. On entering the room, the first person whom he -recognised was Lady Delamere and her daughters. He bowed to them, and -he thought they returned his bow coldly. This circumstance did not -escape the observation of Lady Hamlet Vernon, and she talked of the -Delameres in a way which, though quite untrue, Lord Albert was at the -moment too much in a temper to listen to. - -"I often wonder," she said, "if all the uninteresting persons were -ejected from society, how few would be left. But I believe, if this -were the case, the evil would only assume another shape; for an -assembly like this, if all were perfect, would be the dullest thing in -the world: it is the mixture which affords us amusement." - -"Besides," rejoined Lord Albert, "_le monde est plein de fous, et qui -n'en veut pas voir doit demeurer tout seul, et cassèr son miroir_." - -Lady Hamlet Vernon did not quite like the possible application of the -adage; but she endeavoured to turn the spleen which she saw was the -feeling of the moment with him into the channel best adapted to her -views. "It is not fools," she continued, "that I find so much fault -with, as dull and insipid people. There is Lady Delamere, again, -for instance, who is one of your good mammas walking about with her -chickens, all so measured and so _mime_, that one is sure a happy -erratum could never occur in their life or conversation. There is no -hope that they will ever change, for they are 'content to dwell in -decencies for ever.' Their very loves and hatreds are measured out by -the square rule of fit and proper; and if the friend they liked best -made any deviation from what they deemed the proper course, they would -discard such an one from their favour. This I hold to be cold-hearted -and selfish policy, sheltering itself under the mask of virtue; for -the fact is, that half that class of people build their power upon a -pretence to superiority in moral excellence, not for its own sake, I am -certain, but for the sake of obtaining the favour of general opinion, -which their slender means of _agréments_ (they have sense enough to -know) would never give them." - -"Do you mean, then, to say, that all superiority of purity in conduct -or character springs from such false and ignoble sources? That, dear -Lady Hamlet, you know is impossible; for the same fountain cannot -send forth sweet waters and bitter." Lady Hamlet Vernon felt that Lord -Albert was not in a mood to pass lightly over any thing that was said -on serious subjects, and quickly corrected herself, adding; - -"Far be it from me to think that there are not _some_ natures genuinely -pure and noble. _Mais ne vous en déplaise._ I cannot endow that _bonne -pâte de femme_ with such brilliant investment. Lady Delamere, my dear -Lord D'Esterre, is, as you must know, the dullest, heaviest person I -ever conversed with; and allow me to tell you she can give herself -sufficient airs of consequence. Nevertheless, I have known several -instances in which she scrupled not to sacrifice persons that it suited -her to put down. _Au reste_, I make no doubt she has all those good -qualities which quizzes always teem with." - -"Really," said Lord D'Esterre, "you astonish me! I thought at least she -had been good-natured." - -"Your own good-nature does not allow you to see these things; you have -been used, you know, to consider all that party perfect; but"--Lord -Albert sighed deeply--"but you will find," continued Lady Hamlet -Vernon, fully aware of the meaning of that emotion which had escaped -him, and wishing to abstract his mind from the cause, by adverting -to mere general topics, "you will find that the world is made up of -classes. There are the Duchess D'Hermanton, Lady Borrowdaile, Lady -Aveling, form one class; Lady Melcombe and her people form another; -your friends the Misses D. another; and we, you know, form a class -totally apart." Lord Albert listened to this kind of conversation -sometimes with attention, sometimes abstractedly. His mind frequently -adverted to totally different subjects; but still he sat by Lady Hamlet -Vernon's side the whole evening, or walked with her about the rooms. - -In doing this, he was not aware of the occasion he gave for remark; -still less did he know that Lady Delamere had observed him in Lady -Hamlet Vernon's box the preceding evening, and that that very -circumstance had caused Lady Adeline's illness; for if he had guessed -this truth, different indeed would have been the result of his -morning's interview with her. His appearance again, on the present -evening, with Lady Hamlet Vernon, very naturally occasioned Lady -Delamere's altered manner; but he saw in her behaviour only the -confirmation of an intention, on the part of Lady Dunmelraise and -her daughter, and of the whole family, to break with him altogether. -Neither did it occur to him, so prepossessed was he with the idea -that Adeline was happier in Mr. Foley's society than in his own, that -his excuse for not dining with Lady Dunmelraise must now appear to -have been false, and framed expressly for the purpose of fulfilling -another engagement. How very different would have been his feelings, -could he have known the anguish he inflicted on her who still loved -him so truly; and the additional wounds she would receive, when the -circumstance of his seeming devotion to Lady Hamlet Vernon, during -the whole of that evening, with the aggravation attending it of his -supposed duplicity, should become known to her! - -The fact was, although he was perfectly unconscious of it, that Lord -Albert's attentions to Lady Hamlet Vernon began to be considered in the -light of a _liaison_ by the world; yet notwithstanding he was deemed -too wise to risk matrimony, yet that was the last thing cared for. In -society, arrangements which included _one_ now generally included the -other. The young men rejoiced in Lord Albert's being brought to their -own level, as they thought; and all who had any thing to hide in their -own conduct felt less afraid of his superiority, when they saw him on -the verge of an intrigue of the same nature as many of their own. - -When, at length, Lord Albert D'Esterre returned home, the hum of -voices, and the unmeaning admixture of dancing tunes, mingled together -in utter discordance, still sounded in his ears, and he felt provoked -at himself for having wasted many hours so unsatisfactorily. The -tension of the mind, under the action of such feelings as those which -agitated his breast, is never really relieved in similar scenes or by -similar means; and the false, feverish excitement produced by them, -when it passes off, leaves the sufferer a thousand times more low and -debilitated than before he had recourse to them. Lord Albert turned -every way but the right way to find peace; and when sleep did visit -him, it was not the balmy friend which comes to the pillow of an -approving conscience. - - - - -CHAPTER V. - -THE PRESENTATION AT COURT. - - -The day at length arrived, to which so many had looked forward with -lingering expectation, and which, to the young in general, was one -of delightful anticipation. Among these, however, there was one who, -though both young and beauteous, and likely, under other circumstances, -to have enjoyed the idea of coming out into the dazzling scene of the -world, remained unmoved by the general festivity, from a dread of the -trial which the scene would probably bring to her feelings. - -Lady Delamere had communicated to Lady Dunmelraise the circumstance -of her having seen Lord Albert D'Esterre the preceding evening at -Almack's, and of his being engrossed the whole time with Lady Hamlet -Vernon;--intelligence naturally productive of the most painful -conclusions, and which, of course, received considerable aggravation -in Lady Dunmelraise's mind from the excuses made by Lord Albert for -not dining in South Audley-street on that day. She however felt -that, although most painful, it was right to inform Adeline of this -fresh instance of Lord Albert's unfeeling conduct, in order that she -might, by so doing, lead her more and more to wean her affections from -a person so unworthy as he now appeared to be, and help to destroy -the remaining hopes which her daughter might otherwise retain of his -returning affection. - -Lady Adeline might well have thought that she had been prepared for the -worst, and imagined that her cup of sorrow was filled to the brim; but -at this additional circumstance she felt, that the human heart is never -so full of bitterness, but that there may be added some drops of gall. -Her usual serenity, however, did not wholly forsake her; but her first -impulse was to entreat her mother to spare her the trial of attending -the drawing-room. - -"I wish," she said, "to be suffered to gain strength in retirement, -and to seek for resignation, where you, my dearest mamma, have ever -taught me it can alone be found. Some day or other," though she did not -believe what she was saying, "some day or other, I dare say, I shall be -quite happy again; only _now_"----But at that moment the _quite happy_ -were words too much in contrast to the _quite wretched_ at her heart, -for her lips to be able to pronounce, and in a passion of tears her -feelings found relief. - -Lady Dunmelraise suffered them to flow unimpeded, and when she regained -composure, said, "My dearest child, I insist on nothing to which you -think yourself unable; but if you _can_ make the exertion, do so, for -my sake and your own. Reflect on the humbled feelings of your mother -and of yourself, if Lord Albert should ever know into what a depth of -sorrow and humiliation he has plunged us both." - -"Mamma, mamma, he must know that; for does he not know, has he not -seen, have I not shown him a thousand times how very dear he is to -me? and, after all, what should I be, if I were not humiliated by his -desertion?" - -"Most true, dearest, in heart; but there is a prudence and decorum to -be preserved in outward seeming; a respect due to ourselves, in not -displaying our feelings to the unfeeling world, who only trample upon -them with unheeding carelessness, and can never appreciate their depth -or value. I can well understand, my dear child, that you will be making -an heroic effort, by going into public under the present suffering -state of your heart; but I do ask of you to make that effort; for -I know, by experience, that there is much _real_ power gained over -ourselves by assuming its _appearance_." - -This conversation ended by Lady Adeline's promising to do every thing -her mother wished for her dear sake, whom she loved with more than -filial affection; and, having once given this promise, she determined -to fulfil it nobly. The satisfaction which follows any sacrifice of -selfish feelings to the wishes of those whom it is our duty to please -is never-failing, and, under every circumstance, affords a peace -which can never be obtained by their indulgence to the dereliction of -principle. - -But, notwithstanding all Lady Adeline's amiable qualities, and all the -estimable motives of her conduct, she could not avoid the natural pangs -of sorrow and anxiety, which she, in common with every human being, is -doomed to experience. Come they must in some shape or other to all; -happiest are those who entertain them wisely. The whole of that day, an -ebb and flow of dread and doubt passed over her in alternate tides of -hope or despondence;--of doubt, if Lord Albert would again call,--of -dread, lest, if he did call, she should betray herself to him; yet of -hope, that he might put this trial to the test,--and of despondence, -as the hours passed away and no Lord Albert appeared. - -Fortunately, before we are tired of sorrow, sorrow tires us, so that -wearied nature finds refuge in sleep despite of itself; and this was -the case of Lady Adeline, whose eyes, while yet full of tears, were -closed in slumber: but it is the wakening again which is the trial; -then we seem to have derived fresh power to suffer, and the sad vision -of grief is presented to us with renewed vitality. Such were Lady -Adeline's feelings when her maid brought to her bedside the attire and -the ornaments with which she was that day to be adorned, in order to -enter upon a scene of pleasure which to most young hearts is attended -with so many fascinations. - -"Take them all away, Mourtray," she said, "take them all away; it is -not time to dress yet." And when the time did come, how many painful -recollections marred every thought of pleasure! Should she see Lord -Albert in the crowd? was the first question she asked herself; and if -she did see him, how would he behave to her? how should she behave to -him? If he were unoccupied by any one at the moment, and apparently -disengaged from any interesting conversation, she thought she could -go through the scene; but if he were talking to one whose name was -now too well known to her, and too closely allied with the cause of -her misery, she feared that neither the time nor the place would be -sufficient restraints to sustain her under the trial. - -"Every body," she said, looking at herself in the glass, "every body -must read my story in my face. These red, red eyes, these swollen -lips!"--And then she started up from her seat and cried, "No, no, it -must not be thus! it is for my dearest mamma's sake I am going, and -for her sake I will master my emotion, I will endeavour to assume -the tranquillity which she recommends." Repeated immersion of her -face in cold water, and the being told that a short half hour only -remained to the time appointed by Lady Delamere for her to be at her -house, restored, in some degree, the beauty of her complexion and the -animation of her eyes; while the bustle of necessary haste imparted -that glow to her cheeks, which, though called forth by feverish and -fervid feelings, could still boast of being the delicate dye of the -rose. Her dress was in itself of the simplest and most unadorned -fashion; and when her jewels were presented to her by her attendant, -most of which had been gifts from Lord Albert, she laid them all aside, -and positively declined wearing any. The extreme luxuriance of her -light, crisped hair, braided and curled in many a graceful fold, was -her only decoration; except that, as she passed a myrtle (the gift of -Lord Albert also), she hastily plucked a branch of it, and placed it -with some care in her bosom. How deceitful is the human heart! and, -above all, how deceitful is the passion of love, which conceals itself -under a thousand disguises! The jewels were discarded, but the flower -was chosen; that flower, which, for its emblematic associations, was -ten times dearer to her, and spoke a softer language than the diamonds' -blaze or the rubies' dye. Thus while denying, she cherished, love! Oh, -woman, woman! you alone know the meaning of the word, its thousand -concealed tendernesses, its purity of essence, its endless springs of -increase! - -Lady Dunmelraise, when she took leave of her daughter, pressed her to -her heart, and as she blessed her with an honest pride, thought there -could not be a fairer, purer being, among the glittering throng. "Be of -good cheer," she said, "love, and sustain your own dignity." - -When Lady Adeline arrived at her aunt's house, she had to undergo the -gaze of the persons assembled to look at the dresses of those who were -going to court, whose remarks, as she passed, kept alive that flutter -of spirits which prevented her from indulging in softer feelings, and -on the present occasion was of infinite use to her. On beholding her -dress, her cousins exclaimed against the total absence of ornament or -jewels; but she said, it was of no consequence, nobody would look at -her; and when they all offered her various _aigrettes_ and necklaces, -she besought them not to insist on her wearing them. - -"I have plenty at home," she said; but added, with a melancholy smile, -"I have made a vow to wear none." Lady Delamere understood her, and -thought her own loveliness stood her in good stead of any extraneous -aid. At all events, she conceived it was cruel to press her further; -and as time admitted of no delay, they went to their carriage through -a line of persons drawn up on each side, all of whom bore testimony to -Lady Adeline's beauty. They went slowly along in the splendid equipage, -which, in the magnificence of old family state, attracted unusual -attention; till, coming to St. James's-street, they were obliged, -by the string of carriages, to continue moving on at a foot's pace. -And here again the gaping crowd made no inapt observations as the -glittering throng passed in array before them. - -One singular-looking, fat man actually followed the carriage a -considerable way, evidently in admiration of Lady Adeline; and observed -to the person near him, loudly enough for her to hear what he said, -"As for _she_, so plain-dressed like, she's the biggest beauty of 'em -all," pointing at her; "but she wears all her diamonds and pearls in -her eyes and mouth." The people around roared and laughed, apparently -in approbation, and even Adeline smiled and blushed. By the time they -arrived at the entry of Buckingham House, her cheeks were glowing, and -her eyes sparkling, with an excitement which was, she acknowledged to -herself, salutary at the time, though factitious and evanescent. The -brilliancy of the scene too, so new to her, was not without its effect. -The rich liveries of the attendants, the military, the truly British -grandeur of the yeomen of the guard, the blaze of beauty, of dress, and -of smiles, struck Adeline with admiration and momentary pleasure; and -in her own natural way, she said to one of her cousins, - -"This is a noble sight. I am glad I came. Mamma is always in the -right." But then in another moment she sighed; and remembering all -the circumstances that had so recently passed, the whole moving mass -of feathers, flowers, and jewels, became one undistinguishable -confusion, without power to charm or awaken her interest. But all -this while, she was borne along on the stream of the crowd; and she -heard, amid the buzz of voices, her own name, and then the observation -which followed it. Women always talk of the dress of those they wish -to _denigré_, and of course Adeline's was commented upon, and found -great fault with. "Quite improper, I declare!" said old Lady Honeyman -to her distorted daughters, whose features, under the influence of the -dancing St. Vitus, seemed to redouble their activity in honour of the -shaking brilliants with which they were covered; "I declare it is quite -improper to come to court as if one was in one's chemise! perfectly -shocking! quite indecent! Poor thing! had she nobody belonging to her -who could lend her a pair of earrings, at least?"--"What a beautiful -creature!" cried another voice; (a man's, of course) "did you ever see -any thing like the harmony of her features and the shape of her ear? it -is quite classical; and she has none of those horrid girandoles pendent -to it to spoil its form." - -"Who is she?" "who is she?" went round and round in audible whispers; -and the last speaker pressed onwards, somewhat careless of the -convenience of his neighbours, on purpose to get another view of her. - -"How people do squeeze!" said the enraged Lady Honeyman; "it is like -a bear-garden. Elfrida, my love, take care of your diamond cestus: -Lauretta, do not lose your ruby _aigrette_.--There, sir, there!--you -have torn my Brussels lace lappet all to pieces with the hilt of your -sword!"--And at this appeal the gentleman looked down on the little -yellow dwarf with infinite dismay and many apologies; and stopping to -disengage his sword from the ill-fated lappet, cast an evil eye upon -the black Lauretta, who assisted to disengage the lappet, wishing her -in the shrine of her namesake, where all her diamonds might receive -that homage which he was only endeavouring to pay to the unadorned -Adeline's genuine beauty. - -At length Lady Adeline and her party reached the room in which the -sovereign stood; and Lady Adeline found herself suddenly in an open -space, from whence the monarch, and those persons attached to his -household, could distinctly see every person separately who entered. -Lady Adeline felt awed, for she had imbibed a respectful attachment -to the person of her sovereign, and her young feelings were those of -enthusiastic loyalty. - -Lord Albert, who in his official situation had the private _entré_, -had not yet seen Lady Adeline, and at the moment she appeared in the -door-way, was talking to Prince Luttermanne; when the latter, with his -habitual admiration for every thing young and new, was so struck with -her appearance, that he broke off his conversation, saying, "Who is -that very extraordinarily beautiful girl now entering?" Lord Albert, -whose back was towards her, turned suddenly round, and, on beholding -her, was so overcome by a sudden revulsion of feeling, that he could -not directly reply. He hesitated, his countenance changed, his lip -quivered; and, after a considerable pause, he abruptly said, "Oh! -that is Adeline." Prince Luttermanne looked astonished, saying at the -same time, "Who the deuce is Adeline?" but Lord Albert had not waited -to answer any further inquiries. He moved away round the back of the -circle, to get a more distinct view of the object so unexpectedly -presented to him;--an object still dearer to his heart than any other -upon earth, and one whose presence, when, as thus, suddenly brought -before him, was never-failing in overturning all the sophistry of art, -and all the juggles and distortion of jealous passion. In the present -instance she stood before him as the personification of innocence and -truth. - -In the midst of splendour and of beauty, _her_ beauty shone forth -in its unadorned power, and in the freshness of its morning purity, -pre-eminently bright in perfect simplicity. She was not unconscious of -the admiration she excited; but that very consciousness added to her -charms: it deepened the roseate colour of her cheek, gave additional -lustre to the tremulous sparkle of her eye, and threw over her whole -air and person that veil of diffidence which imparts grace to every -movement and interest to every glance. Lord Albert gazed on her with -intense admiration. He thought of the time when he had looked forward -to the present epoch in Lady Adeline's existence, as to one in which he -should be a partaker in her triumph, and gather up the suffrages paid -to her beauty as though they were so many offerings bestowed to gratify -his own feelings and confirm the superiority of his own choice;--but, -as it was, how differently did he feel! - -She was now nothing to him, he was nothing to her; she cared not for -his approbation or his censure; she knew not whether he was to be -present at this her first _debut_ in the world, or not: and then, -again, a change came over his fluctuating feelings, and recalling to -mind the thousand instances in which she had proved her attachment to -him, the truth for a moment flashed before his fancy, and in despite -of all that had lately occurred, he believed himself dear to her. How -an enamoured imagination catches at trifles, and is the sport of hope -or fear! Lord Albert for a moment felt the full glow of tenderness and -trust float over his whole being, like a refreshing dew over a thirsty -land; and as he moved along, unheeding the gay crowd that flitted past -him, he sought only for the one object whom he desired to behold. He -now caught a glimpse of her, and then lost it again, obscured by some -feathered headdress, or some uninteresting intervening object; but, at -length, he reached a spot from whence he had a full view of her, as she -half knelt to kiss the sovereign's hand, and was raised again by the -most graceful action; and Lord Albert had the gratification of thinking -he saw an expression of gracious admiration in the sovereign, as he -turned to one of the lords in waiting, evidently making some remark on -Lady Adeline. - -But all this while Lord Albert failed in catching her eye; and he now -retraced his steps as hastily as the crowd would allow, in order to -reach the door by which Lady Adeline must necessarily go out. In this -attempt, however, he was disappointed, for such was the pressure and -hurry of the officers to prevent a crowd in the presence-chamber, -and Lady Adeline was so rapidly hurried on, that she was quickly lost -to Lord Albert's view by the intervening multitude. He had not even -the gratification of once catching her eye as she passed; for, added -to the celerity with which she was compelled to move on after her -presentation, she felt, as was natural to one so young, a degree of -mingled flurry and awe, which kept her eyes fixed on the ground. - -This, however, did not suggest itself to Lord Albert, and he questioned -himself to ascertain whether her apparent unconsciousness of his -presence was real or feigned. Notwithstanding this doubt, Lord Albert -continued his pursuit of her, and was so long unsuccessful, that he -began to think she must have left the Court. As he made his way with -difficulty through the crowd, he heard her name frequently mentioned, -and always accompanied with praises of her beauty. As expressions of -this kind fell on his ear, he could not forbear feeling that it was -profanation for any one to dare to speak of Lady Adeline but himself: -so unjust and so monopolizing is the spirit of jealous love. - -At length, Lord Albert, almost despairing of meeting with Lady Adeline -by moving about, determined to fix himself at the outward door of -the saloon, where he knew that she must pass in going away. Here he -resolved to await the departure of the whole crowd, and, at least, -ascertain the fact; but he had only taken this position a very short -time, when Lady Hamlet Vernon appeared on the stairs, and nodding to -Lord Albert as she descended into the great hall, approached, and -took the seat which of course he relinquished to her. However much -he had, of late, sought her society, and felt entangled by the spell -which she knew so well to cast over him, there existed, at the present -moment, a disposition to emancipate himself from the thraldom, and he -felt her presence to be an intrusion. In proportion as these feelings -increased, so did the restraint in his manner and conversation become -more evident; and Lady Hamlet Vernon was much too penetrating, not to -be aware that some strong interest directed his attention from her. - -He had remained some time in this embarrassed situation, which a -mutual consciousness rendered every moment more painful. Answering -Lady Hamlet Vernon's questions mechanically with his lips, while his -thoughts and eyes were wandering in quest of the only object he wished -to see, he suddenly beheld Lady Adeline, with Lady Delamere and her -cousins, at the bottom of the staircase, and was on the point of -abruptly leaving Lady Hamlet Vernon's side, and darting towards her, -when Lady Adeline's eyes were for a moment directed to him. A mutual -glance was interchanged, as brief as it was powerful, and he felt that -at least she had seen, had recognized him, and in that single glance -their souls had met and felt together; but her eyes quickly dropped, -she spoke hastily to Lady Delamere, and they mutually turned, as if to -re-ascend the staircase. This movement, however, although its intention -was evident, was so in contradiction with Lady Adeline's glance of -recognition, that it did not deter Lord Albert from ardently wishing to -speak to Lady Adeline; and he was hastening away, in despite of Lady -Hamlet Vernon's endeavours to arrest his attention, to join the former, -when a cry of "Throw open the window! water! she faints!" struck his -ear. The sound came from the opposite quarter in which he was going; -but when he perceived the bustle, and the crowd endeavouring to make -way for some person who was ill, and whom they were trying to bring -into a freer current of air, his first impulse was to stand aside -also, and lend his assistance for that purpose. In doing this, he soon -recognised the lady who had fainted to be Lady Glenmore, borne in the -arms of Mr. Leslie Winyard; and then, with renewed interest, as the -wife of his friend Lord Glenmore, he pressed forward, and succeeded -in making a passage to the window, the sash of which he threw up, and -partly aided in placing Lady Glenmore on a seat: he then hastened away -for water and restoratives. - -Every one was forward in tendering assistance to the minister's wife; -and whilst many officiously stood around her, others, of better -judgment and kinder intentions, went in search of Lord Glenmore. - -"What a lucky fellow!" cried Lord Boileau, one of the idlers who was -standing near; "what a lucky fellow that Leslie Winyard is, to have the -carrying of that beautiful creature in his arms!" - -"Oh! you know _c'est une affaire arrangé_," said Lord Gascoigne. "She -never speaks to any one else now." - -Lord Albert heard these remarks with indignation as he returned with -water, and could not help casting a look at the speakers, that they -well understood. - -"Upon my word," observed Lord Boileau, "that man is quite insufferable. -I thought he was improved since he lived amongst us; but I suppose he -looks forward to rival Leslie Winyard, and will not hear the lady's -fame called in question on account of any one but himself." - -"Bah!" replied Lord Gascoigne; "Lady Hamlet Vernon will never suffer -that." - -"Is that really as people say?" asked Lord Boileau. - -"Oh! quite settled long ago," answered Lord Gascoigne; "and as she is a -_maitresse femme_, she will not allow him to forsake her quietly." - -"How very beautiful, how very lovely she is, Boileau!" said Lord -Baskerville, approaching at that moment; "now that she can neither talk -nor laugh, she is quite charming--hem! I never knew before that she was -handsome--hem! She ought to do nothing but faint--hem!" - -"Yes," they both replied, "she is very lovely indeed." "I rather envy -Leslie Winyard," cried Lord Boileau: "that fellow has always been -lucky. But have you seen Lady Adeline Seymour, _la nouveauté du jour_? -Rather raw and unfledged yet, but she will be a very fine creature a -year or two hence." - -"Don't you know her story?" whispered Lord Baskerville, approaching his -mouth to the ear of Lord Boileau. - -"No--yes--I did hear something of it. She is going to be married, isn't -she?" - -"She _was_," rejoined Lord Baskerville, looking very wise; "but, a-hem! -that's all off now. I know all about it--hem! for _he_ is so involved, -hem! that marriage is impossible--hem! And really the poor girl has -_echappé belle_; for I never knew such a puritanical affected--hem! -I cannot conceive what the women see about him to endure him for a -moment--hem!" - -By this time the report of Lady Glenmore's having fainted spread -through the rooms, and there were assembled around her Lady Tilney, -Lady Ellersby, and the Comtesse Leinsengen. - -"I do not wonder you were overcome, my dear Lady Glenmore; it was -terribly hot," said Lady Tilney in her most coaxing manner. "These -vile drawing-rooms are quite enough to kill one. Such a heat, and such -a crowd of Heaven knows whom! And then to see whom, or what? for one -never sees the ostensible object for whom one comes here. If it were -not to oblige Lord Tilney, and because one must, I would never come to -such a horrid place again. My dear Lady Glenmore, you who have suffered -so much are, I am sure, out of all patience with the whole thing." - -Lady Glenmore, who had by this time quite recovered, and who was placed -very comfortably enjoying the fresh breeze that came to her unpolluted -by the heat and breath of the crowd, as she sat close by the window, -now resumed her accustomed smiling cheerfulness, and replied, - -"Not at all, Lady Tilney; I assure you I have been much amused, -and think it is a very splendid scene;--so much beauty, so much -magnificence, that I was quite provoked at myself for being overcome, -and unable to enjoy it; but I am perfectly well again _now_, and I hope -another time to be more used to it." - -"_Quelle niaiserie!_" whispered the Comtesse Leinsengen to Lord -Baskerville. "She ought to go back to her nursery." - -"Nothing is so tiresome," replied Lord Baskerville, "as low people who -are always diverted. They must be false or fools, a-hem! after their -first existence in the world--hem! _our_ world I mean--hem! As to me, -I don't care for any thing or any body, and am always bored to death -here, a-hem! ar'n't you?" - -"_C'est selon_," answered the comtesse in her most abrupt manner. - -"Don't you know," cried Lady De Chere, "that there are a certain number -of people who live upon getting up scenes all their life? they are -always either fainting, or crying, or haranguing." - -"It's very bad taste," rejoined Lord Baskerville, "at all events--hem!" -At this moment Lord Glenmore came up to his wife, betraying -considerable agitation, and inquiring tenderly of Lady Glenmore how -she felt, and speaking to her in a low voice of earnest solicitude; to -which she replied with answering affection.--Mr. Leslie Winyard moved -away, affecting more displeasure than he really felt. - -"What a fuss Glenmore is in! Vulgar!--hem! I cannot conceive," said -Lord Baskerville, "why people should display their conjugal felicities -to the world." - -"The old song, I think," observed Lord Raynham, who was passing by, and -overheard the remark, "gives good advice:-- - - 'Ne cherchez pas la quintessence; - Contentez-vous de l'apparence. - Qui veut trop voir, et trop savoir, - Trouve souvent plus qu'il ne pense.' - -"A polite inquiry, that did not enter into particulars, might perhaps -have suited better the interest of all parties, than that apparently -minute inspection of circumstances--eh! Baskerville?" with a sort of -sneering smile--"don't you agree with me?" - -"Certainly, hem! nothing is so mistaken, or argues such want of -knowledge of the world, as to be _affairé_ about any thing." - -"_To be_," observed the Comtesse Leinsengen, "is one ting, to _seem_ to -be is anoder: in dat lies de _savoir vivre_ or de no _savoir_. But did -I not hear my carriage was up?" - -"Yes, comtesse; allow me to have the honour;" and she accepted his -offered arm and departed. - -"D'Esterre," said Lord Glenmore, "I leave you to take care of Lady -Glenmore, whilst I go in quest of our carriage; your gallantry will, I -am sure, accept the charge." - -Lord Albert felt really flattered, and would at any other time have -been happy to have such a post assigned to him, had it not been that -he feared in consequence to lose seeing Lady Adeline. This thought -gave his countenance an anxious, serious air, which the men around -did not fail to comment upon. But Mr. Leslie Winyard could scarcely -conceal his ill-humour. The husband to cross him was bad enough, but -another man, and that man Lord Albert D'Esterre, whom of all others -he most disliked, was gall and bitterness to him. He approached Lady -Glenmore, however, casting a look of insolence towards Lord Albert; -but the serious, preoccupied demeanour of the latter prevented his even -observing the impertinence intended for him. - -Mr. Leslie Winyard now bent over Lady Glenmore, and whispered in her -ear. She listened with rather more complacency than Lord Albert seemed -to think was fitting, and she thanked Mr. Leslie Winyard for his care -with somewhat more of feeling than he thought the occasion merited; but -she spoke aloud, and seemed to avoid the whispered conversation which -the other affected to hold. - -Lord Albert, however, who was the last man in the world to play the -mean part of a spy over the actions of any one, felt his situation -sufficiently awkward; and considering that his every wish was on the -wing after Lady Adeline, it became every instant more painful. He -almost determined on leaving Lady Glenmore; but then he thought Lord -Glenmore would naturally feel hurt at his doing so. Whilst weighing -this matter with himself, Lord Glenmore returned, announcing the -carriage to be at hand. - -"D'Esterre, have the goodness to give your arm to Lady Glenmore on one -side, and I will take care of her on the other, and then we shall be -able, Georgina, to take you through the crowd without your suffering -any inconvenience." Mr. Leslie Winyard bit his lip with mortification, -and Lord Boileau said to him, with some degree of sarcasm, - -"Really, Winyard, I think you _are_ ill used; after your services, to -see another preferred before you." - -"Oh! _c'est la fortune de la guerre_," he replied, with an air of -_affected_ triumph; "but as for preference, _reste à savoir_." - -"Upon my word, Winyard's coolness is admirable," said Lord Gascoigne, -"and I would bet an even hundred that he is right. Georgina, as he -calls her, I dare say understands a thing or two by this time, and -knows how to hoodwink Glenmore." No sooner had Lord Albert handed Lady -Glenmore into her carriage, than he returned swiftly, with a faint, -sickening hope that he might not yet be too late to catch at least one -precious look more of Adeline; nor was he disappointed, for he met -her suddenly, standing near the door with her party. Addressing Lady -Delamere with an _empressement_ of manner, and an intonation of voice, -that spoke the temper of his soul, his eyes fixed upon Lady Adeline's, -he scarcely knew what it was he said to Lady Delamere, till the extreme -coldness of the latter, and her marked asperity of reply, checked the -flow of his feelings, and he remained mute and abashed, when the silver -sound of Lady Adeline's voice, inquiring for Lady Glenmore, re-animated -him. - -"The heat was overpowering," she observed, "and she could not be -surprised that any one had fainted; she herself had suffered from it." - -Lord Albert made some answer, expressive of concern for her; and gazing -at her with unrepressed tenderness, he remarked the myrtle sprig in her -breast; for it was associated in his mind with some recollections that -made it, in his estimation, an object of infinite interest. At that -instant it dropped on the ground. He stooped to recover it hastily; -and as he half tendered to restore it to her, said, "Its freshness -was surprising, considering the atmosphere it had been in for so many -hours; yet not so, neither," he added, "when I remember where it has -been placed: but it is not worthy of such felicity. Allow me to retain -it, for I, at least, can envy and appreciate its happy fate." A glow -of lustrous joy illumined Lady Adeline's countenance; and if before -the agitation of doubt and sorrow had shook her frame, an emotion not -less intense, though proceeding from feelings the very opposite, now -affected her. - - "Far as distress the soul can wound, - 'Tis pain in each degree: - 'Tis bliss but to a certain bound; - Beyond is agony." - -Her emotion could not escape Lord Albert's observation, nor could -he mistake its cause. With all the warmth of renewed and genuine -affection, he again whispered to her, - -"Adeline, will you be at home to-night if I come?" - -Before she could reply, Lady Delamere's carriage was called. She turned -rather abruptly to Lady Adeline, saying, "Adeline, come; the carriage -waits;" and at the same instant Mr. Foley, who had been in quest of it, -joined them, as though in much haste. - -"If you delay an instant, Lady Delamere," he said, "your carriage must -drive off, and then it is difficult to tell when you may get away." - -"Adeline," cried Lady Delamere, speaking authoritatively, "take Mr. -Foley's arm." And at the same time courtesying coldly to Lord Albert, -she showed him his attendance was not desired, and hurried after her -niece and daughters; for Lady Adeline, confused and agitated, had only -time to cast a look at Lord Albert, and was in a manner obliged to -suffer herself to be led away by Mr. Foley. - -Lord Albert stood for a moment like a statue: the sprig of myrtle, -however, was in his hand, or he might have fancied he had dreamed the -scene, so quickly had it passed. "What can this mean?" he said to -himself, lingering on the spot where Lady Adeline had parted from him, -quite unconscious of the crowd that passed by him in all directions. -But where is one more alone than in a crowd? His reverie, however, was -speedily broken in upon by hearing Lady Hamlet Vernon's name loudly -called; and the next instant, as she was passing, unattended, to go -out, she said to him: - -"Do, Lord Albert, be so obliging as to give me your arm." In common -courtesy he complied; but it was mechanically, and like the action of -one in a dream. "You had better let me set you down, Lord Albert, if -your carriage is not up, or you will never get away." An anxious wish -to leave a scene in which he had now no interest, induced him to avail -himself of the proposal. He leaped in after her, and they drove rapidly -away. He said something expressive of thanks to her, of the crowd, of -the heat, of Lady Glenmore; and this brought them to Cleveland-row, -when their progress was stopped, and the clatter of horses, and -the crash of carriages, and the screams of women, and the oaths of -servants, resounded in all directions. Lord Albert hastily looked out, -and saw Lady Delamere's equipage, which had been forced out of the -line among other carriages, and, in order to disentangle itself, was -backing so as to come immediately parallel with Lady Hamlet Vernon's. -He was grateful to think it was not in any present danger at least; -but in lowering the glass and looking out to see what had occasioned -the disturbance, he had forgotten and left the myrtle sprig on the -seat of the carriage, and did not remark, in reseating himself, that -Lady Hamlet Vernon had taken it up and was holding it in her hand, so -absorbed was he in anxiety for Lady Adeline's possible danger. - -Lady Delamere's carriage was by this time in contact with that of -Lady Hamlet Vernon's. Lord Albert was just about to put his head -again out of the window, to assure the former there was no danger, -when he saw Lady Adeline lean back suddenly in the carriage, and at -the same instant one of her cousins, as he thought, by her desire -quickly drew up the window, evidently to prevent all communication. -Lord Albert could not mistake this action. It perplexed and wholly -overthrew all his presence of mind; and under the painful pressure of -contending feelings he made some brief excuse to Lady Hamlet Vernon, of -endeavouring to see if the carriage could be extricated, and opening -the door he darted out, without any thought but that of yielding to the -impulse of his feelings, and proceeded home in a state of distraction. - - - - -CHAPTER VI. - -INTRIGUE. - - -As soon as Lord Albert was alone, and could recall his scattered -senses, he reviewed every look and every gesture of Lady Adeline; and -notwithstanding all that passed at the drawing-room and subsequently, -notwithstanding the marked coldness and disapprobation which her manner -had of late implied, he yet thought that her real feelings were not -those, at least, of indifference towards him; and he resolved to try -the issue of calling in South Audley-street that evening, as he had -proposed to her. - -For this purpose, he got away early from a ceremonious dinner which -he was obliged to attend, and which appeared to him to last longer -than any dinner had ever done before: and with his heart and head full -of Adeline, and of Adeline alone, he found himself once more in her -presence. Lady Delamere and her daughters, and one or two others, were -sitting around Lady Dunmelraise's couch, amusing her with accounts -of the drawing-room; but Lady Adeline was at the piano-forte, and -Mr. Foley sitting by her, with a certain indescribable air of being -established in his place by right. - -At one glance of his eye, Lord Albert took in the whole room on -entering, together with the relative position of its occupants; and -his feelings underwent a sudden and painful revulsion. He advanced, -however, towards Lady Dunmelraise, who extended her hand to him, but in -a way that he could not mistake; and her coldness struck an additional -chill to his heart. From Lady Delamere and her daughters he met no -kindlier greeting; and he determined at once to try if Adeline's heart -was equally shut against him. For this purpose he moved towards her; -and although she could not see him, her back being turned to that -part of the room from whence he came, yet she heard his approaching -footstep, and trembled in every nerve. - -Mr. Foley, who had followed Lady Hamlet Vernon's advice respecting his -own conduct, and who lost no opportunity in acting in conformity to -it, was now determined that he would not resign his seat or quit his -station near Lady Adeline. The latter, on her part, had been too much -agitated by her own feelings to see things in their true light; and -was glad of any person to talk to, in order to conceal her emotion. But -no artificial means were sufficiently powerful to still the beatings of -her heart; and when Lord Albert inquired after her health, saying, he -hoped she had not suffered from the morning's fatigue, she started at -the sound of his voice, although she expected to hear it, and made some -hurried reply, which he construed into a disdain of his inquiries. - -Lord Albert, wretched and astonished, stood mute; questioning within -himself if this could really be the same Adeline whom he had a -few hours ago seen with such a different expression in her whole -countenance and demeanour, as to make him doubt the evidence of his -senses. He would at once have broken through the mystery, could he -have obtained her ear for a moment; but the presence of Mr. Foley, -who pertinaciously, and, as it appeared to Lord Albert, in defiance -of him, kept his place, prevented all explanation. And then again -returned those false conclusions which arose from jealous doubt; and -he conceived that it would be unworthy of himself even to seek an -explanation from one whose evident preference of another appeared to -him so very decided. - -In this dark spirit of jealous indignation, he turned away, and -sank into gloomy silence. Could he have known what was passing in -Lady Adeline's breast, he would have acknowledged the justice of -her feelings; he would have seen that all which seemed coldness and -indifference was only the result of a proper sense of what she owed -herself; and that under that assumed demeanour lay hid the truest, -warmest love. Strange as it may appear on a slight review of the matter -(although it is the common infirmity of human nature never to see -its own defects), he was not aware of the effect which his constant -intercourse with Lady Hamlet Vernon produced on the minds of all those -who witnessed his intimacy with her; and, perhaps, as matters now -stood, even if he had been at one time inclined to own himself in the -wrong, the still greater dereliction from all truth and delicacy, which -he thought he discovered both in Lady Adeline and Lady Dunmelraise, -respecting their behaviour to him, completely exonerated him in his -opinion, and he lost all sense of the evil of his own conduct in -blaming theirs. - -Little did Lord Albert dream (indeed, in the excitement of greater -things, he had totally forgotten it) that the sprig of myrtle which -Lady Adeline had given him that morning, and which had been apparently -the medium of so much mutual tenderness, had been seen by her in Lady -Hamlet Vernon's hand, when their carriages were entangled in coming -from the drawing-room. It was this circumstance, combined with Lord -Albert's being again in assiduous attendance on one whom she was now -compelled to consider in the light of a rival, that had made Lady -Adeline draw up the glass at the moment Lord Albert was about to speak -to her, in order to escape witnessing so painful a truth. As she threw -herself back in the carriage, and reflected on the unworthiness of his -conduct, she became the victim of the most agonizing feelings; for what -is so painful as the conviction of unworthiness in the object of our -love? and it was this conviction which had effected the alteration in -her manner towards him, which he could not but observe from the first -moment of his entering the room. - -While she was actuated by these sentiments, Lord Albert, on his part, -writhed under the idea that Mr. Foley was his favoured rival, and that -he was only allowed to witness his triumph, in order that he might -be provoked to become the party who should break off the engagement -existing between him and Lady Adeline. But this he inwardly determined -should never be the case. He endeavoured, therefore, at the present -moment, to devour his chagrin, and force himself to converse on -indifferent topics; addressing himself, however, to Lady Dunmelraise, -rather than to Lady Adeline. Among others, he made allusion to the -_fête_ which was to take place at Avington Park the day after the -following, and expressed his regret that he had been unable to procure -the tickets which he had hoped to have presented to herself and Lady -Adeline; "a circumstance," he added, "which I consider very unfair, -since I was one of the original subscribers to this _fête_; but the -names of the parties to be inserted have been all chosen by ballot, and -my single voice alone did not prevail in obtaining the insertion of -those whom I wished to be on the list." - -This was really the fact, however extraordinary it may appear. Lord -Albert, with the other persons who formed the committee appointed -to give and arrange this _fête_, had paid five hundred guineas each -towards defraying the expense, but not one of them had the power of -inviting any individual apart from the consent of the whole body; and -as Lady Dunmelraise and her daughter were not of that circle which Lady -Tilney and her _coterie_ considered to be _ton_, Lord Albert's wishes -on this point, which were perfectly sincere, had been wholly unattended -to. Under the circumstances, however, in which he stood in the opinion -of all those who now heard him, the exclusiveness of this measure could -not be comprehended or believed, and, in short, passed for a mere -deception. - -His excuse, consequently, was received with great coldness by Lady -Dunmelraise, who only replied, "That, as to herself, her going was -quite out of the question; and as to her daughter," she added with -emphasis, "I dare say Adeline has no wish to be there." Here the -subject dropped; and Lord Albert, torn by a thousand contradictory -feelings, could no longer continue to play so painful a part as that -which he now saw devolved upon him. In this state of mind he quitted -Lady Dunmelraise's house, having bade her a cold adieu. Little did he -imagine it was for the last time. - -If Lord Albert had exercised the power of sober reason, if the sorrow -he felt had been free from all reproach of conscience, he would not -have feared to look into his own breast, and would have sought counsel -from that best adviser, his own mind, in the quiet of his chamber; "for -a man's mind is wont to tell him more than seven watchmen that sit -upon a high tower." But miserably he had suffered many entanglements -to embarrass his steps, and direct them from the straight-forward -path. The natural consequence of this was, that his mind had become a -chaos, in which he distinguished nothing clearly; and in the bitterest -moments of suffering, instead of coolly resorting to his understanding, -as he once would have done, he now always sought to elude reflection -by plunging into crowds. Whenever we dread to be left alone with our -own thoughts, we are in peril. This melancholy change in Lord Albert's -character was one which the alteration in his mode of life, and his -associates, had in a short period of time effected. - -Instead, therefore, of returning home when he left South Audley street, -Lord Albert drove to Lady Glenmore's, who was that night to receive the -_coterie_ of their peculiar circle for the first time at her own house. -There had been no little arrangement on Lady Tilney's part, as well -as on Lady Tenderden's, to give to Lady Glenmore's _soirée_ its full -effect in the annals of _ton_, by stamping it with that exclusive mark -of self-arrogated distinction, of which they considered themselves to -be the sum and seal. - -No pains had been spared by these ladies, therefore, to render this -assemblage of persons select, according to their acceptation of the -meaning of the word, and, _pour trancher le mot_, as they said, to -exclude every one not on their own private lists, with the limited -exception of those _diplomates_ and official persons whom Lord -Glenmore's ministerial situation obliged them to permit Lady Glenmore -to invite. - -At Glenmore House there was of course assembled, on the present -evening, the Tilneys, Leinsengens, Tenderdens, Boileaus, Gascoignes, De -Cheres, and the rest of the _élite_ who formed the _société choisie_ of -Lady Tilney; and as the latter looked around the apartments, and only -saw there those whom in fact _she_ had bidden, she was gratified with -this fresh accession of arbitrary power, and considered it no small -triumph thus to have set the seal of her supremacy over the yielding -Lady Glenmore, who might, under other circumstances, if she had not -been an ally, have proved a formidable enemy. As it was, Lady Tilney -expressed the sense of her satisfaction by a thousand _cajoleries_, -which one woman knows so well to practise upon another when it suits -her purpose. She praised Lady Glenmore's dress (that touchstone of -female friendship), although she could not help saying apart to Lady -Tenderden, that it was a pity Lady Glenmore still persisted in her -_baroque_ modes, which in fact were no modes at all, but contrivances -of her own. To herself, Lady Tilney however next observed, that Lady -Glenmore's choice of society was excellent, and that the manner in -which she had arranged her rooms was managed with infinite taste. - -These approving, encouraging speeches, from one so versed in the -knowledge of the world, and so much looked up to as the arbiter of the -elegancies of life, together with all the other incense of flattery -which was lavished upon Lady Glenmore on every side, could not fail of -taking some effect on her mind. Young, fair, unformed in character, -brought up by fond and indulgent parents, who thought she never could -err, and who had miserably neglected to implant those religious -principles in her breast which alone give stability to character, which -impart strength by making us aware of our own weakness, Lady Glenmore -was launched on a scene where dangers surrounded her in every shape, -and which she was wholly unprepared either to foresee or to sustain. -Gentle, amiable,--as yet pure, and unsuspicious of evil, from being -herself free from it,--she was a fitting subject to be moulded into any -shape by any evil-designing person that knew gradually to undermine -her innocence without alarming her fears. Lady Glenmore's situation in -the world, therefore, with a husband incessantly employed in public -duties, consequently often absent, while she was thrown in the midst of -a peculiar society, which became, from various circumstances, her only -sphere of action, was one of infinite temptation and peril. - -At first, as was seen, she mourned over the deprivation of her -husband's presence,--a husband whom she loved with child-like -tenderness; but time, _ton_, and necessity, soon softened down this -infantine regret, and merely at first as a solace for the pain she -endured in being absent from him, she entered on the routine of -dissipated pleasure which presented itself to her on all sides. No -wonder, then, that those worldly pursuits, which were at first resorted -to as palliatives for pain, became gradually habitual and necessary to -her; and it is the fatal but inevitable consequence of such a habit of -life, to unfit the capacity (even the best and most vigorous capacity) -for any higher or nobler aim. - -In the thoughtless vivacity of her age, alive to the zest of gaiety and -pleasure, her better qualities lay dormant; and in this Circean circle -her beauty and her youth were certain passports to general admiration, -independently of all the adventitious circumstances by which she was -environed. On the present occasion, when for the first time she opened -her house, she appeared the presiding spirit that gave life, animation, -and novelty even to the _blasé_ and hackneyed beings around her. -Had Lady Glenmore used, without abusing, the many advantages of her -brilliant station, she would not have been to blame, whatever may be -said by gloomy ascetics; nor would they have had power to lead her into -danger, had she possessed the stay and guide which a husband's constant -presence in society always affords. - -This, however, was not _her_ case; and the very nature of her ingenuous -and guileless disposition became, in her present circumstances, an -additional source of danger, since it rendered her the easy prey of the -experienced and practised in deception, by too many of whom she was -surrounded, and who, envious of that purity they affected to despise, -were restless agents in endeavouring to reduce it to their own corrupt -level. It was from some such motive as this, rather than from any -impulse of love or passion, that Mr. Leslie Winyard first paid Lady -Glenmore attention. He was clever, and knew well how to be prodigal of -assiduities to the one object of his pursuit, in contradistinction to -the contempt in which he apparently held all others. This flatters -the vanity of the individual to whom they are addressed, and proves a -ready passport to a woman's smiles, particularly when experiencing that -perfect _délaissement_ which is most felt in a crowd, where "there is -none to bless us, none whom we can bless." - -Under these circumstances Lady Glenmore first listened to Mr. Leslie -Winyard; and that advantage once gained, he had art enough to avail -himself of it as a step towards intimacy. In a very short space of -time, he so far succeeded as to raise at least a _bruit sourd_ of -his being _l'objet préféré_; an idea which at this period, could any -real friend of Lady Glenmore's have suggested to her, she would have -started from with indignation; but as it was, she continued laughing -and talking on the present occasion with Mr. Leslie Winyard. Had she -overheard the observations made upon her by various persons, more -particularly those of Lady De Chere and Lord Boileau, she might have -learned a lesson which she was destined to buy at a higher price. - -"Well, for a _debutante_," said Lord Boileau, "I think _la petite_ -Georgina has made considerable progress in her career. And how does -Glenmore take it?" - -"Oh!" replied Lady De Chere, "as every one does what they cannot help, -I suppose. Besides, doubtless, he has other things to think of, and -must feel glad to have escaped her childish fondness: it must have -been exceedingly tiresome; and, after all, the sooner a matrimonial -understanding is settled upon a right and proper footing, the better -for both parties." - -"Very true, Lady De Chere; and nobody settles those matters so well as -yourself; you are a model for all married ladies; so much _retenu_, so -much _bienséance_, and such a lady-like way of doing exactly what you -choose, and allowing De Chere to do the same. It is the only way for -married persons to be comfortable, or _comme il faut_." - -"I am glad you think so, for that has long ago been Lady Boileau's -opinion," replied Lady De Chere, with one of her most contumelious -smiles, and left Lord Boileau to the satisfaction of his reflections on -domestic happiness. - -"Pardon me," said Lord Baskerville, gently pulling him aside, and -conducting the Comtesse Leinsengen to the other apartment, "but -_en qualité de preux_, hem! I must be permitted to say, _Place aux -dames_--a-hem!" - -"Oh! my reveries," rejoined Lord Boileau, "were on very every-day -topics; they can be resumed at any time; and I am happy in the honour -of--" - -"Getting out of de way," quickly interrupted the Comtesse, who had the -happy knack of cutting all long speeches short, "_milles graces_:" -and she glided past him with a sliding bow, adding aside to Lord -Baskerville, "I would always make my best thanks to him for dat; he is -quite a dullification. _Mais voilà du nouveau_," she went on to say, in -the same breath, looking towards Lady Glenmore and Mr. Leslie Winyard, -who were still conversing; "dat is always de way with your English -virtuosos; dey go _grand train_ when dey do go. You are an odd people -altogether; always _en caricatura_. _Et le mari farouche apprivoisé!_ -quite used to it already! Well, he is more sensible dan I took him for; -_vogue la galère_." And by this time she had approached close to Lady -Glenmore with her sliding step.--"I wished to make you my courtesy, -and pay you my compliments on the brilliancy of your _soirée_; and I -am happy to see you did not suffer more from your indisposition at -the drawing-room. Indeed, I am sure you could not, for I never saw -you looking more _triomphante_ than to-night. That heat was enough to -kill one; but you had only a _vapeur_; and I assure you it was quite -becoming: was it not, Lord Baskerville?" - -"Oh, done in excellent style, as all that Lady Glenmore does must -be--a-hem! quite in good taste; no distortions or hysterics or vulgar -violences; all suavity and gentleness--a-hem! never saw so beautiful a -specimen of feint in my life--hem!" - -At that moment Lord D'Esterre came up to make his bow to Lady Glenmore, -and the Comtesse Leinsengen walked abruptly away, saying, "De very -sight of dat man gives me what you call de blue and de green devils." - -But Lady Hamlet Vernon was quite of a different opinion; she had long -been a fixture in the door-way, looking anxiously for his arrival. It -was late when he came, and she sought to attract his attention, and -engage him in conversation. Solicitous as she was to learn the cause of -his having left her in such an unaccountable manner in Cleveland-row, -she did not immediately enter upon that subject, but said something -expressive of a general interest in his welfare, and of concern at -seeing him look unwell. He eluded her inquiries, and professed being in -perfect health; but she was evidently aware that his mind had undergone -some sudden change since she had seen him at the drawing-room, for he -no longer spoke in the abstracted manner he had done when there, but -joined with an apparent animation and interest in a conversation which -she dexterously led to topics that she knew to be most in accordance -with his tastes and habits, and particularly so when he was depressed -and under the influence of blighted feelings; at which times he never -failed to seek refuge in dreams of ambition and power. - -Though Lord Albert D'Esterre had never yet arrived at that degree -of intimacy with Lady Hamlet Vernon which might have induced him to -open his whole heart to her, on its dearest interests, yet there -always seemed to him to be a tacit and delicate understanding of his -sentiments, which he felt was soothing, and believed was sincere; -while, on her part, there was a consummate art in appearing to -compassionate his disappointment, while, at the same time, she never -failed in administering some baneful suspicion, or insinuating some -deteriorating observation on the character and conduct of Lady Adeline -and her mother, in respect to their behaviour towards himself. - -Had Lady Hamlet Vernon, by any incautious or violent language, betrayed -her own malignant feelings, his eyes would have been at once unsealed; -but all she said was so well adapted to effect what she intended, to -throw his mind into a sea of doubts, and yet leave no suspicion of her -intending to do so, that he yielded, by degrees, an unwilling belief -to this sapping, undermining influence, so totally destructive of his -peace. - -While listening to discourse of this kind, their conversation was -interrupted by Lord Raynham's addressing Lady Hamlet Vernon as he -passed her, putting some common-place question (to which, however, he -did not wait to hear an answer) about the ensuing breakfast, and then -he walked on, talking to himself as usual. - -Lady Hamlet Vernon turned quickly to Lord Albert, saying, "Of course -you _must_ be there!" - -He replied vaguely, apparently not knowing what he was saying; and it -was evident to Lady Hamlet Vernon, that, for some reason or other, the -mention of the breakfast raised in his mind a perplexity of thoughts, -for he relapsed into an abstracted mood, and became perfectly silent. -She was too wary to make any direct observation upon this, and too much -accustomed to the fluctuation of his spirits not to know that they -must be suffered to ebb and flow without animadversion on her part, if -she desired to maintain her influence over him; but she determined -secretly to trace the cause of this sudden change to its source, and -felt sure that there was something connected with the breakfast of -higher interest to him than itself. She endeavoured to regain his -attention by turning her conversation into other channels; but in vain: -the spell was on him, and soon afterwards he glided from her side and -left the assembly. - -Lady Glenmore's party was prolonged to a late hour, and when the people -began to move, a considerable time elapsed before they could all -depart. To dissipate the _ennui_ of these last moments, Lady Glenmore -went to her piano-forte, and, in that excitement of spirit which the -incense of flattery and the consciousness of worldly success inspires, -she sang in her very best manner and in her most brilliant style, -and was herself so absorbed in the sweet sounds she made, that she -perceived not that the last of her visitors was gone, till, on looking -up, she beheld no one save Mr. Leslie Winyard leaning over her chair. -Abashed and somewhat confused, she scarce knew why, Lady Glenmore -was about to rise, when Mr. Winyard entreated her just to finish the -romance. "It is only two stanzas more," he said, in his most entreating -and persuasive tone. Fluttered, and not wishing to show she was so, -she thought it better to comply, and endeavour to recover herself while -singing. In this she succeeded to a certain degree; and having sang the -two stanzas he pleaded for, she arose with an intention of immediately -retiring, when Mr. Leslie Winyard, who had always _l'apropos du moment_ -at command, contrived again to arrest her departure, by starting some -question which she could not avoid answering, and then proceeding to -further converse; while Lady Glenmore, on her part, caught by the -glitter of his wit, was amused, and laughed in gaiety of spirit. - -This scene had continued fully half an hour after every body had left -the room, when Lord Boileau, who had been one of the last to go away, -made his reappearance suddenly in the apartment where they were sitting. - -"I beg you a thousand million of pardons, Lady Glenmore; I am sadly -afraid I--I have intruded. I am vastly unfortunate; I must seem -exceedingly impolite; quite accidental, I assure you. The truth is, -my carriage did not arrive, and rather than wait any longer in the -room below, I ventured to come up stairs again. You will, I trust, -therefore, pardon my reappearance. But, Winyard, if your carriage is -waiting, as I believe it has been for some time, will you allow it to -set me down, and I will send it back immediately?" - -"Oh yes!" cried Leslie Winyard, "with the greatest pleasure; by all -means."--And Lord Boileau turned to go away as he spoke. Lady Glenmore -happily, at the moment, felt the awkwardness of her situation, and -had sufficient presence of mind to say, "Stop, Lord Boileau, I beg. -Mr. Leslie Winyard, I must make my adieus, and wish you good night. -I am afraid you will find it dull waiting alone till Lord Boileau's -carriage returns." She said this with a determination of manner which -sufficiently proved to Mr. Leslie Winyard that he ought to depart, -and not press matters further at that time. He bowed, therefore, and -whispering something in her ear with an appearance of familiarity, -reluctantly took his leave. - -As he joined Lord Boileau on the staircase, the latter said to him, -in a low tone, "You will never forgive me, Winyard, I fear, for this -interruption; but how very cleverly the Glenmore turned it off! I give -her great credit for her address." - -Leslie Winyard made no answer, but smiled complacently, and in a manner -that left little doubt of the innuendo which he wished his silence to -convey; while he inwardly triumphed in the assurance, that he had in -Lord Boileau a willing witness and ready herald of all he could wish to -be believed. - - - - -CHAPTER VII. - -THE TICKET. - - -The allusion made by Lord Albert D'Esterre on the preceding evening -to the _fête_ at Avington Park, his excuses and explanations on the -subject of the ticket, together with Lady Dunmelraise's doubtful mode -of receiving them, were circumstances not lost on Mr. Foley; and the -hope that he might not only please Lady Adeline by the attention, but -also, in the event of his success, tacitly throw suspicion on Lord -Albert's sincerity, determined him on endeavouring to procure her, -himself, a ticket for the _fête_. - -Consequently, at an early hour the following morning, he sought Lady -Hamlet Vernon, to request her assistance in the accomplishment of -his wishes. The latter possessed too much penetration not to see, in -Mr. Foley's anxiety, an elucidation of the disquiet and uneasiness -betrayed by Lord Albert D'Esterre when the subject of the breakfast -had been accidentally alluded to at Lady Glenmore's by Lord Raynham; -and imagined that she perceived, at once, a point where her own wishes -might be advanced, at the same time that she appeared attending only -to those of the friend who now applied to her. If it was clear to Lady -Hamlet Vernon that some misunderstanding, some unpleasant feeling, had -existed in Lord Albert's mind, connected with the subject, no better -or surer index of it could be found, than in the eager and pressing -solicitude displayed on the same point by the person whom she had -herself principally influenced in the attempt to become his rival; and -to procure the ticket so much wished for (if a possibility of doing -so remained) was therefore the immediate conclusion in Lady Hamlet -Vernon's mind. - -In individuals similarly constituted, an explanation of sentiment, or -even of design, is not always requisite; an intuitive principle seems -to guide to the same point, and directs them generally to the use of -the same means; and no interpretation of his wishes was necessary on -the part of Mr. Foley, in the present instance, to ensure him the -earnest co-operation of Lady Hamlet Vernon. The conversation which -had passed on a former occasion between them, on the subject of Lord -Albert D'Esterre's engagement with Lady Adeline, and the result hinted -at of Mr. Foley's probable success, if disposed to hazard his suit, -was alone sufficient to produce an understanding throughout all future -manœuvres in the proceeding, and without a word passing to that -effect: therefore, on the occasion in question, Mr. Foley felt that he -left his application in Lady Hamlet Vernon's hands with a well-founded -assurance of its accomplishment, as far, at least, as her exertions -could promote such an issue. - -In a few hours the ticket was procured and transmitted. On receiving -it, Mr. Foley proceeded, with a feeling approaching to triumph, to -South Audley-street; and in presenting it to Lady Dunmelraise, said -something about his happiness in offering what he thought would be -agreeable to Lady Adeline, and his hope that some other opportunity -would afford itself of proving that her wishes were always laws to him; -at the same time, to enhance his air of importance, throwing out hints -(as if carelessly) respecting the small number of persons who were to -constitute the _fête_, and the peculiarities attending its management, -all which insinuated the distinction attached to such as were amongst -the _prièes_. Lady Dunmelraise looked expressively at her daughter, -as she held the ticket in her hand; as though she would have said, -Lord Albert could not procure one; and Lady Adeline, who had sat like -a statue, not daring to trust herself to speak, lest she should betray -her feelings, now felt this silent appeal too much for endurance, and -sought her chamber, there to indulge in an unrepressed burst of sorrow. -"Yes," she cried, in broken utterance, as sobs choked her voice; "yes, -he is faithless, perfidious, and I--I am wretched." - -While Lady Adeline gave way to this natural transport of wounded -feeling, her mother guessed too well what her poor child was suffering, -and though she suffered with her, yet she could, in the comparative -calmness of _her_ regret, consider how it was best to act; and Lady -Dunmelraise determined on the propriety and expediency of Adeline going -to the breakfast. She therefore continued to converse with Mr. Foley, -in order to settle all the necessary arrangements, saying, - -"But by whom is Adeline to be _chaperoned_? There do not seem to be -many of our acquaintance going, unless, indeed, Lady Borrowdaile, Lady -Aveling, or Lady Feuillemorte; yet she would, I think, prefer Lady -Aveling." - -"Pardon me," rejoined Mr. Foley; "none of those ladies are invited." - -"Indeed! you astonish me! But the Duchess D'Hermanton; she, at least, -cannot be left out?" - -"Her grace's name, I know, is not on the list," replied Mr. Foley. - -"That is astonishing! Which of the nobility, then, now in London, are -to be of this party?" - -"Those," answered Mr. Foley, "who are of the _scelta_." - -"And pray who are those?" He named the Boileaus, De Cheres, Tenderdens, -Tilneys, Leinsengens, &c. &c. Lady Dunmelraise smiled, and then looked -rather grave. - -"This would be laughable," she said, "if it were not melancholy to -think, that people can suffer themselves to be so led away by a love of -false distinction, as to attempt to set aside all that is truly good -and great, and to impose laws and rules upon society, whose general -tendency cannot be productive of any real advantage, but the reverse." -Mr. Foley affected to agree with her in part, but said, "There was -always, at all times, something of the same sort existing. It was a -species of excrescence," he said, "which grew out of the plethora -of the London world. It might be dangerous for some; but for Lady -Adeline--he conceived she might look at its folly, and _effleuré_ the -charm of its novelty and splendour, without the least danger." - -"It is from this persuasion," rejoined Lady Dunmelraise, "that I can -augur no harm in her attending the breakfast, although I should be -sorry to see her always forming a component part of such a society. -But whom can she accompany on the present occasion? Is Lady Louisa -Blithewaite going?" - -"She is: as a sister of the Duke of Mercington's, she has been -admitted." - -"That will do," said Lady Dunmelraise. "She is the very person under -whose care I should like my Adeline to be placed. I will write to -her directly." Mr. Foley, who began to fear that after all he should -not carry his point, was now delighted; and he took leave of Lady -Dunmelraise, well pleased with the prospect of his success. When Lady -Dunmelraise had despatched her note to Lady Louisa Blithewaite, she -sought Lady Adeline in her chamber, whom she found in some measure calm -and composed. - -"You see how it is, my dearest child; but your painful task will soon -be over, I trust. It is suspense only that is not to be borne, since -it prevents the mind from resting on any one point, or coming to any -conclusion; and it is for this very reason, my loved Adeline, that I -wish you to summon resolution and attend the breakfast. It is right -Lord Albert should know that we are aware of the idle subterfuge he -wished to palm upon our belief; and it is well, too, for your future -peace, that you should so convince yourself of his dereliction of all -honourable principle, that you will not in any after-moment fancy that -you have forfeited all happiness in losing him." By these and similar -reasonings and persuasions, Lady Dunmelraise convinced her daughter -that she ought to comply with her wishes, and prepare to meet this -painful trial. Having, therefore, given way to the infirmity of human -weakness only so far as that indulgence was necessary to a recovery of -self-management, Lady Adeline rallied her powers of mental control; -and with that steady serenity and determination of character which -proceeds from one only source, and which bears up those who act upon -its influence through all the storms of life, she acceded to whatever -Lady Dunmelraise required of her. - -In the course of that day, Lord Albert called in South Audley-street; -but neither Lady Adeline nor her mother were at home. In the -distempered state of his mind, he thought he had been denied, and in -this idea he was almost confirmed by seeing Mr. Foley leave the house -a few moments after he had ridden from the door; though, in fact, this -was not the case, the latter having merely gone into the drawing-room -a short time before Lord Albert called, to leave a note explanatory of -some points respecting the hour of going to the _fête_, &c. &c. and -which Lady Dunmelraise had requested him to ascertain. The effect, -however, produced upon Lord Albert's imagination was the same as if -the fact had been so; and in this effervescence of mind he directed -his horse's head, with a feeling of something like habit, towards Lady -Hamlet Vernon's. - -When the heart is bruised, and the understanding perplexed, it is -astonishing to think how the strongest minds turn to lean on some one -being whom they deem willing to soothe and share in their feelings; -and if it is a weakness, it is one so linked to all the best parts of -our nature, that there would be no advantage gained by exchanging it -for that cold hardness of self-sufficiency, to which some persons lay -claim as affording them a superiority over their fellow-creatures. Such -was certainly not Lord Albert's case. Whatever he might or might not -confess to himself, it was with a worn-out spirit that he sought Lady -Hamlet Vernon; and on hearing that she was at home, he threw himself -off his horse, and hastened into her presence. Although she was too -well skilled in reading the human heart, not to be aware that she owed -this visit rather to his displeasure in other quarters, than from a -spontaneous wish to enjoy her society, yet she received him, as she -always did, with those gentle smiles which captivate the heart, and -which is the temper ever sought for and expected in woman. - -Lady Hamlet Vernon knew that the general selfishness of man seeks -only the reflection of his own sensations from the sympathy of women; -and that whatever cause a woman may have of pain or pleasure, it is -_his_ feelings, and not her own, which she must consult, soothe, and -influence; and that, in short, when she ceases to be his sunshine, he -ceases to court her influence. - -It was acting under this conviction, which made Lady Hamlet Vernon, -with infallible delicacy and truth of tact, neither seem to search into -secrets which Lord Albert did not choose to reveal, nor yet appear -carelessly ignorant of the melancholy restlessness by which she saw -him affected; but alternately she soothed, flattered, and sympathized -in all he said, till at last she succeeded, for the time being, in -reconciling him with himself, and in a great measure allaying the -irritation of those various feelings which almost distracted him when -he first entered her apartment. - -Before he took his leave, it was finally arranged between them, that -he should accompany her to the _fête_ the next day, if he could leave -Downing-street in time; and if he could not, he would, he said, meet -her at Avington Park, and go there with Lord Glenmore, who, in the -event of his being detained, would be detained also. - -While thus variously agitated had been the feelings of some, whose -hearts, by circumstances, had become interested in this idle _fête_, -the principal movers in it, in _their_ way, were not less anxious for -its success and brilliancy. For the preservation of its exclusive and -chosen character, and the arrangement of all its endless detail of -luxury, each member of the _société choisie_ was more or less busy -and _affairé_. Lady Tilney, with her usual activity, was the first -in her exertions; driving to the houses of all connected with the -arrangements, examining into every minute particular, and, above all, -guarding against the possibility of any persons whose name was not -on her list creeping in through the weakness of some member of the -committee, who, in a moment of unallowed natural feeling, might have -invited a sister, or a mother, or a brother, who were from a class -_without the pale_. - -At Lady Ellersby's she met Lady Tenderden, and the Countess Leinsengen, -and Lady De Chere, and Lord Boileau, who came in, as though by chance, -one after the other, each saying, in different words, the same thing. - -"How fortunate I am to have met you! I wished to know at what hour you -are to go to Avington Park to-morrow;" and all applied to Lady Tilney. -She named three o'clock. - -"La!" cried Lady Ellersby, "I shall not have awoke from my first sleep -at that hour: surely four o'clock is quite time enough." - -"_I_ shall not go till den," cried the Comtesse Leinsengen. "One has -always enough of dose tings dat last for ever. Breakfast, dinner, -supper, and den breakfast again, before one gets away." - -"Oh! but you know," replied Lady Tenderden, "dis _fête_, my dear -comtesse, is not like any other; dere will be no one dere but -ourselves, our own _société_; and dere are so many pleasant tings to be -done,--going on de water, walking about, and de _loterie_; one would -not choose to lose dat." - -"Oh! certainly not," exclaimed Lady Boileau. "I am told there are to be -some exceedingly magnificent things. Lord Albert D'Esterre has bought -some really fine jewels." - -"Perhaps so," said Lady De Chere in her blunt way; "but we all know -_who_ will have these: the chances are wisely ordained _beforehand_." - -"Have you got your _billet de loterie_?" asked the Comtesse Leinsengen -of the speaker. - -"No," replied Lady De Chere with an air of pique, "but I _am_ to have -one." - -"Certainly," rejoined Lady Tilney, who read the Comtesse's intended -triumph; and who chose to show her, on many occasions, that if any one -had a right to tyrannize it was herself, or that at least, if such a -thing were attempted, it should be _à qui mieux mieux_. - -"Certainly, Lady Boileau, there will be a lottery ticket for _you_, and -all the _other_ ladies; at least, I shall conceive it exceedingly wrong -indeed if there is not. But should there be any mistake, depend upon -_my_ rectifying it. And now, ladies," she continued, addressing them -generally, "there is one point we have not touched upon--our costume." - -"Oh! _demi-toilette_, of course," exclaimed Lady Tenderden. - -"Of course," echoed Lady Tilney, afraid lest it should be thought -that she had asked the question with a view to arrange her own dress -according to her friends' dictation: "but I meant, should we have a -_change_ of dress for the evening?" - -"Oh! what a trouble!" said Lady Ellersby. - -"Yes, my dear; but you know, after walking about all day, our dress -will not look fresh for the evening," said Lady Boileau. "However, I -am told, that among other _galanteries_ our cavaliers have engaged a -certain number of milliners, to be in attendance with every kind of -decoration, so that we need think little on that point." - -"No, really!" cried Lady Ellersby, with something more than her usual -animation: "that is well imagined." - -"And I will tell you," said Lady Tenderden, "what is the prettiest -ting of all, de best imagined possible,--every lady is to have her -cipher formed of her chosen flower. As to me, I shall be like Louis -de Fourteenth's favourite, and am to have _un salon tout tapissé de -jonquilles_. After all is said, dere is nobody but the French dat know -what it is to be gallant. And now, _mes chères dames_, I must depart. -If any thing occurs, any change takes place, you will let me know. You -have all settled your parties for going, of course: mine has been long -arranged wid de Glenmores and Mr. Leslie Winyard. Adieu, adieu!" - -"Of course," said the Comtesse Leinsengen: "mi ladi need not to have -taken de pains to inform us on dat subject." - -"I think," said Lady Tilney, "considering that this party is made -expressly by _us_, and is quite a thing apart, that she might have -passed over for once her tiresome preference of every thing French. But -she is always making out that it is the French alone who do every thing -in perfection; and that is exceedingly impolite, to say the least of -it." - -"Very true," added Lady De Chere; "and considering that she is what she -is by having married an Englishman, _c'est un peu fort_." - -"But," said Lady Tilney, breaking abruptly off, "I must say adieu. -_Chère_ Lady Ellersby, adieu! Remember! three o'clock, at the latest, -to-morrow. And we positively can allow no more tickets. No persuasions -or entreaties must be suffered to prevail. The affair is finished. I -have put my veto on the D'Hermanton," she added, turning round as she -approached the door: "that would have been too much." - -"I wonder," said Lady Ellersby, as Lady Tilney left the room, "that she -is not dead with fatigue. Surely never any body did so much." - -"To so little purpose," said the Comtesse Leinsengen sharply; "for, -after all, de public of your nation are a great deal too _revêche_ to -let any one person lead dem about _à droite et à gauche_. Much better -it is to cut de matter short, to have one's own _société_, and never -care what any body says or does or tinks. Please oneself one's own way, -dat is de true liberty. But dat ladi has so _many fire-irons_ all going -at once, some of dem must fail, and den she is out of humour." - -There was a general smile at what the comtesse had said; and they all -enjoyed hearing Lady Tilney found fault with, though no one exactly -chose to be the person who should hazard such an opinion. - -"Ah! comtesse," observed Lady Boileau, "you are the most amusing person -in the world." - -"_Seulement parce que je suis la plus franche_," she replied; and -kissing her hand to Lady Ellersby, glided out of the room. - -"If she had said _brusque_, instead of _franche_," cried Lady De -Chere, "she would have been nearer the truth." - -"Eh, eh, eh!" laughed Lady Ellersby, as she observed, "Perhaps so; but -it is like smelling salts to hear her remarks; and really I do not know -what I should do without something pungent now and then to keep me -awake." - -"Besides," rejoined Lady Boileau, "we have all our own particular -meanings for particular phrases; and Comtesse Leinsengen is not the -only person who gives her own meaning to a phrase which, in its general -acceptation, is of quite a different import. Don't you agree with me, -Lady De Chere?" - -"May be so. But in as far as regards myself, I always mean what I -say, though I do not say always all that I mean. But we are quite -philosophical, and I have no time for disquisitions; so, fair ladies, -good day, and may to-morrow be propitious for hats, caps, and -_falbalas_. In that we are all agreed. Farewell!" And she departed. - -"My dear Lady Ellersby," said Lady Boileau, approaching her in a voice -of earnest entreaty, "do not let Lady Tilney forget my lottery-ticket; -for, after all, you know, one likes to have a _chance_ of the fine -things." - -"Oh yes! ONE does. I will not forget. Trust to me." - -"You are always _so_ good-humoured! Adieu, then, _till_ to-morrow! I -know you will not forget me." - -"Not if you can prevent it," said Lady Ellersby to herself, as she -closed the door, and rose to ring her bell. "Send Fanchon to me." And -when Fanchon, the maid, obeyed the summons, her mistress said, "I -am half dead with the clamour of those dear friends of mine. Put my -_roquelaure_ over me, and let me sleep. See that I be not disturbed. -How loud they did all talk!" - - - - -CHAPTER VIII. - -THE BREAKFAST. - - -Every one has felt, some time or other, that when the first warmth of -indignation against a loved object begins to cool, the recollection of -a thousand tender reminiscences comes floating in to soften and subdue -resentment; and that many an ebb and flow of fondness must take place -before the deep trace of love is washed from our remembrance. Thus it -was with Lady Adeline: there was a lurking weakness in her heart (if -the tenacity of true love can he called a weakness), which made her -loath to cast Lord Albert thence, even if he _were_ guilty, for the -moment, of deserting her. - -Even in that case she thought he might be reclaimed. It was difficult, -it was impossible, to fathom the heart: who had a right to do so? and -with these thoughts she condemned herself as wrong and precipitate in -her judgment. The best, she conceived, that remained for her to do, -under her present painful circumstances, would be to retire to the -country, and await there the issue of his determination; but not to -brave him. Under the impression of these feelings, she lamented having -yielded her consent to be present at the breakfast. - -"If I am to see him there," she exclaimed inwardly, "devoted to -another, what good end will it answer thus to add anguish to anguish? -And, at all events, Albert will think better of me if I avoid his -presence, and, by so doing, show how much I feel, and how little I am -desirous of prying into his conduct." - -Lady Dunmelraise soon saw that such were the feelings of her daughter, -when, in the course of the day, a recurrence was made to the subject -of the breakfast; and it was with pleasure that she received a visit -from her sister, Lady Delamere, in the evening, from the hope that her -persuasions, joined to those which she had already availed herself of, -might have additional weight with Lady Adeline. - -Many concurring circumstances had led both Lady Dunmelraise and Lady -Delamere to the conviction that Lord Albert was wholly undeserving of -such a treasure, and induced the suspicion that he perhaps enjoyed the -consciousness of being beloved by her daughter, while, at the same -time, he played with her feelings, and sacrificed them remorselessly -at the shrine of his own vanity. To impress their opinions upon her -Adeline's mind, Lady Dunmelraise conceived to be absolutely necessary, -with a view to wean her from her strong attachment: and so convinced -was she of the necessity of this measure, in order to restore Lady -Adeline to any thing like happiness, that much as it pained Lady -Dunmelraise to make her herself the witness of Lord Albert's desertion -and insincerity, yet she felt convinced that to do so would be at once -the kindest and most effectual measure. - -In this she was confirmed by Lady Delamere; and with all the persuasion -of affection, and all the force of truth, they both represented the -matter in so strong a light to Lady Adeline, that she yielded her -feelings to their direction, saying, - -"Well, dearest mamma and dearest aunt, make of me what you will, do -with me as you choose; but remember I am a poor automaton that can no -longer act or think for itself. I feel crushed, withered, wretched, -unable to do any thing but yield a passive obedience. In that I know I -am fulfilling my duty; and if I live, that thought must bring peace in -its train." - -"_If_ you live!" exclaimed Lady Dunmelraise, shuddering, as she looked -earnestly at her altered countenance. "Dearest child! talk not thus:" -and as she pressed her to her breast, she felt that she must evermore -consider Lord Albert as the destroyer of her child's happiness. At -an early hour that evening, Lady Adeline retired to rest; and worn -out with the agitation of the day, yet calmed by the secret sense -of satisfaction which a fulfilment of duty and obedience to a loved -and loving parent never fails to produce, she fell into that sweet, -child-like sleep of innocence which is the balm of peace. - -The morning came in lowering, and a few heavy drops of rain seemed to -announce the impending overthrow of the splendour of the _fête_; but -about midday the dark clouds broke away, and the sun came out clear -and bright, giving assurance of fair weather. By three o'clock, the -park, and the squares and streets in its immediate vicinity, presented -a gay sight in the splendid equipages that were waiting at the doors, -or driving to the destined scene of the rendezvous. Lady Adeline had -suffered herself to be attired in the dress her mother had prepared -for her, which was well adapted for the hour and scene, and at once -splendid, yet chastely beautiful: and as something of the natural -weakness of youth and vanity found a brief place even in the breast of -the ingenuous Adeline, a consciousness of her charms stole over her, as -she cast a rapid glance at her person reflected in her mirror, and she -thought with a feeling of something like renovated hope and pleasure; -"He may not deem me so beneath his attention." And then again a quick -return of reflection made her sigh; remembering how valueless the -affection is, how undeserving the name, which depends alone on personal -charms. But still a secret hope remained, that if she could once again -attract his regards, she might find the way to retain them on a sure -foundation. - -As this hope, in despite of reason, took possession of her heart, it -tinged her cheek with a brighter hue, and gave an animation to her -whole appearance which even deceived those who loved her most. There -was a feeling of exultation in Lady Dunmelraise's breast, as she gazed -delightedly on this dear object of her solicitude; for conscious -that the gem within was as precious as the fair casket in which it -was enshrined, she thought that Lord Albert little knew his own true -interests in exchanging such a pearl of price for common merchandise; -and she was right. - -When Lady Adeline arrived at Lady Louisa Blithewaite's, she found a -party assembled there, amongst whom were the Duke of Mercington and -Mr. Foley. The former was exceedingly struck with her appearance, -and manifested his admiration in a way not to be overlooked or -misunderstood, at the same time with all that delicacy which was due to -the person by whom it was excited. Lady Louisa Blithewaite received her -with marks of the greatest interest; and relieved the embarrassment she -felt on perceiving herself the object of general remark, by entering -immediately into discourse with her on various subjects connected with -the immediate object of their meeting. - -As soon as the first awkwardness was passed, Lady Adeline recovered her -presence of mind, and joined in the conversation with that natural yet -cultivated understanding which is felt in touching on the most trivial -topics, as well as in discussing the most serious ones, and never fails -to win admiration and respect. Mr. Foley hovered around her, sometimes -leaning on the back of her chair, and affecting to speak to her with -the familiarity of intimacy; alluding to times and circumstances -of which the present company were ignorant, and endeavouring, by -this conduct, to wear the appearance of being an _attaché_ of Lady -Adeline's. But as she did not share in this intention, and her -conversation being directed equally to the different persons around, -his attempt was a failure. - -It was impossible, at the present moment, but that Lady Adeline's -mind should be taken off from herself; and the bustle of arranging -how the parties should go, together with the constant and varied -homage she received from all present, but particularly from the Duke -of Mercington, which could not fail of being for the time gratifying, -all combined to produce that species of excitement which diffused an -animation and lustre over her features and manners altogether magical. - -After much disquisition, it was finally arranged, that the Duke of -Mercington should accompany his sister and Lady Adeline in the same -carriage; and Mr. Foley, with evident mortification, was obliged to -attend another party. Nobody knew better than the duke how to render -himself agreeable when he chose it. There was a bland sunshine on his -countenance, and a kindness in his manner, which was a key to all -hearts; and on the present occasion he felt irresistibly impelled to -endeavour to please. Every word Lady Adeline spoke during the drive, -though her words were not many, and not directed to any subject -on which the stronger qualities of her mind could be called into -exercise, had yet so much originality in them, from that perfect -nature, unobscured by the factitious ways of the world, which makes -even the most trite and common things appear in a new light, that the -duke whispered to his sister, when they arrived at Avington Priory, -"She is perfection. I never met with such grace of mind." - -On entering the gay, enchanted scene of the breakfast, all eyes were -directed towards Lady Adeline; and as the duke walked between her and -his sister, the envious whisper ran round, "Who is she? Who invited -her? How very odd she should be here!" but none durst openly find fault -with one whom the Duke of Mercington protected and countenanced. Lord -Gascoigne observed, as they walked in, - -"So at last he is caught," to which Lord Baskerville maliciously -replied, "He may be caught--hem! but there are two words to that -bargain--a-hem! For my part, I would rather be the cobbler at the -corner of the street, who knows his stall's his own, than be in -the questionable position of any man, however great. I do not envy -him--hem!" - -Mr. Foley continued to take every opportunity of affecting intimacy -with Lady Adeline; addressing her at every moment, asking her opinion -of the _fête_, of the arrangement, of the scene; and then passed -to observations upon the _superior_ beauty of Dunmelraise, and the -happiness of riding with her about that wild scenery: to all of which -she replied naturally, saying, - -"They were perfectly different, and admitted of no comparison." - -In this manner he endeavoured to create an appearance of greater -intimacy than belonged to common acquaintance; and then requested her, -if disengaged, to dance the first cotillon with him. - -To this she agreed. But, in the meantime, the Duke of Mercington, -who had, with one of his _engouements_, selected Lady Adeline as -his favourite of the day, and therefore considered every other -person's approach an intrusion, being annoyed by Mr. Foley's constant -interruption of the conversation, proposed to his sister and Lady -Adeline, and their party, to go on the water. Although the duke could -not without positive rudeness exclude Mr. Foley as they entered the -boat, yet, by taking a seat on one side of Lady Adeline, and placing -his sister on the left, he secured something like a conversation -_suivie_, which he could not otherwise have done. - -As they were embarking, the same junto of young men who had made their -remarks on the duke's party when he entered, now stood by the lake; -for the same system observed in Hyde Park, of arranging themselves -in line wherever there were women, in order, as Leslie Winyard said, -_pour se laisser admirer_, was adhered to on the present occasion. "His -grace," said Lord Baskerville, "seems to be really _épris_, and to be -meditating matrimony." - -"Who is she?" again questioned Lord Gascoigne. "She must be something -quite new, for I never saw her before." - -"Oh! she, you know," replied Lord Baskerville, who always affected to -know every body's story, "she is the girl that Lord Albert D'Esterre -was said to be engaged to, but who broke off the engagement from some -reason or other; probably because she had no intention of marrying a -field-preacher." - -"It would have been a confounded pity if she had," growled Lord -Tonnerre. "She is a very beautiful creature. I should not care if I -married her myself." - -"How very gallant you are become, Tonnerre," said Lord Boileau. "But, -Baskerville, you forget, in passing sentence on Lord Albert, that he -is become one of _us_, has cast his slough, and come out with a new -skin." - -"Yes," replied Lord Gascoigne, "thanks to Lady Hamlet Vernon, he has -found out _que le diable n'est pas si noir_." - -"I don't care," said Lord Baskerville, "what he has found out; but I -have found out that he is very disagreeable, and I never wish to have -him in my society--hem!" - -"Pardon me," said Lord Gascoigne, "I think you are too severe to-day, -Basky. The man is well enough; mighty polite; makes a good bow; and is -well received by the ladies." - -"Upon my word," observed Lord Tonnerre, "the women, now-a-days, are -all gone mad, I think, upon my word. I'd keep those under my care, -at least, in good order. One must have a tight hand upon the best -of them." At that moment, Lady Tenderden and Lady Glenmore arrived, -escorted by Mr. Leslie Winyard and two or three other young men. Every -body crowded round Lady Glenmore to pay her their court; hoped she -admired the _fête_ and the decorations: to all which she replied in the -affirmative with childish gaiety and delight. - -"But you have not seen the bower, the beautiful bower," said Lord -Gascoigne; "allow me to conduct you thither." - -"Oh! but first come and see my alcove _tout tapissé de jonquilles_;" -and they passed on, Lady Glenmore continuing to lean on Mr. Leslie -Winyard's arm, and tacitly rejecting the offer of Lord Gascoigne, in -that hurry of pleasure which leaves no capability for real enjoyment. - -"Well," said Lord Baskerville, looking after Lady Glenmore, "I am of -the same opinion still. There is a sort of rude health and vulgar -jollity about that Lady Glenmore, hem! which she will never get rid of. -I wonder how Leslie Winyard can waste his time in that quarter." - -"He does not _waste_ it, I can assure you," said Lord Boileau -significantly. "Remind me, Basky, to tell you a good story, of the -truth of which I myself am a witness. It happened on the night of _la -petite_ Georgina's party. I never looked so foolish in my life. I shall -never forget it." - -"But the odd thing is," interrupted Lord Gascoigne, "that Glenmore, who -set out by being the most tenacious husband imaginable, is as quiet as -a mouse about it. How can you account for this, Tonnerre? Do you think -apathy is one of the fruits of marriage?" - -"Why do you ask me the question, who have never tried? But this I am -certain of; I would keep my wife in order, if I were married to-morrow. -You had better ask Glenmore himself." - -"So I will," said Lord Gascoigne, turning on his heel. "I will go look -for him for the purpose." - -"What a cool hand Gascoigne is!" observed Lord Boileau, addressing Lord -Baskerville. "I would give the world to be like him." - -"It might suit _you_." - -"_Ehew!_" replied the latter, "but it wouldn't me;" and he walked -slowly away to join the Comtesse Leinsengen. - -It was by this time pretty late in the afternoon, and the various -persons were beginning to draw together with a view to making up their -dinner _coteries_. Lord Albert and Lord Glenmore had been prevented, -as they anticipated they should, from setting out early by business. -The former had in consequence despatched a note to Lady Hamlet Vernon, -to let her know of his being detained beyond the hour she had named -for going to Avington Priory, but saying he would join her there; -and this had determined her to excuse herself from accompanying Lady -Glenmore's party, with whom she was to have gone; for, well aware of -all the circumstances attendant on Lady Adeline's being present at -the breakfast, she was particularly anxious to appear there herself -accompanied by Lord Albert D'Esterre. - -Lady Hamlet Vernon, therefore, ordered her carriage a short time before -the hour named by Lord Albert for his departure; and having driven -slowly towards Avington Priory, she calculated the time so exactly, -that Lord Glenmore and Lord Albert overtook her on the road. They -kissed their hands to her as they passed, and she thought that Lord -Albert looked pleased in the idea that she might have waited for him. -Their carriages entered the gates of the Priory together; and having -alighted, Lady Hamlet Vernon took the offered arms of Lord Albert and -Lord Glenmore, and they proceeded in quest of Lady Glenmore and her -party, making inquiries, as they went, of every one if they had seen -her. Some said she was here, some there; and Lord Gascoigne, who now -approached, observed, that he had seen her last with Lady Tenderden, -Leslie Winyard, Raynham, Frank Ombre, &c. going towards Rosamond's -Bower. "But," continued he, "if one really wants to find any body in a -crowd, the way is, to sit down in one place. My advice, therefore, is -tranquilly to await their repassing; and you will have time enough to -see the lions afterwards." As he concluded this speech, he turned round -to Spencer Newcombe, and whispered in his ear, "I think Winyard owes me -one for this." - -"Oh! a hundred, I should say; for - - 'Quand on est jeune, et gentillette, - On ne va pas au bois, fillette, - On ne va pas au bois pour rien.'" - -Lady Hamlet Vernon, however, on this occasion, rather wished to see -than be seen, and deemed it more agreeable to walk about leaning -upon Lord Albert D'Esterre's arm, and therefore replied, "I have not -patience to sit still; let us rather have the amusement of looking for -Lady Glenmore;" and as she spoke, they moved on. - -"That affair goes on well," remarked Lord Gascoigne, as his eye -followed Lord Albert and Lady Hamlet Vernon. - -"Yes," said Mr. Spencer Newcombe, "she is a clever woman; _elle pique -ses attachés_. I give her credit for having angled so dexterously. A -little while, and D'Esterre will be well landed." - -While these persons thus passed their kindly comments, Lord Albert, -Lord Glenmore, and Lady Hamlet Vernon walked about the gardens, and -after a search of some time found Lady Tenderden, Lady Glenmore, and -their party, who were laughing and talking gaily in the alcove _tapissé -de jonquilles_. Mr. Leslie Winyard was playing with one of the long -ribands that pended from Lady Glenmore's hat, and she seemed listening -complacently to his conversation. The moment, however, that she beheld -Lord Glenmore, she darted towards him, her face beaming with pleasure, -and passing her arm through his, and looking up fondly in his face, -said something in a low voice, to which he replied with answering -tenderness; and as she continued to hang upon his arm, expressing her -admiration of the _fête_, he appeared to enter into her delight, and to -be as much amused as herself. - -"What perfection of duplicity!" whispered Lord Boileau to Lord -Tonnerre, as they entered the alcove together, and witnessed this -meeting. - -"And what a wide swallow _he_ has," replied the other; while Mr. Leslie -Winyard, mortified at the interruption which Lord Glenmore's arrival -had occasioned, but at the same time too much master of his art to -evince his _real_ feeling, endeavoured to show himself satisfied with -the semblance of a secret understanding between himself and Lady -Glenmore as to her conduct towards her husband. - -"What perfection of duplicity!" repeated Lord Boileau, as he observed -what passed, and as Mr. Winyard, approaching Lord Glenmore, addressed -him in easy, familiar terms, making himself appear to be, as in all -similar cases, and _selon tous les règles depuis tous les temps, -l'ami de la maison_, and equally necessary to both parties. The whole -scene did not pass unobserved by Lord Albert, who recollected what -observations had been made before, by some of the same party, on Lady -Glenmore at the drawing-room; and he felt he despised those who could -thus lightly tamper with the honour of the man whose notice they -courted, whose society they affected to like, and to whose intimacy -they endeavoured to aspire. But it was a subject on which he could -only think. Miserably, our best friends are frequently precluded, from -circumstances, from being of the least use to us. - -After a short interval, passed in visiting the different objects of -beauty and interest in the gardens of the Priory, the hour arrived for -assembling the guests under the marquees where the _déjeûner dinatoire_ -was prepared; and Lord and Lady Glenmore, with their party, adjourned -thither. The Leinsengen, Baskerville, Boileau, and Lady De Chere, were -already placed when they arrived; but all made way for them, and in -the _mêlée_ of the moment Mr. Leslie Winyard succeeded in securing his -post by the side of Lady Glenmore. After the first clamour of voices -had subsided, every one spoke to his neighbour only; and Mr. Leslie -Winyard availed himself of this opportunity to engross Lady Glenmore's -attention in every possible way. Lady Boileau, who was seated opposite -and rather _desœuvré_, amused herself by remarking every glance and -every little attention which Mr. Winyard addressed to Lady Glenmore; -and whispered to the Comtesse Leinsengen, "_Ça va grand train_," -indicating by a look those of whom she spoke. - -"O dat is always de way in dis country: either _des dragonnes de -vertu_, or else, _tête baissé_, you give de _grand scandale_. 'Tis -noting new; 'tis _à votre ordinaire. Ça fait pitié_, but it cannot be -help. _Toujours des grandes passions_, which end in de run away, de -food for de newspapers; and den _sauve qui peut_, and de woman is left -to sink or swim, _que vous êtes maladroites, vous autres Angloises_." - -"Pardon me, dear comtesse," said Lord Gascoigne, joining in the -conversation, and speaking in the tone of satire with which he -sometimes lashed the foibles of the day, "pardon me, comtesse, not -always: there are many who, a little while after their _écarté_, have -retired from the scene in order to return to it with a fresh title -and fresh fame. It only depends upon the rank that is held by the -_préféré_. It is true, were he as handsome as Adonis, and as seducing -as Love himself, that would be no excuse; but if he has wealth, power, -title, the affair passes through a regular process of _sous entendu_, -and then all is smooth again, _et on passe à des nouvelles amours_." - -"Very true," rejoined the Comtesse Leinsengen sharply; "and so much for -your boasted London _morale_." - -"Pray, however, remember, comtesse, that London is not England, nor -England London; although, in regard to foreign capitals, that inference -might once have held good, and Paris could be justly said to be all -France. But our system of politics, as well as of private life, is one -which no foreigner ever did or ever will understand." - -The Comtesse Leinsengen gave her accustomed shrug, turned away before -Lord Gascoigne had finished speaking, and the whole party soon after -broke up, the ladies retiring into the house to change their dress and -prepare for the ball. - -The dancing was already begun when Lady Glenmore's party entered the -ball-room. The whole glitter of the beautiful scene, the perfume -exhaled from the plants, which floated through the freshness of the -country air, all conspired to take the senses captive; and never did -Lady Glenmore look more brilliant, or appear in more joyous spirits. -There was an ingenuousness about her which enchanted even those -who had least of it themselves, and who thought that perfection of -manners consisted only in the refinement of art, to the exclusion of -all natural feeling. As she was led away to the dance by Mr. Leslie -Winyard, Lord Glenmore's eyes followed her, beaming with love and -admiration. - -"_Elle est ravissante_," said Lady Tenderden. - -Lord Glenmore evinced his assent to the truth of this remark by a -smile, which Lady Tenderden was willing that those around should -consider directed to herself; and she continued to keep Lord Glenmore -in conversation for some time, to improve an opinion, which it was -always her aim to maintain, of her possessing an influence over -him. Nor was the powerful charm of the scene, and the circumstances -attendant upon it, experienced alone by Lady Glenmore. Lady Hamlet -Vernon, in her turn, also acknowledged their influence. The -consciousness of the presence of the object of her love, and the -unalloyed confidence of the continuance of that enjoyment throughout -the evening, gave to her beauty an air of triumph and of joy, which, -had it sprung from an honest, innocent source, instead of being founded -on intrigue and artifice, would have possessed a power and a charm -which, as it was, her beauty missed. As she walked up the ball-room, -leaning on Lord Albert's arm, a crowd intervened between them and the -dancers; for every body had clustered together in one spot, attracted -by some object which was hid from those at a distance. - -Lord Albert heard on all sides exclamations of admiration on the beauty -and the grace of some person who was at this moment dancing. Their -curiosity was excited, and they pressed the more eagerly onwards; till, -arriving suddenly at an opening in the circle formed round the dancers, -Lord Albert perceived Lady Adeline Seymour immediately opposite to -him,--the attraction of all eyes, the object of the concentrated -admiration of the whole room. She was dancing with Mr. Foley;--dancing, -not with the affectation of drawling over the floor as though she were -doing penance, but with airiness and elasticity of spirit, tempered by -grace and feminine delicacy. Lady Adeline was not at first conscious -of his presence; while, as he stood rooted to the spot, he had leisure -to gaze upon her in mingled surprise and agitation before she perceived -him: but when she did, her eyes for a moment rested on his, with an -expression which, brief as the moment was, shook his very frame. It was -an agonized look of love and reproach; for not only did she see one -whom she now was forced to believe a rival in his affections leaning -fondly on Lord Albert's arm, but in the bosom of that rival the very -myrtle sprig which Lord Albert had taken from her at the drawing-room -with such seeming devotion. She identified it too well as being the -same; for in her bitterest agony, when she plucked it on the morning -of the Court, she had told over every leaf and every flower; and -connecting each of them with some allusion to past days, and again -feeling it to be the medium of a returning act of fondness, how could -_she_ forget, or mistake it for any other myrtle? As Lady Adeline now -beheld this corroborating evidence of Lord Albert's cruelty and deceit, -the colour glowed and faded in rapid alternation on her cheek; she -seemed lost in thought; her footsteps became unsteady, and ready to -sink under her; and it was a moment or two before Mr. Foley, holding -her hand, could succeed in drawing her attention. She appeared to gaze -at him like one whose senses had fled: then, as if making an effort to -recal them, she stepped forward to continue the dance: but the buoyancy -of her motion was gone; her late gossamer footstep seemed exchanged for -one of lead; her eyes sought the ground; and when it was her turn to go -back to her place, she remained in the middle of the circle till again -rendered conscious of her mistake by the other parties advancing. - -In this pause of the dance Lady Adeline had an opportunity of -recovering her presence of mind; and, calling to her aid the just -indignation which Lord Albert's conduct inspired, she felt herself -armed against the tenderer feelings; and by what she construed his -treachery and desertion, she was enabled to steel her heart to every -soft emotion, and not afford greater triumph to her rival, or greater -gratification to his self-love, by betraying any marks of sensibility. -This idea, together with what she owed her mother, whose feelings she -well knew would be deeply wounded if through weakness she made any -public disclosure of her suffering, enabled Lady Adeline to rally her -spirits sufficiently to go through her painful part with apparent ease -and indifference; and so completely did she obtain the mastery over -herself, that perhaps no one, save Lady Hamlet Vernon, was conscious of -the workings of that breast, the peace of which she was perfidiously -destroying. Lord Albert even was a stranger to what she endured; for, -blind to the errors of his own conduct, he of course became blinded -to their consequence, and never attributed Lady Adeline's behaviour -towards him to the natural result of his own in respect to her. It is -ever thus:--we look not to our errors as the cause of the misfortunes -which befall us, and the pains and penalties to which we are doomed. - -From the moment Lord Albert first beheld Mr. Foley dancing with Lady -Adeline, he had remained transfixed to the spot. And how can language -render by its slow process the thousand rapid feelings which gush -simultaneously from the heart, and seem to pass through the mind at the -same moment? Jealousy, indignation, scorn (though love in ambush was -concealed beneath these bitter passions), alternately distracted him. -The mother and daughter he alike accused of subtilty and subterfuge. -He recalled to mind Lady Dunmelraise's manner to him; her words -especially, and her expression, on the subject of the breakfast; -Adeline's feigned indifference to it, now contrasted with her actual -presence there, dancing with Mr. Foley. All these circumstances seemed -to confirm the fatal truth; and disappointed love and mortified -vanity, and a sense of having been deceived, juggled, contemned, were -struggling at one and the same moment for ascendancy in his bosom. In -this state of mind, the time, the place, the whole scene, save only -this one prominent feature of interest, were to him as though they -existed not. As the dance drew to a close, he asked himself what line -of conduct he should pursue. Should he speak to Lady Adeline in a -language of reproach? should he give utterance to his feelings in a few -brief words of overwhelming import? No, he would not; it was beneath -him. And if she _was_ unworthy, and had forgotten what was due to him -and to _herself_, _he_ would never forget what was due to _her_. Could -he address Adeline with calm indifference?--impossible!--his heart -would not second the deception. - -While he stood thus lost in thought, like one bereft of sense, the -workings of his soul were not unheeded by her who leant on his arm -the while. She felt that this very instant was the critical point of -all her hopes, and she almost unconsciously pressed the arm on which -she rested closer to her breast. Her respiration was broken; her -eyes wandered in quick succession on Lord Albert and Lady Adeline -alternately; and though she dared not propose to move from the spot -where they stood, yet to remain there was torture. At last the dance, -which had appeared to her interminable, ended; and Lady Adeline passed -on with Mr. Foley, without taking any notice of Lord Albert whatever, -as though she saw him not. - -Lady Hamlet once more felt that she could breathe again, when she no -longer beheld the object of her fears before her, and without any -mutual recognition of each other having passed between Lord Albert and -Lady Adeline. Fresh hopes revived in her breast. She now ventured to -address the former in a tone of tremulous gentleness. - -"Shall we not walk about in the garden? it is very hot here." He -started, looking at her as a man awakening from a dream; and as he -suffered himself to be led whither she would, he continued to muse -in silence on all that had passed: then suddenly murmured, in a -half-broken sentence, - -"I _will_ see Adeline; I will see her _to-morrow_." Lady Hamlet knew -too well from this what must be the purpose he was revolving, and the -fervency of his still remaining attachment for Lady Adeline. An icy -chill withered her heart as she thought of the possible result of -that interview, which the words that had involuntarily escaped him -too surely predicted. But deeply skilled in the human heart, she did -not attempt to say any thing to dissuade him at that moment from his -purpose, nor did she venture to make any allusion whatever to Lady -Adeline; for she was well aware that all interference would not only -be fruitless, but might hazard the very object nearest her heart. -Besides, Lord Albert had never suffered himself to pronounce Lady -Adeline's name, even when, in the many conversations which he had held -with Lady Hamlet Vernon, she had been covertly alluded to; neither had -Lady Hamlet Vernon dared openly to touch upon his attachment to Lady -Adeline, since their first interview after the visit at Restormel, when -in the fervency of her feelings, and the plenitude of her despair, she -said, - -"Lady Adeline will never make you happy." - -From the constrained and painful situation in which she now found -herself placed, when silence was scarcely to be borne, and yet to -break it was perilous, she was relieved by the approach of Mr. Spencer -Newcombe, Lord Raynham, and Lord Glenmore; and glad to arrest them by -way of saying something, asked if they had seen Lady Glenmore. - -"Yes," replied Lord Raynham. "I left her some time ago enjoying that -most enviable amusement, which only demands strength of wind and limb, -and spares all the wear and tear of brains that graver cares demand. -I wish it were the fashion for men of my age to make _girouettes_ and -_pirouettes_, and cut _entrès_. Grown gentlemen _are_ taught to dance, -and I have long had serious thoughts of learning _incog._" - -"I hope you will let your intimate friends at least enjoy your first -_début_," cried Mr. Spencer Newcombe. "But, after all, you know, -Raynham, that _girouettes_ and _pirouettes_ belong equally to the dance -of life as to the dance of the ball-room; and we are none of us quite -ignorant of these, though some of us make them more gracefully than -others." - -Lord Raynham had a way of not hearing when it did not suit him to hear; -and having no impromptu _fait à loisir_ ready at that moment, by way of -reply, he passed on, apparently insensible to the sting, which he was -much better skilled in knowing how to inflict than how to receive. - -"I think," said Lord Glenmore, "that at all events Georgina must have -had enough of that enviable amusement, as Raynham calls it, by this -time; and that if we do not go in quest of her, we shall not be -together at supper." So saying, he sought her first among the dancers; -but passed on, inquiring, as he went, if any one had seen her. Some -replied one thing, some another; and many answered in a pointed manner, -which, however, was unobserved by him, for it was contrary to Lord -Glenmore's nature to entertain a doubt of those whom he once loved and -esteemed. Being wearied of seeking Lady Glenmore, and concluding she -had gone to the refreshment-room, he sat down by Lady Tenderden, whose -vanity was always gratified in every opportunity of keeping up the -remembrance of a past juvenile gossip in the eyes of the world. - -In the meanwhile, Lady Glenmore, who had been overcome by the heat of -the ball-room, had been easily prevailed upon to seek the refreshing -coolness of the terraces; and having walked about some time, entered -the conservatory, and sat down for a moment to inhale the perfume of -the flowers and plants, and to enjoy the tranquillity it afforded -from the noise and bustle of the dancers. Here Mr. Leslie Winyard -beguiled the hour, and interested Lady Glenmore by reciting various -passages from various poets, analogous to the spirit of the place, and -then passing from these to the theme of such feelings as the lines -he quoted were calculated to inspire. He dwelt with eloquence on the -imperfection and little refinement of all attachments of the present -day, expatiated on that homage which ought to be paid to woman, and -which, as he spoke, he seemed to imply was willingly paid by himself to -her. - -There was an inebriating danger in this address, which Lady Glenmore -was too young and too pure to see; and she listened complacently -and unsuspectingly to the perilous flattery, forgetting how the -moments flew, and unconscious of the impropriety of her remaining so -long absent from the general circle, and in a place so remote from -observation. Nor was she aware of the appearance which might attach to -her, till a whisper fell on her ear, and, startling, made her arise -hastily from her seat. It proceeded from Lord Gascoigne and Lord -Baskerville, who stood behind some orange-trees. - -"Basky," said the latter, arresting his companion by the arm, "we -are _de trop_ here," directing his attention to the spot where Lady -Glenmore and Mr. Leslie Winyard were. - -"Upon my word," replied Lord Baskerville, "this is worth all the _fête_ -put together." - -"Hush!" said the latter distinctly; "let us be off: it is not fair." - -Lady Glenmore looked round, but saw no one: it aroused her, however, to -a recollection of the length of time that she had been sitting there, -and moving forward on the instant, she said, - -"We must return to the ball-room." - -Mr. Leslie Winyard would willingly have detained her, but he felt that -it was injudicious to press her to remain when she seemed to have taken -alarm; and having himself heard the voices, which he believed to have -occasioned Lady Glenmore's sudden departure, he was conscious that some -curious intruders had witnessed the fact of his _tête-à-tête_; and he -consoled himself for its interruption with the idea that its fame would -soon be spread abroad, and in colours far more glowing than the reality. - -When Lady Glenmore returned to the ball-room, she saw her husband in -the midst of Lady Tenderden's _coterie_, enjoying that easy flow of -spirits, which, tempered with elegance and refinement of fancy, marked -peculiarly the charm of his society. As she approached, he arose -and took her hand, and with an expression of pleasure drew her arm -through his, as though he had found all that he wanted to complete -his enjoyment of the pleasure of the scene. Lady Glenmore, too, seemed -delighted; while some of those who witnessed this meeting exchanged -significant looks, and whispered remarks upon the cunning duplicity of -the one, and the consummate _bonhommie_ of the duped. - -"It is the best thing," said Lord Baskerville, "that I have seen this -many a day:" and by Lord Tonnerre, Lord Boileau, and the rest of that -knot of persons, Lady Glenmore was pronounced to be the cleverest woman -in the world, her husband the greatest fool, and Leslie Winyard the -most fortunate of men. - -All this while Lord Albert had been close at Lady Hamlet Vernon's side, -mute, and apparently insensible to every thing around. Once only did -Lady Adeline pass before him; but he could not be deaf to the lavish -encomiums he heard repeated on all sides, of the beauty and the grace -of her who was to have been his own, but who was now lost to him, he -feared, for ever; and all these things, and the sad contrast of the -past and of the present, aggravated the bitterness of his soul. - -The last glimpse he caught of her was on her leaving the Priory, when -she was leaning on the arm of Mr. Foley, accompanied by Lady Louisa -Blithewaite. Her spirits, wound up for some time to a factitious -spring, had given way at last, and she could no longer keep up -the deception. Languid, inanimate, almost unable to stand, she -thought that she had done all which Lady Dunmelraise could demand; -and, under the plea of excessive fatigue, she easily prevailed on -Lady Louisa Blithewaite not to await the end of the _fête_, but to -return to town. The general homage she had received, and the very -particular _dévouement_ of the Duke of Mercington, might, under other -circumstances, have been powerful stimulants to the vanity of any young -mind; but one absorbing passion is the best _natural_ preservative -against the follies of the world, and the heartlessness of vanity; for -the incense of flattery palls upon a heart that is deeply engaged, and -which scorns all praise that is not uttered by the lips of the one -object of its devotion. - -Before Lady Adeline reached town, the morning light streaked the -horizon; and she felt that this rising of day, with its accompaniment -of vernal airs, and twittering birds, and sparkling dew-drops, and -all the gladness of an awakened creation, were but a mocking contrast -to the setting sun of her hopes, the mournful notes of sorrow which -rung in her ears, and the deadness of that affection which she had -once thought could suffer no diminution or decay. The chilling damp -of disappointed love clung around her heart and withered every hope, -rendering her wholly spiritless, and unable to converse; and when she -arrived at Lady Dunmelraise's door, she took a hasty leave of Lady -Louisa Blithewaite, and stealing as noiselessly as she could to her -apartment, she courted the silence of reflection, but not the calm of -sleep. - - - - -CHAPTER IX. - -LOVERS' ERRORS. - - -Had Lord Albert D'Esterre been himself at the time, and not the victim -of contending passions, he would have left the _fête_ at Avington -Priory the moment he had seen Lady Adeline depart. As it was, he -remained; it cannot be supposed from any entertainment or delight that -he derived from the scene, but from that species of suffering which -renders _all_ scenes alike; and in the bitterness of his heart he even -affected a gaiety such as the poor maniac feels, - - "With moody madness laughing wild - Amid severest woe." - -How many hearts are there in similar situations, whose gangrene wounds -are festering at the core while the mask of pleasure is painted on the -face! But there are few persons in the world who know us sufficiently, -or think of us enough, to detect the assumed disguise; and thus the -wretched are numbered with the happy. Some few, however, there are, -who, mingling in this cheating crowd, have yet their hopes and hearts -anchored in a far different sphere, and pass through the infected mass, -themselves unspotted, like Milton's personification of Purity amid the -crew of Comus. - -These, with deep commiseration of spirit, penetrate the paint and -varnish of deceptive pleasure, and, shuddering, see what waste they -make of life who never look beyond it--losing, for its shadow, the sum -and substance of true happiness. But _such as these_ were not to be -found in the circle in which Lord Albert moved. He had often, since -his _entrainement_ in that delusive scheme of existence in which he -was involved, exclaimed, "I was not made for this!" The nobler, truer -purposes of existence were still the inmates of his breast, but they -were under a spell which he had no power to break: they were dead -letter, and were in peril of becoming obsolete. - -In this state of moral danger, had he confided to Lord Glenmore's ear -the contradictory feelings by which he was alternately swayed, in -him Lord Albert would have found a true friend; for he was not one -of the many who pass by exultingly, in the ride, or indifference, or -selfishness of their nature, and say, "You, too, are happy," careless -of the reality, so long as the sunshine of their own amusement is not -darkened by the sorrow they see another wear. No: Lord Glenmore would -have not only commiserated, but counselled; not only counselled, but -aided. Alas! we may suspect, that when we shrink from confiding our -sorrows to a friend whom we know to be good and true, we are ourselves -under some fatal delusion. - -Lord Albert sought not to unbosom himself to Lord Glenmore, from a -latent feeling that he was himself in error; and he had not had, -for many a day, the courage, or rather the virtue, to probe his own -conduct, but suffered the blindness of self-deception to gather like -a cataract over his mental vision; he acted under the consciousness -that he was to blame, yet without sufficient energy to attempt to -dispel the film, and look on things as they really were. It may seem -matter of surprise that Lord Glenmore, who lacked not penetration, had -not openly spoken to his friend on the subject of his engagement with -Lady Adeline: but while Lord Glenmore was happy himself, in that deep -sense of the word in which it most imports us to be happy, the mazes -of entanglement which gather around those who swerve from the path of -rectitude entered not into his imagination. He had always pursued a -straight-forward path, and truth and sincerity had given him a clue to -pass through life without entering on any of those tortuous ways, such -as now distracted his unhappy friend. - -This clear moral light of action rendered him, in the present instance, -blind to the conduct of Lord Albert; and though the rumour was -prevalent amongst the circle in which they lived, that his engagement -with Lady Adeline was at an end, yet it had not reached Lord Glenmore's -ear; and even had it done so, perhaps, from ignorance of Lady Adeline's -merits, he might have thought that his friend's affections would be -better bestowed elsewhere; but, at all events, he would have felt, that -to mention the subject, while Lord Albert had made no allusion to it -himself, would have been an indelicacy on his part. - -Thus was the former, from his own want of confidence, deprived of the -only counsellor who might, by a word, have dispelled the mist of error -which surrounded him; and by assisting Lord Albert to recover his -self-esteem, have restored him to a happiness which was now eluding his -grasp, if it had not already done so. Experience, however, must be -bought. There is an ordeal to be passed through by every one. Happy are -those who are purified seven times in the fire, and come forth humbled -and ameliorated! - -However much Lord Albert's sufferings might have been unnoticed by the -general eye, there was one who read his soul's secret but too plainly. -Lady Hamlet Vernon saw through the veil of the false gaiety and forced -spirits which he assumed; and again and again felt, with an impassioned -woman's feelings, that the hour was come which was to decide her fate. - -On the night, or rather morning, when the festivities of Avington -Park were ended--when the last lingering footsteps of the votaries -of pleasure passed away, satiated but not satisfied with the very -continuance of that diversion which for ever demands fresh food to feed -its sickly appetite, although it palls upon the aliment it craves--Lord -Albert could no longer drown his senses in the hum and glitter of the -gay crowd; and having handed Lady Hamlet Vernon to her carriage, sought -his own. And there once more alone, with a perfect abstraction of mind -he threw himself back, and, covering his face with his hands, shuddered -at the broad blue light of day, which seemed, in its pure serenity, to -mock the dark turbulence of his stormy thoughts; but he could not shut -out the beam of conscience, before whose searching ray the light and -darkness are both alike. - -His pillow brought no repose, and he felt glad when the hour came -which called him to attend the routine of his official situation. -Distasteful as the occupation was become, harassed and preoccupied as -were his thoughts, he went through the duties it imposed with his usual -precision and power; and found, what every one will find, that duties, -however dry, when they are strictly fulfilled bring a palliative -to suffering, and act as correctives of evil. It must be allowed, -however, that it is a great prerogative which men enjoy over women, in -experiencing, from the very nature of the employments which generally -devolve on them, a relief that strengthens and invigorates, while those -of women bear them invariably back to the very source and centre of -their sorrows, and awaken all the enfeebling tenderness of the heart. -But neither should this create a spirit of repining. Doubtless, every -one who seeks for strength where alone it can be found will not seek -in vain; and the feeble may become strong when they place their trust -aright. - -Lord Albert D'Esterre, having finished the business of the day, was -enabled with more calmness to meet the pain which he expected would -attend his visit in South Audley-street, whither he went to seek an -explanation from Lady Dunmelraise and Lady Adeline. As he crossed -Piccadilly from St. James's, with the intention of avoiding the throng -of Hyde Park, and as he was turning into a street leading more directly -to the point whither he was going, Lady Hamlet Vernon's carriage passed -him. She looked out of the window, at the same time kissing her hand -as though she wished him to stop; but returning her salute, he passed -on. Still there was something peculiar in her expression which did not -escape his observation. It spoke a triumph, of which, had he known the -cause, it would have proved an antidote to the misery that was in store -for him; for in that case he would, under every circumstance, have -persevered in his determination of obtaining an explanation from Lady -Adeline in person. - -When arrived at the well-known door of Lady Dunmelraise, he waited with -impatience for its opening, but no one came. He desired his servant to -knock again; and looking up, he perceived the windows were open, and -maid-servants passing to and fro in the rooms with an air of unusual -bustle, which made him shudder, although he knew not why. At the -same moment, the porter opened the door, and informed him that Lady -Dunmelraise and Lady Adeline had left town a few hours before. He was -for a minute mute with astonishment.--"Left town!" he exclaimed; "for -how long?" - -"I really do not know, my lord." - -"When do you expect their return?" - -"Not this year," was the reply: "at least, we have received no orders -to lead us to suppose my lady is coming back; but, on the contrary, we -have directions to take down the furniture." - -"This is unaccountable!" ejaculated Lord Albert, with a movement of -mingled indignation and grief. "Where is Lady Dunmelraise gone?" he -asked, after another pause. - -"To Dunmelraise, I believe, my lord." - -Lord Albert continued to sit on his horse mechanically for some -minutes, as if wholly unable to collect his thoughts, or to believe -the truth of what the servant said. Again and again he asked the -same questions, and invariably received the same answers, till there -was no longer any doubt of the fact; and then in broken sentences -he said, unconscious that he spoke aloud,--"It is too true, too -evident--unnecessary!--unworthy!" - -"My lord?" said his groom, thinking he addressed him. - -"Nothing, James, nothing," he said, starting from his reverie; and -suffering his horse to choose its own direction, he allowed the reins -to lie heedlessly on its neck; and then, again, actuated by a change of -impulse, he urged it to its speed, dashing rapidly through the streets; -when some of his acquaintance, who saw him as he passed, observed, -"D'Esterre is certainly quite mad; I always thought so." And thus he -continued his way homeward, now riding furiously, now creeping along, -as the wayward mood of the moment directed, till he found himself at -his own door; and then, flinging himself from his horse, he rushed to -his apartment, forbidding all interruption. Lord Albert's servants, -who were exceedingly attached to him, looked aghast at his altered -demeanour, and marvelled what had befallen their master. - -No sooner was he alone, than he paced the room in all directions, -uttering broken sentences of, "Gone--gone--not to return!--without -one word of farewell!"--Then he cast himself first into one chair, -then into another; then arose abruptly, and striking his forehead, -cried, "It is so. The die is cast, and all is over. But I will write -to Lady Dunmelraise.--No; rather I will go myself to her. I will -upbraid her duplicity, and shame Adeline for this unworthy conduct." -Then again, sinking into a calmer mood, but one of deeper anguish, -he said, "It is too plain, it is too evident. Why should I seek -that which I know already? No, no," he added, with a bitter smile, -"Adeline shall not have it in her power to say that I was the first -to break our engagement. Lady Dunmelraise shall not avail herself -of any precipitation on my part, to dissolve a tie which she wishes -broken, but knows not how to break. Adeline shall herself give me my -dismissal; for _it is_ Adeline who has coldly, cruelly, and shamelessly -cast me off." Here he felt a check. There was a sort of echo that gave -back the sentence in mockery to his ear. "Adeline has cast _me_ off," -seemed repeated in bitter derision. There are words and circumstances -which occur in the life of every one, when something more than the -usual meaning of the one, or the common import of the other, appears -to attach a consequence to them beyond their own individual value. So -strongly did this feeling come over Lord Albert at the present moment, -as he referred all blame to Lady Adeline, that a sudden revulsion -of sensation rendered his mind a chaos. Still his unwillingness to -acknowledge himself in fault made him recall every trivial occurrence -which could confirm his jealous doubts, and dwell on these till he -again persuaded himself that he was the innocent and aggrieved person. - -Mastered by this false impression, he determined to remain silent, and -await his expected dismissal. "Then," he said, "then will be the time -for me to speak of my wrongs." His mind was turbulent and gloomy all -that day; but when the evening came, he habitually sought the circle -in which he had been too much accustomed of late to pass his time, and -which had become necessary to him. As Lady Tilney had a _soirée_, he -drove to her house; and in this routine of what is termed pleasure he -courted and found that torpor of reflection which it is its peculiar -and baneful property to produce. - -Lady Hamlet Vernon, who had heard from Mr. Foley of Lady Dunmelraise's -sudden departure, and who felt like one snatched from the perilous -brink of an abyss on receiving the intelligence, was now once more -enabled to put forth all her fascinations; and on that evening devoted -herself, with successful ardour, to the task of engaging Lord Albert's -attention, and diverting his mind from painful retrospection. With all -a woman's wiles, she suited her discourse to his taste; and, without -too much or too little display, brought her varied talents into view, -not as though they were her _own_, but merely the reflection caught -from Lord Albert's; existing but _through_ him and _for_ him; by him -to be fostered and improved, or by him to be crushed and dissolved, at -pleasure. - -Who but a woman can enter into this refinement of enchantment? Who -but a woman can glory in being a slave? The effect Lady Hamlet Vernon -produced on Lord Albert this evening was that of a lulling spell; an -influence which she always possessed in greater degree, in proportion -to the racking doubts and anxieties under which he laboured, and which -rendered him the easier prey to her seducing arts. When he parted from -her, accordingly, on that evening, he felt grateful for the solace -which her friendship and devotion seemed invariably to afford. False -and unstable as was its basis, he leant on it with mistaken confidence; -for he had plunged into the deceptive sea of error, and was doomed -to be the sport of every incidental circumstance that floated on the -surface of his affections. - -On the following morning, his cruel, unjust opinions of Lady -Dunmelraise and her daughter were confirmed, upon reading in the -newspapers an announcement of Lady Dunmelraise's having left town, -accompanied by a remark, in the usual language of similar information, -that it was understood the lovely Lady Adeline was soon to be led to -the hymeneal altar by Mr. George Foley. He cast down the paper with a -feeling of sickness at his heart, which again gave way to a sense of -deep injury; and then once more was renewed the determination to clear -up the question by a direct application to Lady Dunmelraise: but the -false pride of wounded feelings, offended honour, indignation at being -deceived, and all the minor concomitants of self-love, brought back -the tide of error which swept his thoughts into another channel, and -with the sullen gloom of despair he finally said, "No; the issue of -this strife must soon come of itself: let it come: it shall neither be -retarded nor hastened by me." - -While Lord Albert was thus suffering the penalty of his own mistaken, -erring conduct, Lady Adeline's sufferings had not been less painfully -acute; with this only difference, that self-reproach had never torn -her breast; and agonizing as were her feelings on the morning when -she returned from Avington Priory, they were enviable in comparison -with those which racked his heart. Lady Dunmelraise had given orders, -the previous evening, that her daughter should not be disturbed on -the following day; concluding that the fatigue of the _fête_ would be -to her doubly trying, and that she would require a long and complete -rest. She was much surprised, therefore, when she came to breakfast, to -find Lady Adeline awaiting her. Her countenance and air at once told -a melancholy truth to Lady Dunmelraise; and she felt not only that -rest had been a stranger to her, but that some more decided event, and -more painful than any which had yet befallen her, must have occurred, -to have, in so brief a space, effected such ravages on her youth and -bloom. Nor did she remain long in ignorance of this so sudden change; -for Lady Adeline, meeting her mother's embrace, with many convulsive -sobs breathed out her entreaty to be taken immediately from London, -and to be spared her being called upon to witness any more of those -agonizing scenes, such as she had been exposed to at Avington Priory. - -"I have done enough, I have done enough, dearest mamma," she exclaimed, -"to show Albert an indifference which I never can really feel towards -him; and you will not, I am sure, condemn your poor child to any more -similar trials." She then detailed to Lady Dunmelraise the particulars -of the last night's occurrences, who saw too plainly, and shuddered as -she saw, that this strife of suppressed feeling had shaken the frame of -her child, and not only blighted her happiness, but endangered her very -existence. - -"My sweet Adeline," said Lady Dunmelraise with the tenderest -earnestness, "would that I could as easily take all sorrow from you as -I can now comply with this your request! You shall no longer endure a -protracted stay here: we will leave town directly." - -Lady Adeline knew her mother's heart, and doubted not of her -acquiescence in her wishes; but there was a manner of feeling _with_ -her at the moment, which was grateful to her wounded heart beyond the -mere act of compliance; and as she wept on her mother's shoulder, she -said, - -"I am an unthankful being to feel unhappy when I have such a parent." -Lady Dunmelraise kissed away her tears; and having done all in her -power to soothe, left her with the secret intention to arrange their -immediate departure. Scarcely was Lady Adeline alone, than she looked -fearfully around, as though the very precincts of the room upbraided -her for going away, and as though she had voluntarily sought to take a -step which was for ever to part her from Lord Albert. - -An icy coldness clung round her heart, as she gazed again and again at -the walls of the apartment, and in every article of their decoration -recognized some trace of him she loved. She murmured inwardly, "Even -where his shadow fell, the senseless wall recalls all my grief; for -though it left no trace upon the spot on which it passed, what can -efface the reflection of his image from my heart? - -"Can it be," she went on to say, "that so short a time ago I entered -this house, elated with hope and delight at the idea of meeting him? -can it be that he should have appeared inspired with the same feelings -as myself, and then, without any reason, so cruelly, so heartlessly -desert me? I think I could have better borne this sorrow, had he only -confided in me as a friend. Yes, had he but told me the truth, I might -have mourned in secret; but I never should have wept for him as I do -now in bitterness of heart, to think that I have so loved an object -unworthy of my esteem." - -Alas! when we are in sorrow, we fancy any other grief would be easier -endured than that which weighs us down; but we judge erroneously. -Sorrows spring not out of the ground; and it is knowing how to -suffer the scourge under which we smart that can alone bring us any -alleviation. There are few persons, so young as Lady Adeline, with -feelings as finely strung, who are so well prepared to meet with trial; -yet still poor human nature is in its best estate a mart for sorrows; -and those are happiest who soonest learn to barter the bright, delusive -hopes of youth for the sober, subdued views of real life, which, -without producing a distaste for this world's enjoyments, despoil them -of that vivid colouring which cannot last, and detaches them from -considering it as their abiding place. - -Such was the lesson now taught to Lady Adeline, as she was called, with -unexpected haste, to quit South Audley-street; and she cast a last -hurried glance at the chair where he had sat, who was still her heart's -idol, at the carpet on which he had trod, the book he had opened, and, -lastly, the picture, the image dearer than all except himself, which -she now left for the first and last time, as no longer worthy to be her -companion. Notwithstanding the abruptness with which she was snatched -from these melancholy contemplations, and the revulsion of feelings -which her sudden farewell to these cherished objects occasioned, -Lady Adeline, after a few hours' reflection, acknowledged that the -promptness of Lady Dunmelraise's decision had been made in kindness, -and that the blow which was to sever her from him she most loved, if it -were inevitable, were best to fall suddenly. - - - - -CHAPTER X. - -AN AWKWARD DILEMMA. - - -The _fête_ at Avington Priory afforded a theme of conversation, if -such a term is not inapplicable to such a subject, of much longer -duration than was usual; for in the existence of those who were actors -in the scene, or participators in its pleasures, one folly generally -succeeded another so quickly as to chase away all remembrance of its -immediate predecessor. Perhaps, too, in this instance, more interest -was experienced in the discussion of the entertainment, from the zest -which some signal _esclandres_ gave to it, and which were generally -whispered about; particularly that in which Lady Glenmore's and Mr. -Leslie Winyard's names were involved. - -Of this report, Lord Baskerville and Lord Gascoigne were the active -propagators; and which, corroborated by the condemning facts they -themselves had witnessed, led those who listened to the conclusion -that the matter was _une affaire decidée_. The only question then was, -whether it was well or ill arranged; for in all things the creed of -these parties taught them to estimate the _manner_ of an action without -any reference to its morality. Opinions were given respecting the good -or bad taste of the thing; and speculation ran high how Glenmore would -take it. However far from the truth, or unjust, these conclusions and -opinions might in reality be, it cannot be denied that Lady Glenmore -had in some measure afforded subject of conversation to the licentious -and censorious tongues of these traducers, by permitting the very -marked and exclusive attentions of Mr. Leslie Winyard in society; and, -in doing so, justified an apprehension which the most candid and the -most kind observer (if any such had been there as witness) could not -but feel, that she must inevitably fall a victim to a man of Leslie -Winyard's character, unless some powerful hand snatched her from the -peril. - -In the example of Lady Glenmore's present danger, the mischiefs arising -out of the system of the society in which she lived are painfully -apparent; and although they have more than once been dwelt upon, yet, -with the object of unmasking a disguised evil, they cannot be too -frequently alluded to or minutely detailed. Nor can the observation -be too often repeated, that such dangers must unavoidably accrue to -the young and inexperienced while receiving none of those salutary -checks which are afforded them in a society differently organized, and -where the ties of families, and the counsel and protection of sincere -friends, are _not_ sacrificed to the laws and rules of exclusive -fashion. - -Lady Glenmore's absence, it might almost be called alienation, from -Lord and Lady Melcombe and the bosom of her own family, had been so -gradual as scarcely to be perceptible. Had it been otherwise, she -would have recoiled from the idea, and her excellent heart would have -sufficed to guard her from so unnatural a fault; but the evil grew out -of the circumstances in which she was placed, and increased without any -appearance which could awaken a suspicion of its real tendency. She did -not go to-day to Lady Melcombe, because Lady Tenderden, or Lady Tilney, -or some other of her friends, had prevented her at the very moment she -was stepping into her carriage; but she would go to-morrow: and when -to-morrow came, fatigued with the ball or the assembly of the preceding -evening, she did not rise till at so late an hour, that Lady Melcombe -would be out, and it was in vain for her to go. When the evening in -its turn came round, then some ceremonious diplomatic dinner, followed -by the _soirées_ of the different members of her _coterie_, equally -precluded her from fulfilling this duty. - -Thus one day passed on after another, and the rare and short visit to -her parents, when it was paid, afforded no real communion of heart -or thought. Yet all this happened not wilfully, not in positive -indifference, or forgetfulness of natural affection, but arose, as it -were, unavoidably, out of the life she led. Let it not excite surprise -that this alienation had been productive of no alarm in the tender and -affectionate hearts of Lord and Lady Melcombe. They, indeed, saw less -of their daughter than they wished; but though they sometimes sighed -over the "angel visits, few and far between," of their estranged child, -still, in the indulgent fondness of their hearts, perhaps too in a -mistaken pride, they found an excuse for her constantly living in a -round of dissipation, partly from the pomp and circumstance attendant -on the public situation which her husband held, and partly from -thinking it natural that one so young, and gifted with external graces, -should indulge in the pleasures that courted her on all sides. - -Another cause, too, existed, to render their separation an apparent -consequence of her marriage. Lord and Lady Melcombe had not lived at -any time on terms of intimacy with that circle which now exclusively -formed their daughter's and Lord Glenmore's society; and a further -barrier by this means stood between their meeting; but it was one -which, if natural feelings had been allowed their proper influence, -and had any advance been made to Lord and Lady Melcombe, on the part -of those persons, towards their acquaintance, might easily have been -removed. - -In this case, for their daughter's sake, they would readily have met -any advance, and in order to do so, have stepped out of their own -habitual line of society; a society founded on the dignified principles -of high rank, and the rational grounds of real social happiness: but -they were the last persons to court an intimacy where a mutual desire -was not expressed for its formation; and the question, however painful -as it affected their natural intercourse with their child, was not, -however, one which gave rise to any seriously uneasy feelings. When -they did see her, they saw her so fondly attached to her husband, and -so happy, what could they fear for her? It would almost have seemed -like a selfish apprehension, to have indulged any doubts regarding her -future welfare. - -Their own course through life had been one perpetual gleam of -sunshine, a circumstance which is apt to render us more blind to -the possibility of evil, than when we have been exercised in the -school of adversity; that school by which we are alone perfected, and -without whose salutary discipline the false security is indulged, that -"_to-morrow will be as to-day, and even more abundant_," and we dread -no check to our earthly career. - -How fearful is this species of happiness, which, resting on itself, -forgets the hand by which it is alone upheld! Could Lord and Lady -Melcombe have seen through this delusion--could they have guessed that -their child stood at the moral point where the two paths separate -which lead to virtue or to vice, and where the traveller in the road -of life, according as he makes his choice, will be admitted in the -end to misery or happiness--they would have performed their duty as -parents unhesitatingly; they would have pointed out to their child the -excellence of the one course, and have warned her of the inevitable -ruin and degradation attendant on the other. As to the current reports -of the day, they were the last to hear them, as is usually the case -with those most concerned; and in this respect Lord Glenmore was -removed still further from a knowledge of the truth. Lady Glenmore, -deprived of her natural and true guides, surrounded by persons whose -lives were, generally speaking, characterized by the same errors, -on the brink of which she now hung, and who, if they looked on such -conduct as error, held it in a very venial light even when detected, -and as nothing, if it evaded open discovery, had little chance of -receiving any counsel in time to save her. - -Speaking thus of Lady Glenmore, it must not be supposed that she viewed -her own conduct and career in its true light, or that she erred from -any determination to err, or even from being led away by any impulse of -passion; far from it. The innocence of her nature, her domestic habits -and education, as well as her attachment to her husband, had in the -first instance rendered her present mode of life distasteful. But it -is the very property of the subtle poison of that atmosphere in which -she lived and breathed to pollute the healthful springs of being, till -the moral taste becomes less and less acute, and is at length wholly -corrupted, leaving the mind totally unable to discriminate between -right and wrong. - -Although, with the young men who lived in the same society, the event -of the downfall of her reputation was looked upon as a thing of -course, and hailed, in their licentiousness of spirit, as a matter of -congratulation, since it would level another victim to their standard, -still there were others of the _coterie_, who, from motives of policy, -were anxious that no further _esclandre_ should take place, than -that which had already arisen on the subject, to call forth the loud -reprehension of a public whom they at once feared and despised, and -whose opinions, though they set them at defiance, they in reality -wished not to brave unnecessarily: for in the instance of Lady -Glenmore, the destruction of so much happiness as was supposed to have -centred in her union would be likely to create proportionate abhorrence -and condemnation of a system of society which had been the occasion of -it, and lead to a sifting and exposure of the principle and motives on -which that system was based. - -Lady Tilney was the first person whose acuteness and vigilance descried -the danger; and was impelled to attempt an arrangement of the business, -as well from her general love of managing every body and every thing, -as from the more weighty reason attached to it. Being perfectly aware -of Lady Glenmore's character, she dreaded lest an affair which, in -the hands of a woman of tact, might have been managed without any -_éclat_, would with her be precipitated to a point which must end in -an exposure. She felt, however, that to speak to Lady Glenmore openly -would be to commit herself with a person whose want of discretion was -the chief ground of her apprehensions respecting her; and therefore, -after much reflection, she determined to seek the assistance of Lady -Tenderden in the business, and employ her in its management, as being -more intimate with the parties than she herself was. - -It was not the first time that Lady Tilney had availed herself of an -intermediate hand to work out a favourite undertaking. With this view, -some ten days after the _fête_ at Avington Priory, and when the whole -affair was openly spoken of throughout their circle, Lady Tilney sought -an opportunity of communicating her views to Lady Tenderden; and having -denied herself to every one else, they were soon in deep conference in -the _boudoir_. - -"Dear Lady Tenderden," said the former, addressing her, "I am sure that -I may speak to you in confidence on a subject in which you will feel -an equal if not greater interest than myself: I allude to our _élève_, -_la petite_ Georgina. This is a very silly affair of hers with Leslie -Winyard, and is going too far: don't you think so?" Lady Tenderden -gave no direct answer. - -"Surely you must allow that she is not the _sort_ of person to risk any -hazards, or to manage this kind of affair well or with prudence. If -allowed to go on by herself, she will run headlong down the precipice, -and no earthly power can save her. Besides, it would be such a terrible -thing _for us_, if there was any public scandal to ensue. Consider, my -dear Lady Tenderden, we should all incur some portion of blame, and -_she_ would be pitied; while we should have all those persons whom we -have banished without the pale of our society raving against _us_, and -our system, as though it were a _lazaretto_ in which all the plagues of -Egypt were assembled. Now, though _we_ know how false this is, still we -ought to provide against it." - -Lady Tenderden nodded assent as Lady Tilney went on:--"_You_ agree with -me, I am sure; for the curious and the disappointed will not judge -_coolly_, and we must try to shelter ourselves from their imputations, -however groundless. We ought to move on in a sphere out of the general -nature of things; but, in order to do this _impunément_, it is -necessary to be vigilant and prudent; and I assure you I am never off -the watch." - -"_Peut-être_; but den _how_ would you do in this instance?" - -"Ah! there lies the delicacy; in that _how_ consists the difficulty -of the business; for you know, as to _la petite personne_ herself, we -cannot with any safety _compromettez_ ourselves by speaking to her on -this subject. She is one of those innocent persons who would, I am -sure, either start off at the bare mention of any _liaison_, and would -make a great fuss, and a scene which might be very unpleasant to us -all in a thousand ways; or else she might give _tête baissé_ into the -thing, so much the more from being warned against it, as your meek -people always do; and, though not discreet, she has cunning enough -to keep it strictly secret till the moment when she steps into the -carriage which is to take her from her disconsolate husband." - -"_Peut-être_," was again Lady Tenderden's brief reply. - -Lady Tilney proceeded. "Now, I think there is one, and only one, way in -which it can be managed; and your assistance will be vitally important -for its success." - -"Oh _de graces_! do not involve me in any of dese troublesome _rôles_: -I am not at all de _personne_ to play dem well; and _l'inconduite de la -petite en question_ makes me quite _frissonné_ to think of any thing -of the kind." - -"Oh! but, my dear Lady Tenderden, for Glenmore's sake, you know, for -all our sakes, you will not let this affair terminate as it must do if -something is not done to put it on a right footing? You will not surely -let the _scandale_ of such a common-place _dénouement_ attach to our -society, as the infallible issue of the affair must cause, unless we -attempt to save appearances, and settle the _marche du jeu_ in _better -taste_ at least?" - -Lady Tenderden's countenance relaxed, as if she was pleased at the -idea of holding an influence over Lord Glenmore; and Lady Tilney was -satisfied that she had done wisely in condescending to flatter her -_amour-propre_, by confessing herself secondary in influence; a point -which she was never very willing to yield: but she felt it was the -surest way of securing Lady Tenderden's co-operation, and proceeded to -say, - -"Now listen, I entreat you, to what I have to propose; and if you do -not approve my idea, then suggest something better. The only thing -that remains to be done, in my opinion, then," continued Lady Tilney, -"is to get Georgina out of England. You know Glenmore cannot move; but -that is no reason why _she_ may not be absent for a few months. The -advantage of your company, her health, a thousand excuses may be found: -and if she is not as deeply involved as we suspect with Winyard, _this_ -will break off the affair; while, if she is, absence, and distance, and -the chances of time and place, _que sais-je enfin_----a million things -may turn away the tide of observation from _us_: at all events, the -_éclat_ will be less offensive abroad than at home. Now, could you not -propose to her a little tour to Spa, or _Les Eaux de Barèges_, when the -season comes round for leaving London?" - -Lady Tenderden seemed half inclined to acquiesce, but, like most people -who make sudden changes of opinion, she did not know exactly how to -give as ready an assent as she was willing in her heart to do; while, -at the same time, there was a little demur at the idea of being made -the tool of Lady Tilney, as well as of being mixed up in an affair in -which, if it ended wrong, she would regret to have been implicated. - -Lady Tilney's flattery and persuasive reasonings, however, as was -generally the case when she had a favourite point to carry, prevailed; -and the conversation ended with an arrangement, that Lady Tenderden -should, in the course of a few days, open the subject to Lady -Glenmore, and put it _en train_. - -Although the solicitude of the polite Lady Tilney for the fate of her -young _élève_ might have been premature as to the precise degree of her -_liaison_ with Mr. Leslie Winyard, still, if it had been entertained -on a better principle than that of mere expediency, it would have -been amiable and justifiable; for when a married woman's name is once -connected with that of any man in particular, there is an immediate -taint on her character, which, while it is degrading to herself, -attaches to her husband the character of dupe, or something worse, and -affords an example to others, productive of almost as much evil as -would accrue from actual guilt. - -There are very few women on whom this stain is cast, who could, like -the youthful Lady Glenmore, plead perfect innocence of intention; but -she had been, almost at the outset of her marriage, thrown alone in -the midst of the most dangerous class of the most dangerous society -of London. She had not certainly to complain that Lord Glenmore had -wilfully deserted or neglected her: his absence was a necessary -consequence of the duties he had taken upon himself in his public -career. - -While, however, she acknowledged this, she could not but feel and mourn -over his absence with childish simplicity of tenderness: and when at -last, partly from necessity, and partly from the various arts used -to wean her from this innocent love, she felt, as it was natural she -should feel, considering that no very strong principle of religion had -been instilled into her mind, or given stability to her character, that -there could be no impropriety in having recourse to the pleasures and -pursuits of fashion--pleasures which pertained to her situation, and -were not only sanctioned, but encouraged, by her husband--still, in -doing this, it was not in her nature to aspire to any leading part, or -to take any particular station, in the circle in which she moved. Had -it been so,--had she been, in short, more worldly,--her conduct would -have been more measured, more under the control of appearances; and -though she would not have had so much real virtue, she would better -have known how to preserve its semblance. But as it was, the object -sought by her in the maze of pleasure was simply an indemnification -for her husband's absence: and not possessing a mind stored by solid -instruction, or gifted with strong judgment, amiable, pliant, and fond, -she entered on this perilous career without one of those qualities -which might have enabled her to steer her course with safety. - -Thus exposed, she risked becoming the victim of any designing persons -who found it their amusement or their interest to render her the -subject of licentious animadversion. Where almost every event, as in -the kind of life described, bears some analogy, little variety occurs -to mark the progress of time. One intrigue resembles another; one -slander is like its neighbour; one _soirée_ is a specimen of all: and -unless, indeed, some defiance of morality more glaring than usual, some -solecism in a marriage or a ball, a death or a breakfast, take place, -there is little for the chronicler of the system to register in his -page. - -Ministers had looked forward to rest after the burthen of the session; -the nobles had gone to their country seats to enjoy the beauties of the -"sere and yellow leaf," there to renew the dissipations of the town. -Hither, too, the invited _intrigant_ had followed the object of his -present pursuit, to tell in shady bowers the tale, so often told before -to others, of treacherous love; while the sportsman, with more open -and more honest if not nobler aim, hied him to moors and highlands in -pursuit of his ruling passion. - -If, during the last moments of the waning season, nothing of stronger -character had occurred, on Lady Glenmore's and Mr. Leslie Winyard's -part, to attract the particular notice of the circle in which their -_liaison_ was matter of conversation, still there was no relaxation -of _his_ attentions, or of _her_ apparent preference, to justify the -belief that he had relinquished his pursuit, or that she had discarded -him. - -Lady Tilney, therefore, continually urged Lady Tenderden to the -necessity of adopting the measures she had proposed; and the latter, -having satisfied herself that no unpleasant responsibility was likely -to attach to her, consented to fill her allotted part in the measure, -and propose to Lady Glenmore to accompany her on a tour. - -"What do you do with yourself this summer?" said Lady Tenderden to the -latter, as she was sitting _tête-à-tête_ with her one morning. - -"Indeed I do not in the least know what are Glenmore's plans; but I -should hope we shall go to the country somewhere, for I begin to feel -that my health suffers from the racket of a town life. But whatever -_he_ chooses I shall like best, for nothing would do me any good if he -were not to be of the party." - -"_Oh! quelle enfantillage!_ Well! I hoped you had chased away that bad -habit of being always in de leading-string. What! _you_ a minister's -wife, and suppose that he is to follow you up _stair_ and down _stair -en nourrisson_ all your life! My dear, how would de state be taken care -of after this fashion?" - -"True," said Lady Glenmore, sighing, "and I am now used to be alone." -In fact Lady Tenderden knew that these words were uttered more from -habit than from feeling them in the painful degree in which they would -once have been spoken; and she replied, - -"Well then, my dear ladi, _il faut prendre son partie_; and since it -is impossible you should have him always _à vos trousses_, what think -you of making a little excursion with me to _Les Eaux de Barèges_, or -to Spa, for two or three months in the _belle saison_? This would, I -should think, exactly suit you: it will refresh your beauty, refit your -_toilette, et vous reviendrez entièrement renouvellée. On se ressent -de la fumée de Londres._ It is quite necessary to go away; and a -_villegiatura_ in England is so dull!" - -"What, go abroad!" said Lady Glenmore with unfeigned surprise. - -"_Vous êtes impayable_," rejoined Lady Tenderden, "_comme j'ai souvent -eu l'honneur de vous dire_. One would imagine you lived a hundred years -ago, when people talked of going abroad as they would of going to the -moon;--but, now, abroad is at home. _Allons!_ I will not allow you to -hesitate. Leave me to settle the matter with Glenmore. I will arrange -every thing; and he shall come and meet you, and bring you home, in -case I choose to pass the winter at Paris." - -Lady Glenmore had not the least idea that her husband would think of -consenting to this proposal, but gave a sort of half acquiescence, more -to escape from Lady Tenderden's persecuting entreaties, than from any -wish to realize the scheme; and she was quite astonished, some days -afterwards, to find Lord Glenmore of opinion that this plan would be -the pleasantest thing in the world for her, the best adapted to recruit -her health, and in all ways the most eligible. Half grieved at the -thoughts of absence from him, half gratified at his eager desire to -procure her a pleasure, and persuaded at length by his solicitations -to try the remedy of change of air for the languor which had of late -appeared to have affected her naturally good constitution,--the wish -too of yielding implicit obedience to his will,--all combined to -determine to consent; and she finally agreed to the proposed excursion, -which was soon followed by preparations and arrangements for their -departure to Barèges. - - - - -CHAPTER XI. - -MARRIAGE MANŒUVRES. - - -While events thus intimately connected with Lady Glenmore's -happiness were silently progressing, Lord Albert D'Esterre's mind -was engrossed and torn by a thousand contending feelings of a nature -wholly different, but not less fatally destructive of his peace. -After recovering from the violence of the first shock which Lady -Dunmelraise's sudden departure had occasioned, he had remained torpid -and incapable of action: then again, inwardly harassed by the most -lively anxiety, he had awaited, with an agony of suspense which none -can know save those who have experienced how "hope deferred maketh the -heart sick," the communication which he felt Lady Dunmelraise could not -possibly long delay, relative to Lady Adeline. - -During each of the four and twenty hours which had passed since the -blow had fallen on him, Lord Albert had thus been the victim of one -contradictory passion or other: but still, in the alternate storm -or lull of his emotions, he had mechanically sought the society of -the only person in the world whom he now believed entered into his -feelings, or took any real interest in his fate. It may be readily -supposed that Lady Hamlet Vernon did not lose the advantage which this -undivided share of his time afforded her; and she found means, even in -the state of apathy in which Lord Albert seemed plunged, and during -the lengthened silence to which, at intervals, he gave way even in her -presence, to impress him, by a thousand attentions, with a sense of -the deep sympathy she felt in all his sufferings. At the same time, -she knew the wound that rankled at his heart was yet too recent to be -rudely touched, and the paroxysm of his malady too violent to bear -those remedies which, with the skilful and tender solicitude of one -who watches a patient on the bed of sickness, she awaited a favourable -moment to administer, but forced not injudiciously upon his acceptance. - -With one exception only, no event occurred, no word was spoken, no -circumstance had been alluded to, that could in the remotest degree -bring forward the dreaded name of Lady Adeline. When, however, Lord -Albert heard, accidentally, at Lady Hamlet Vernon's, that Mr. Foley had -also left town a few days after Lady Dunmelraise, his feelings were -roused to a pitch that nearly decided him on hastening to Dunmelraise -in person. Nor is it probable, notwithstanding Lord Albert's former -resolves, that he would longer have hesitated to take this step, had -he not been assured, in the most pointed and positive manner, by Lady -Hamlet herself (who foresaw and dreaded the effect of this natural -impulse), that Mr. Foley had _not_ followed Lady Adeline, but was gone -on a visit to some other part of the country. - -This intelligence again changed the current of his feelings, and for -the moment he was lulled into a security, that while his rival appeared -not in Adeline's presence, she would have leisure and freedom of mind -to reflect and repent of the cruelty of her behaviour towards himself; -and vainly imagined that there was better hope in leaving her to the -workings of her own heart, than by giving way to any reproaches which -he might have made. - -Thus he lost the only chance that remained to him, of avoiding the blow -which was so soon to annihilate all hope. It was a fortnight after Lady -Adeline's leaving London, that the post brought him a letter, at sight -of the well-known characters of which he trembled; for with one glance -he recognized them to be the hand-writing of Lady Dunmelraise. He knew -that that letter must be the arbiter of his fate, that it must lead to -an explanation; and he felt that no explanations were likely to prove -happy ones. For a few moments he held the letter in his hand, dreading -to break the seal, for he was aware that it was the messenger which was -either to condemn him to the loss of Adeline, or give him the power to -seek her as his wife; and, of the latter, something within his breast -forbade the hope. At length he slowly tore open the paper, and, with a -gasping eagerness, read as follows: - - "My dear Lord Albert D'Esterre, - - "The period which was to decide the fulfilment of the wishes - entertained by Lord Tresyllian and the late Lord Dunmelraise - respecting yourself and Lady Adeline has at length arrived. Wishes - of this kind, however, are unfortunately too often subject to the - same changes which attend on every thing earthly; and it would - be weak, therefore, as well as wrong, to lament over them when - unrealized: still less should we do so, when their accomplishment no - longer appears to hold out that prospect of felicity which, in the - present instance, I am certain, was the only motive for their first - indulgence. I need not, my lord, enter upon the reasons which have - induced my daughter to resign the honour of an alliance with your - house: they will naturally suggest themselves to your own heart; and - if they do not do this, I consider an explanation of them would be an - intrusion on my part, of which I should be sorry to be guilty. - - "I remain, my dear Lord Albert D'Esterre, - - "Your very faithful and obedient - - "ELIZA DUNMELRAISE." - - "P. S. I forward a copy of my letter to Lord Tresyllian by this post." - -"It is then as I thought," exclaimed Lord Albert. "Faithless, -treacherous, cold-hearted Adeline! why did I ever love you? Why place -my happiness on so frail, so unworthy a tenure? But it is well; it is -better thus. Since I have now no cause to mourn your loss, I will not -suffer grief for such an object to master me. It is well that you are -lost to me. Lost!"--he started at the sound, as he repeated, "Yes, lost -to me for ever!" and his lip trembled, while a sense of suffocation -oppressed and overpowered him, and tears, burning tears, burst from his -eyes. Not softly, not refreshingly, did they flow, but like the lava's -flood, which scathes the path down which it courses. For two days and -two nights Lord Albert remained in the most pitiable state of mind. He -would see no one, for to whom could he unburthen his griefs? and not -to speak of them was impossible: to whom would he deign to show his -lacerated heart? yet to what other subject than that by which it was -torn could he give utterance? - -The necessity of replying to Lady Dunmelraise's letter was the first -thing that aroused him from this lethargy of sorrow; but when he -essayed the task, he found it one of no easy nature. He read and -_re-read_ the letter; he endeavoured to extract from it some gleam of -hope, some opening of possible change; but it was so calm, so cuttingly -and despairingly reasonable, so dignified yet so decided in its tone, -so meek yet so authoritative, that he felt it pronounced a verdict -which admitted of no appeal. - -"Be it so," he said, with the composure of despair; "but, at least, I -too will speak my mind. Yet how? In a brief answer embody a world of -thought? How can words convey the sense of a broken heart? No! language -cannot do that. And if it could paint my feelings, why should I humble -myself before those who have thus sported with and spurned them? why -lay bare the weakness of my heart to those who have proved themselves -incapable of compassion? What can I expect to gain by so doing? -Nothing." - -Blinded by this false reasoning, he felt, at that moment, that he would -have rejected Lady Adeline's hand, could he have gained it; convinced, -as he was, that her affections were no longer his own. Besides, who -ever reclaimed or regained a heart by reproaches? And then again -relapsing into tenderness, he mourned over the defalcation of that -purity and truth which he had worshipped even more than her charms. All -these, and more than these, were the thoughts which checked the flow of -Lord Albert's pen as he wrote copy after copy in answer to the letter, -and tore each, in despair of ever writing one which could in any degree -comprise or convey his mixed and agonized feelings. - -But again the necessity of some answer pressed upon him; and, although -with the conviction that none which he could write at that moment would -be adequate to express what he felt, or prove a faithful interpreter of -the thousand tortures that possessed him, he finally traced and folded -up a few brief sentences, sealing the envelope immediately, as if to -preclude the possibility of further delay. Yet once more he hesitated, -once more a wish arose to write altogether in a different tone and -strain; but then he rapidly recalled to his aid all his late reasonings -and feelings on the subject, and finally despatched the following -letter: - - "Dear Lady Dunmelraise, - - "It would be doing injustice to my own feelings, if I did not state - that they alone have prevented my answering your letter sooner; - the purpose and tenor of which made me too plainly feel, that any - development of the sufferings called forth by its contents would be - equally misplaced and obtrusive to you, as well as to Lady Adeline. - - "To say that any emotion of _surprise_ has mingled with my sorrow - would be contrary to truth, because I had felt the sudden and - unexpected departure of your ladyship from London (not even - communicated to me till your present letter) announced some decided - change in your opinion and determinations in regard to myself. There - is one point, however, for which, in the midst of all my sufferings, - I must feel grateful: it is, that the letter which announces to me - the forfeiture of that happiness which for years I have been taught - to cherish and consider as my own, leaves me no doubt that the - future welfare of Lady Adeline now centres in some other object, in - the attainment of which it will be more surely realized, than had it - continued to rest on me. That that welfare may be realized in every - sense of the word will ever be the prayer of, - - "Dear Lady Dunmelraise, - - "Your faithful and affectionate servant, - - "D'ESTERRE." - - "P. S. I shall of course communicate your letter, accompanied by my - answer, to my father, Lord Tresyllian." - -No sooner was this letter beyond the power of Lord Albert's recall, -and actually on the way to Dunmelraise, than he would have given every -thing he possessed could he have changed its tenor: but this was only -one of those fluctuations of passion, of which he had of late been so -cruelly the sport; and the impulse of the moment, had its object been -attained, would as readily have given place to some other of a quite -different tendency. When the mind is once suffered to float about -without a guiding principle of action, it is a mercy and a miracle if -the being thus actuated does not become the prey of destruction. - -As Lord Albert perused over and over again the copy of his answer, he -imagined he read in it sufficient ground to call forth an explanation, -on the part of Lady Dunmelraise, of the causes which had led to her -sudden abandonment of Lady Adeline's engagement with himself. But then -he speculated upon objects which like a blind man he could not see; -for never admitting, nor indeed feeling conscious, that it was his own -errors which had wrought the change in Lady Adeline, he never could -rightly apprehend the line of conduct which of necessity she must -pursue. If he had done so, had he taken the beam from his own eye, then -would he clearly have seen to take the mote from hers; and it would -not have required a second perusal of his answer to Lady Dunmelraise -to have acknowledged that it afforded no opening whatever, whether -from its tone or its contents, to induce herself or Lady Adeline to -swerve from the course they had adopted, or lead them to any other -determination than that which they had already avowed. - -He however endeavoured to make himself think otherwise, and in some -degree he succeeded in this object; for what distortion will the -imagination not assume when warped by passion? In this delusive hope he -continued for some days, vainly expecting every post to bring him some -communication from Dunmelraise. How little he knew Lady Dunmelraise's -feelings! how falsely he judged of his own! As soon as she perused -his letter, she did not for a moment think of replying to it. She -had indeed not doubted, for weeks past, that Lord Albert's heart and -affections were totally alienated from her child; but the degree of -cold indifference with which, in her _reading_ of his answer, he seemed -to cast her off, exceeded what she could have thought possible. It -may be that, in her interpretation of the letter, Lady Dunmelraise -yielded in some degree to her previously-formed prejudices; and, as -is ever the case when we yield to prejudice, saw through them as -through a glass darkly, and pronounced the being who could thus coldly -renounce such a treasure as Adeline wholly unworthy of further thought. -Far from feeling, therefore, that Lord Albert's reply required any -further notice, or that it contained any thing which could raise an -after-regret if passed by in silence, or reanimate a dying spark of -hope in Lady Adeline's breast, she considered it final and definitive, -and without hesitation placed the letter in her daughter's hands. - -Lady Adeline's sentiments, on having perused it, were in accordance -with Lady Dunmelraise's; but as soon as the first brief flush of -indignation had passed away, the bitterness of sorrow that was rooted -in her heart claimed its full power, and _grief, not anger_, preyed -like a canker on the bloom of her existence. Lady Dunmelraise watched, -week after week, with an anxiety proportioned to its object, for a -return of something like cheerfulness on the countenance of her dear -child; but though resignation sat on Lady Adeline's pallid brow, and -beamed in her angel smile, still there was a settled melancholy, a -change of fearful import, impressed on her whole person. Even her very -movements, once so gay and elastic, were now languid and measured, like -one who was soon to pass to another sphere. Nothing of the vivacity of -her age and temperament remained; and Lady Dunmelraise felt that she -waited for the hoped-for change in vain. - -It was therefore some relief to her, when a visit from Mr. Foley -created a variety in the daily routine of their lives; and Lady -Dunmelraise thought or fancied that the exertions which Lady Adeline -made, in order to be agreeable to one for whom she had always -entertained a maternal solicitude, seemed the only circumstance that -at all dissipated the gloom in which her daughter was now habitually -involved. Mr Foley, however, while he remarked this favourable -change, ascribed it to other motives; and with that self-love which -predominated in his character, he saw in it a growing preference -for himself, and waited only for a season in which he conceived the -feelings of Lady Dunmelraise and her daughter would be sufficiently -prepared to admit of a disclosure of his sentiments, to make an open -avowal of them. - -Meanwhile, Lord Albert, who was equally with Lady Adeline the victim -of self-delusion and martyred affection, continued to drag through the -heavy hours till even suspense itself became blunted. But Lord Albert -continued to strengthen himself in what he deemed the duplicity and -heartlessness of her conduct, and found a diversion to his sufferings -in the idea that they were occasioned by an unworthy object, whom -he was called upon by every rational principle to banish from his -remembrance. - -At length it likewise became known to him that Mr. Foley was actually -an inmate of Dunmelraise, and this circumstance set the seal to the -erroneous conviction which for so many months had been gaining on his -deluded mind. Whilst thus discarded, as he imagined, by her whom he -had, in fact, always loved dearer than the whole world beside; wounded -in his tenderest feelings, and offended in his family pride; Lord -Albert unhappily found himself supported in his mistaken apprehensions -by his father, Lord Tresyllian, who, accustomed to refer most actions -to love of aggrandisement and power, and having survived those softer -affections which at one time bound him to Lord Dunmelraise, and made -him anxiously wish for a union between their children, now only saw -in Lady Dunmelraise's withdrawing from this engagement some concealed -object of interest, which impelled him scornfully to resent her -behaviour, and thus confirm the delusive views of his son. - -From the time of Lord Albert's having come of age, the entire -independence of his circumstances had (without violation, however, of -any filial duty on his part) occasioned his intercourse with his father -to be of rare occurrence; but when he communicated the purport of Lady -Dunmelraise's letter to Lord Tresyllian, an identity of feelings seemed -to arise between them; and in their offended pride a tie of sympathy -was freshly formed, by which they mutually encouraged each other in an -ill-founded and unjust resentment. - -Lord Albert's heart, however, was far differently constituted from -his father's, and in most other respects they felt not together. -Still, therefore, he found himself alone, as it were, in the world, -without one kindred breast on which to lean. Perhaps no sensation -of pain is greater than this conscious loneliness of being. He had -hitherto avoided all open confidence with Lady Hamlet Vernon on the -subject of Lady Adeline; for though she was well acquainted with -all that had passed, yet, from motives of delicacy, as well as from -a secret mistrust even of her sympathy, he had remained silent. -But when at length freed from the only tie which sealed his lips, -the long-cherished and lingering hope of Lady Adeline's returning -affection, it required no stimulus to make Lord Albert unburthen his -heart and all its griefs to one, the only one, who, he thought, entered -into them. The subject once commenced, the whole troubled tide of -fears, belief, conviction, and subsequent indignation, was poured into -her ear. - -Too readily, and with too greedy delight, did she receive this -confidence, as the sweet confirmation of all her long-nurtured and -most ardent wishes; and the first step she took, in consequence, to -heighten his resentment against Lady Adeline, was to avow a knowledge -of Mr. Foley's long residence at Dunmelraise to be the result of his -passion for her; a passion approved, she said, by Lady Dunmelraise, as -well as by her daughter, and which was soon to terminate in marriage; -adding, at the same time, that she felt, as well as their mutual -friends (meaning Lady Tilney and her _coterie_), that it was matter of -congratulation that an alliance so thoroughly destructive to his views -and pursuits of life should thus be dissolved. - -While in this manner Lady Hamlet Vernon fixed the dagger more firmly -in Lord Albert's breast, she no longer hesitated to evince for him, in -every word, and look, and action, her devotedness; and it was not in -nature, that under such an influence he should be allowed to retrace -his steps, even had he wished to do so, or to reflect on his own -conduct; although, had he had recourse to self-examination, even in -this stage of the business, he might still have retrieved his error. - -Day after day, week after week, his diseased state of mind gained -ground, till at length the whole moral man became corrupt, and Lord -Albert was the slave of her whom he would have loathed, could he but -have seen the snare she had so artfully drawn around him. It is true, -the duties of his official situation employed him some hours every -morning; and in the routine of these there was no analogy to any thing -like feeling, so that they proved a temporary antidote to pain: but -when they were over, he was in the society of Lady Hamlet Vernon, and -of Lady Hamlet Vernon alone; for it was the nature of a mind like his -to be wholly engrossed by one object. - -The world, that in reality cares for no one's actions, except as -affecting itself, looked on with indifference, and saw in Lord -Albert's course only curious matter for speculation. Some pitied him -as a fool, should he contemplate matrimony with Lady Hamlet Vernon; -while others applauded the dexterity of the woman who could succeed -in leading him captive, and secure to herself so great a prize. But -one friend yet remained to Lord Albert, who would have sincerely -lamented the circumstance, could he have believed such an event as -marriage possible; because though Lady Hamlet Vernon was undoubtedly -clever, handsome, fascinating, yet he saw in her no sound intrinsic -qualities, nor was there attached to her rank or situation any of that -preponderating family influence, which he could have wished should -distinguish the wife of his friend. But Lord Glenmore was not one of -those who doubted Lord Albert's good sense or principles; and though -he saw him involved in a _liaison_ which he was far from approving, -still he looked upon it as one of those temporary attachments from -which he hoped soon to see him liberated, and therefore discarded all -serious fears for him. But Lord Glenmore was unfortunately mistaken. -The entanglement in which Lord Albert was involved was not one easily -to be broken through. - -Lady Hamlet Vernon's object was advancing rapidly, and her victim -nearly sacrificed. London was now almost empty. The only individuals -of note remaining in it were some official persons, who were looking -forward with anxiety to the moment of their departure. Lady Glenmore's -arrangements for her visit to the continent had been finally adjusted; -and she had at length quitted town with a heart divided between regret -at leaving her husband, and that kind of anticipated pleasure which -attends a first visit to a foreign country. - -Whether any regret mingled with these sentiments, as she journeyed -with Lady Tenderden to the point of embarkation, at the idea of being -likely to lose in her absence the society of Mr. Leslie Winyard, -it is difficult to say; and equally so whether the result of this -absence would break through that intimacy with the latter, which -her _soi-disant_ friends considered to be of such perilous tendency. -Mr. Leslie Winyard certainly did not leave town immediately on her -departure. - -In the midst of these final removals for the season, Lady Hamlet Vernon -found it difficult to arrange her passing the approaching autumn in the -society of Lord Albert. To propose to himself directly any project of -the kind was, she thought, hazardous; and though feeling the importance -of securing to herself his presence, she was obliged to trust to -chance, and to the habitual influence which she knew she had obtained -over him, in order to ensure his following her wherever she went. - -"Where do you mean to pass your autumn, Lord Albert?" she said one day -to him, speaking as if in an unpremeditated manner, and announcing at -the same time her intention of going to Tunbridge. "Perhaps you will be -induced, if you have no other plan in view, to pay me a visit there?" - -"Yes," he replied, sighing, "I shall like it exceedingly. Where can _I_ -go but where you are? Nobody else in the wide world, save yourself, -cares for me;"--and a tender glance from Lady Hamlet Vernon gave back a -confirmation of the latter part of this querulous speech. - -Many days more did not elapse, when Lord Albert, although pressed by -Lord Glenmore in the most friendly manner to accompany him to his -country seat during the recess, misled by the unfortunate and false -conviction that no one participated in his feelings save her who had -in reality caused their bitterness, blindly yielded to the delusion of -this hollow attachment, and found himself loitering round Lady Hamlet -Vernon's footsteps on the furze-clad hills of Tunbridge. - - - - -CHAPTER XII. - -PROCEEDINGS ABROAD. - - -However small the interest which Lady Tilney really took in preserving -the purity of Lady Glenmore's character _intacte_, still her wishes for -the preservation of that outward decorum which she deemed necessary -towards the maintenance of her _coterie_'s respectability were -perfectly sincere. It will not, however, appear that in this instance -her wishes were likely to be realized. - -On landing on the continent, the point to which Lady Glenmore and Lady -Tenderden directed their steps was Spa, having abandoned their previous -intention of going to Barèges; a change in their plans, which they -decided upon partly from the length of the journey, and partly from -Lady Glenmore's not liking to be so very far from her husband. When -they reached Spa, they found some few of their acquaintance already -there, foreigners as well as English; and ten days had not elapsed -from their arrival, before Mr. Leslie Winyard, accompanied by Lord -Gascoigne, joined their circle. - -Lady Tenderden had already made a selection of such as were to -constitute her society, and of course these latter persons were -admitted in the number. Allowing for change of place and difference of -hours, the same desultory mode of life was pursued by them at Spa as in -London, and at best the same vacuity of mind and intention became the -result. This negative description of the passing hours, however, was -not applicable to all. Of course, in the present instance, there could -have been but one motive which induced Mr. Leslie Winyard to resign the -pleasures of an English autumn for the waters of Spa; and this fact he -seemed at no pains to conceal. Lady Glenmore was his avowed object. - -There is something always unfavourable to virtuous happiness in the -_voluntary_ absence of a wife from her husband, and especially if she -has designedly or carelessly, from vanity or _désœuvrement_, given -encouragement to marked attentions from any other than her husband. -Whatever may be alleged by some, that absence makes meeting sweeter, -and renovates affection, it may be laid down as a rule well known to -experience, that genuine wedded love is best maintained by that sweet -habitude which renders each a part of the other, and which feels not -that it can live separate from that dearer self; and happy, and only -truly happy, are those married persons who, in an honest heart, feel -that they can add to love virtue, and to virtue habit; so that, when -long years have gone by as a tale that is told, they can look back upon -their course with joy, and feel it dearer as they know it to have been -hallowed by the _lungo costume_ and the _dolce memorie_. - -_Unnecessary_ absences, on the contrary, between married persons, -are at best very dangerous experiments: they induce in women an -independence of feeling inimical to tenderness, and incompatible with -the duties of a wife; and encourage, on the part of others, an intimacy -and a freedom of manner, to the abandonment of those forms which, in -the presence of the husband, would perhaps be observed. - -Thus it was in the case of Lady Glenmore. Mr. Leslie Winyard, already -too much encouraged by her easy good-nature and affability, impelled by -vanity to suppose himself irresistible when he chose to give himself -the trouble of being so, and not wholly indifferent to her whom he now -pursued, considered Lady Glenmore's absence from England as intended -to afford an opportunity for the furtherance of their intimacy. The -mode of life at Spa, and similar places on the continent, where the -English congregate, however resembling the empty folly of London in its -moral effect, differs in this respect, that it is more like living in -a family circle, divested of the ceremonious restraints of societies -in great cities. The daily routine of arrangements which threw all -those who circled together into an unavoidable familiarity, the long -excursions during the day, the repose under some shade after fatigue, -the return at night, the supper, the dance that not unfrequently -followed, proved all of them too favourable opportunities for a man of -intrigue. - -If, therefore, Lady Glenmore was in peril, when guarded by the forms of -society, in the presence of a husband whom she loved, and feeling the -wholesome moral check which, to a young mind entering on the snares of -life, the consciousness of a supposed cognizance of parents and friends -so usefully imposes,--if, under all these circumstances of protection, -she had yielded to, or rather been entangled in, an indiscretion -respecting her intimacy with Mr. Leslie Winyard,--how much more fearful -was her present danger, when no restraints of the kind were at hand to -guard or to warn her! - -Had Lady Tilney's object been of that true and high nature which -proposed no result but to save Lady Glenmore's virtue, she would -not have intrusted her to the guardianship of such a person as Lady -Tenderden, who united to the airy flightiness of a Frenchwoman the -spirit of an _intrigante_, which is to be found in all nations. But -Lady Tilney's object was merely worldly and prudential, namely, that -of removing a probable _fracas_ from her own circle in England; and -this point carried, the other was of small importance. Lady Tenderden -had drawn round her a society at Spa, quite in harmony with that which -she had been accustomed to live in. There were several persons of the -_coterie_ of London, who, from time to time, made their appearance -among them, and kept up the tone of the _rassemblement_ to its own -peculiar pitch. Mingled with these were foreigners of distinction and -diplomatists of various nations, who, from forming a false estimate -of English society, as most foreigners do, fall into a very natural -mistake respecting the higher classes in England, of whom they judge -_en masse_ by the limited specimen which they are taught to consider -as the sample of our nobility, and who therefore, with this false -view, circled round Lady Tenderden and her friends on the present -occasion, as the centre of attraction and a model of English manners; a -melancholy mistake, and one by which foreigners have been led into the -greatest errors respecting our higher classes. - -Although this remark did not at first apply personally to Lady -Glenmore, yet, under the circumstances of the case, Lady Tenderden -was not a fitting guardian in any respect for her; and in the end, -during their residence at Spa, the permission of Leslie Winyard's -_dévouement_ made it attach to her with too much truth, and she became, -consequently, as much the subject of animadversion and example as -Lady Tenderden herself. In the life of dissipation thus followed, not -even the seventh day was left for reflection or repose. The too often -misapplied and dangerous adage, that "one must do at Rome as they do -at Rome," was an excuse for entirely forgetting the Sabbath to keep -it holy, an observance which is in some degree attended to amongst us -(except by the most notoriously profligate); but it has been a just -reproach of many thinking Roman Catholics on our nation, that, when -abroad, we lay aside the religion we profess, at least its forms, while -we laugh at those which _they_ follow. - -Of what religion are we, then? might be the natural question asked, and -was one which applied certainly to Lady Glenmore, who had now learnt -the most fatal of all lessons, that it is unnecessary to hallow the -Sabbath day; and she went on to learn, that she could live and be happy -without her husband. Letters came from him, breathing kindness and -affection, and these were answered with something like a corresponding -feeling, for still in her heart his image was enshrined, although her -vanity betrayed her into the perilous error of being engrossed at the -moment by the attentions and presence of another. Lord Glenmore's -letters, however, contained no hope of his being able to join her at -Spa; for government contemplated an earlier assembling of parliament -than usual, and the presence of all the ministers was required at an -unusually early period. This circumstance, however, affected Lady -Glenmore but little, for her regret was waning into carelessness at his -absence. Thus bound to England, Lord Glenmore expressed his wish that -Lady Glenmore should leave Spa about the end of October or middle of -November, and proceed by the way of Paris, where he still indulged a -faint hope that he should be able to join her. - -Notwithstanding much dissuasion on the part of Lady Tenderden and -Mr. Leslie Winyard against obeying these injunctions, Lady Glenmore -remained firm, and they shortly after were on their way to Paris. -Mr. Leslie Winyard, of course, took his route to Paris likewise; for -though he began to feel that the affair _trainé en longueur_, he was -determined at least to enjoy the _renommée_ of adding another name -to the list of his successes. At Paris the rumour of his attachment -to Lady Glenmore found a wider range, and amongst the mixed, and -larger aggregate of English, became the subject of more marked and -varied observation. Here, therefore, in the same selfish spirit of -worldly-mindedness which had induced Lady Tilney to send Lady Glenmore -to the continent, Lady Tenderden saw the propriety of giving some -admonitory hints to the latter: such as, "_It was not well to stake -all on one throw_: that it was not in _good taste_ to have but one -cavalier always in attendance; and that the _préféré_ himself would -cease to be flattered by that preference, if he had _champ libre_ -always at command, without any competitors to dispute the honour with -him. Besides, there is a certain _retenue_ to be observed," she went -on to say, "by women of fashion, who should never give the vulgar an -advantage over them, by not having a ready reply to make, or be made, -to any disadvantageous or impertinent observations: for example, if -they should say, 'Mr. Leslie Winyard is always at Lady Glenmore's -elbow,' it might be answered, 'And so is Prince Luttermanne, and Lord -Gascoigne, and Lord Baskerville, and a thousand others.' A little -address, my dear Lady Glenmore, sets all this sort of things to rights; -only one must know how to conduct oneself." - -"There is nothing wrong," replied the still innocent but somewhat -perplexed Lady Glenmore, "and therefore there is nothing to set right." - -"_Non, assurément, nothing wrong_," answered Lady Tenderden; adding -in her _doucereux_ voice, with more of truth than was usual under her -_patte de velours_, "and that is _just the reason_ why you are not -sufficiently upon your guard." - -These hints, however, appeared so indirect in their tendency, and of so -little consequence in the eyes of her to whom they were addressed, that -they were merely smiled at, and passed by unheeded. - -In this state matters continued till far on in November. It was the -very season when Paris was beginning to fill. A few weeks of protracted -absence from home was again pleaded for by Lady Tenderden, even though -Lord Glenmore, from press of business in the ministry, had been obliged -to abandon all idea of joining them; and accordingly they lingered on -from day to day at Paris. - -The same cause which prevented Lord Glenmore from leaving London -obliged Lord Albert D'Esterre to quit Brighton, whither he had -accompanied Lady Hamlet Vernon. In returning to the subject of this -_liaison_, few particulars can be adduced which would not appear trite -and stale. Like all intimacies of the same nature, it had during -this interval gradually approached a climax. Nothing in this world -is stationary: the world itself is passing swiftly away; but the use -or abuse we make of existence remains. Lord Albert's intimacy with -Lady Hamlet Vernon, must of necessity have either assumed a decided -character, or have been totally broken off; and, unfortunately for -him, she played too deep a stake to lose for one moment that vigilance -and foresight for which she was so distinguished, and which alone had -constituted the success of her designs. It may be readily imagined that -she now redoubled all her care, to secure the prize which was so nearly -within her grasp. During the last few weeks, in which Lord Albert and -herself had continued isolated from all other society, with nothing -to call his attention away from her, or to direct the current of his -thoughts into any other channel, the result may be easily guessed. - -Lord Albert made proposals of marriage; and it is unnecessary to add -they were accepted with a transport of joy which Lady Hamlet Vernon -could ill conceal within the bounds of prudence, but which, to his -deluded view, appeared to be the effusion of a genuine and devoted -passion. It is impossible for any generous nature not to feel gratified -by the devotion of another; and Lord Albert was glad to mistake this -gratitude for a tenderer and more spontaneous movement of the heart. -Yet, as the moment approached for allying himself for ever to any other -than her whose image, in despite of all his endeavours to the contrary, -came back to him at intervals in the clouds of the air, in the shadows -of the waters, or the dreams of the night, he sought for delay. Strange -to say, too, some lingering doubt of Lady Adeline Seymour's becoming -the wife of Mr. Foley at times crossed his fancy, for it was more like -a vision of the fancy than a rational belief; but still he wished to -think that she should be the first to bind herself to another; and with -a feeling not amenable to the laws of reason, he looked anxiously in -the newspapers every day to see the announcement of her nuptials. - -Under these circumstances, and with this feeling, he was called to town -to attend official business, with the hope, however, in a few days, of -returning to Lady Hamlet Vernon. Arrived in London, he found himself, -the first time for many months, absent from her, and robbed of the -illusory charm of her society; a charm which he had taught himself to -consider as necessary to him as the air he breathed. He now found, when -official duties were over, that the hours hung heavily on his hands. - -It had perhaps been owing to the idea of his having so long indulged -in a selfish gratification, which must of necessity have drawn down -observations derogatory to the character of Lady Hamlet Vernon, that -had finally determined Lord Albert to make her the offer of his hand. -But now, when away from her influence, he looked back upon the gulf -over which he had passed, and contemplated it with somewhat different -sensations; conscious that the step he had taken was irretrievable, he -felt less than ever disposed to seek diversion from his own thoughts, -or relief from them in any other quarter. He even avoided much -intercourse with Lord Glenmore, as though he was afraid the latter -should read his secret; for it was intended that his marriage should -yet be kept profoundly secret; partly in compliance with his own -feelings, which suggested that the world (and who can, or who ought to -be totally reckless of the world's award?) might blame him for allying -himself to a woman of Lady Hamlet Vernon's character, and partly at the -instance of the latter, who, though she could not explain the cause of -her apprehensions, yet dreaded lest the cup should be dashed from her -lips by some unforeseen interference. - -The time that Lord Albert did not pass literally in business, he -employed in reading over Lady Hamlet Vernon's letters, which he -received daily, or in answering them; and as those she wrote breathed -the most impassioned language, his own contained enough of that -reflected hue of tenderness in them to please, if not to satisfy, -her to whom they were addressed. The time was past when solitude and -reflection could avail Lord Albert; for he had decided his fate. It was -his duty, therefore, now, as well as his interest, to encourage himself -in the belief that he truly loved the present object to whom he devoted -himself; and he carefully endeavoured to shut out all remembrances -which might recall the thought of another. Lord Albert had been nearly -three weeks absent from Lady Hamlet Vernon, when he hastened one -morning at an earlier hour than usual to Downing-street, where his -letters were always directed. He found one from her, as was customary; -but, in taking it eagerly in his hand, he was aware it did not consist, -as usual, of many sheets, but was a single letter in an envelope. - -Something, he knew not what, struck him with agitation on this -recognition, and he paused on breaking the seal; then cast his eyes -hurriedly over the open page, and looked in vain for the terms of -endearment which were wont to be the first that courted his glance; -and he grew sick and dizzy as he read the first few lines, which ran -thus: "Grieved I am at heart, and stunned by this fatal blow, so -unexpected, so subversive of all our hopes. Is it not possible that, -in the dismay of the moment, you may have interpreted more severely -the words of Lady Dunmelraise than they required?" Lord Albert started -at the name of Dunmelraise, and held the letter from him, and gazed at -it again. "Lady Dunmelraise!" he repeated aloud. "What can this allude -to? And in Amelia's hand!" Again he looked at the letter, and turned -over the page, and saw the signature. A death-like shudder seized him, -and an icy chill ran through his heart. As his eye continued to run -rapidly along the lines, it met the words, "dearest Mr. Foley." Again -he paused. But he was not now in a state to reason on the propriety of -reading through a letter evidently not addressed to himself, although -he continued to do so; but, breathless with surprise, in vain essayed -to read collectedly. At length, mastering the contending feelings which -for a few moments overpowered him, he perused the letter consecutively. - - "Grieved I am at heart, and stunned by this fatal blow, so unexpected, - so subversive of all our hopes. Is it not possible that, in the dismay - of the moment, you may have interpreted more severely the words of - Lady Dunmelraise than they required? Yet when I return to the copy - of her letter, which you enclose to me, I cannot but think with you - that there is nothing to hope. Still, how strange that both she and - Lady Adeline should have allowed those demonstrations of your passion, - which they must have understood, for such a length of time, without - expressing any explicit disapprobation! And then you say, too, that - you are confident, from every circumstance, and every word, and every - look, that has occurred, or fallen, either from Lady Dunmelraise or - her daughter, that D'Esterre no longer holds any place either in - their affections or their esteem; and the conversation you report - to have heard between Lady Delamere and her sister was certainly - as conclusive as any thing could be of their utter rejection of the - thought of any renewal of engagement with D'Esterre." (Lord Albert - groaned aloud.) - - "I know not what advice to give you. I dare not urge upon you a - perseverance in your suit, because that might eventually, if Lady - Dunmelraise and her daughter are firmly decided against it, draw - down an interference which would give publicity to the affair; a - circumstance, on all accounts, decidedly to be avoided. Hitherto, I - should suppose what has passed has been confined to their own breasts; - for Lady Dunmelraise is too much acquainted with the world to make - herself, or any one belonging to her, unnecessarily the subject of - public remark. At present, you know, the secret is safe in our own - keeping; and after many hours of painful reflection as to what you had - best do, I think nothing remains but your going immediately abroad for - a time, to avoid the singularity of your absence from Dunmelraise. - - "In regard to the heavy pecuniary disappointment which you must have - experienced, dearest Mr. Foley, by this defeat of our plans, I hope - I shall soon be in a situation to make you ample recompense; for - D'Esterre has at length so openly declared himself, that my marriage - cannot long be delayed; and that once accomplished, you may depend on - my most constant exertions for all connected with your interest. In - the meanwhile, should you require any funds for your sudden departure, - I enclose a draft for £200. I would not have you come by Brighton to - embark, which perhaps you might be inclined to do, knowing me to be - there; and I think it better, for the present, that you do not write - to me on this subject; but let me have a few lines announcing your - arrival on the continent. - - "Again I repeat to you to count upon my most friendly assistance at - all times. You may depend on my acquainting you, when the event on - which now all depends shall have taken place; - - "And I am ever yours, affectionately, - - "AMELIA HAMLET VERNON." - - "P.S.--I would not have you state your intention of going abroad - to any person; and prevent, if possible, any announcement of your - departure in the newspapers." - -No words can adequately convey an idea of Lord Albert's feelings as he -finished the perusal of this letter. It was plain, it was clear, that -a conspiracy had existed between Lady Hamlet Vernon and Mr. Foley, of -which he and Lady Adeline Seymour had become the victims. The detailed -process of language cannot concentrate in one point the thousand varied -feelings which combined in his bosom all the pangs of self-accusation -with all the joy of believing that the precious being whom he had -wronged was free from stain. Grief mingled with the conviction that -he had again found his own transcendent Adeline, bright in all her -purity, only to be convinced, at the same moment, that he had himself -placed a wide gulf between them that could never be overpassed; and the -knowledge that this was the case excited such overwhelming emotion in -his breast as defies the power of language. - -It would be wrong, however, in this instance, as in all others where -reflection points a moral, not to observe the omnipotence of virtue, -which, it may be truly said, is a light to lighten our darkness; for -in the depth of Lord Albert's present sufferings there was a latent -spring of consolation in his heart, the cause of which he could little -understand or account for at the moment, and from which he was not -prepared to derive the benefit it was intended afterwards to convey; -and this consolation was a sense of humble contrition, derived from the -consciousness that the blow which had fallen upon him was righteously -dealt, and that it was only retributive justice that he should meet -his punishment from the very person for whom he had, in the indulgence -of his vanity, played with the feelings of another till at length he -sacrificed and lost her. - -This sense of humility is ever the foundation of true repentance; -and true repentance brings resignation; and resignation is the balm -which soothes a wounded spirit. He soon felt that the merciful ways of -Providence had forced him unwillingly to a knowledge of his own fault, -and with a contrite heart he kissed the rod that smote him. He felt at -once as though a heavy burden were lifted from his breast. None of the -double-mindedness, none of the obscure uncertainty, by which of late he -had been oppressed and involved, now darkened his path. He was like one -who is brought from a prisoned cavern to rejoice in the wholesome air -and light of heaven. He no longer hesitated in his course, or wavered -how he should conduct himself, but determined to profit by the severe -lesson he had received, and act once more uprightly. He felt, as it -were, instantaneously, that he had never really loved Lady Hamlet -Vernon, and that vanity alone had betrayed him into her snare. - -Had he loved her, would he not, even with the conscious proof before -him of her perfidious conduct, have at least mourned over a knowledge -of her baseness? As it was, he thought not of her, save in reference to -his own erring conduct. - -"Oh Adeline, Adeline!" he exclaimed in bitterness of heart, "is it for -such a one as this that I have lost you, and deprived myself for ever, -not only of your affection, but your esteem? Yet, though to retrieve -the past is impossible, and to become what I once was in your eyes is -as impossible as it is to recover mine own consciousness of desert, -still I will live for you and you alone." The virtuous principle which -had thus been restored to its rightful place in Lord Albert's breast -gave him power to struggle with sorrow successfully in this his hour of -need: and though at intervals he sunk into that despondency which, lost -as he was to all his best affections and brightest hopes, could not -but flow back upon him with an overwhelming tide, still the sense of -returning virtue bore him up again, and fixed him on a rock from whence -no tide of circumstances could hurl him. - -In this situation he thought, for a time, that he stood alone in the -world, without one sympathising friend; yet, perhaps, there was one -who still remained--Lord Glenmore. Should he open his heart to him? -Should he seek succour and counsel from him? No. Counsel he needed not, -for his mind was made up _how_ to act; and consolation could not, at -the present moment, flow from any earthly source. As involuntarily he -read over and over again Lady Hamlet Vernon's letter, a still renewing -sense of the baseness of the writer flashed upon him. In every turn and -phrase he thought he traced some clue to each individual circumstance -which had occurred to poison his mind, and give birth to the unworthy -suspicions he had entertained of his Adeline: every one of them, in -turn, seemed to rise up, as it were, in judgment against him; and again -he wondered how the artifices with which he had been deceived had not -before been detected by him. - -The whole of his intimacy with Lady Hamlet Vernon, from its -commencement, was next reviewed. His mind went back to the first -evening in which he met her; her praises of his Adeline; the seductive -grace with which she expressed her hope, when he spoke of foreign -intimacies, that he would find some objects worthy also of his regard -and friendship in his native land. He saw, as if at the moment, -her downcast looks, and felt over again the surprise which her tone -and manner caused him. He recalled their interview at the church at -Restormel; her subsequent conversation, relative to Lady Adeline, -before he left that place for London; and in all these, and in every -other incident connected with his growing intimacy, he now beheld -the wily stratagem of a preconceived plan to win away his heart and -affection from one to whom this Circean destroyer of his peace was as -widely opposed as darkness to light. - -This probing of his wounds, this investigation of the circumstances -which had involved him in error, was a wholesome though painful -exercise to his mind; for he traced his misery to its rightful -source--himself. He could not but dwell on the fearful and rapid change -which had been produced in him by a life passed in a circle whose whole -tendency was to undermine principle and destroy the understanding. He -asked himself, what was he now, compared to what he had been eighteen -months before? what action, during that period, could he recall without -blushing for the misuse or waste of time? How had his pursuits been -abandoned! his honourable views in life lost sight of! his studies -neglected! all the fruits of long and virtuous education scattered! and -himself become an object of his own and of all good men's contempt! - -In reflections such as these, the hours passed away, on the day of his -receipt of the letter. He had hurried through his official business -as quickly as possible, in order to seek the retirement of his own -apartment; and there, with the picture of Adeline before him, he sat -absorbed in harrowing contemplation. So entirely had the current of -his affections been sent back to their proper channel by the revulsion -which had shaken him, that with the exception of perusing Lady Hamlet -Vernon's letter, for the purpose of bringing home more strongly the -clear conviction of her infamy, he had not felt one regret on her -account. Even the feeling of indignation, which conduct so base was -calculated naturally to excite, had not for more than a moment occupied -his heart; a heart which was as dead to any impression she could make -upon it, as though he had never known her. - -Midnight had already passed, and the idea that Lady Hamlet Vernon would -be in ignorance the while of what had occurred had not struck him. He -then felt the painful part which he was called upon to perform, in -addressing the person whom he had been on the verge of making his -wife in language such as her conduct merited and his own reproaches -might dictate. He at length resolved to let the night pass, and in the -morning, if possible, to set himself to the task with a calmer mind. - -He slept not, however, and arose feeling distracted and feverish. -Finding himself unable to go out, he sent, therefore, to Downing-street -for some official papers which were to be looked over. The messenger -brought back with these his letters also: amongst them there was one -from Lady Hamlet Vernon. His soul sickened at the sight, and he cast -it from him with disgust. He resolved not to open it, for he must -necessarily loathe the expressions of attachment with which he knew it -would be filled; and he determined to return it unopened, together with -his answer. This answer, in the course of the day, he despatched by -express; feeling, the moment he had given vent to his indignation, that -it was but justice to do so, both to himself, and to his injured and -lost Adeline. - -The tenor of his reply may be easily conceived. He kept the original -of the letter which had so happily removed the veil of wickedness -from his eyes, but he transcribed a copy; and having animadverted on -the baseness of the arts that had been practised on himself, and the -fiend-like cruelty that had been exercised on the former cherished -object of his affections, he avowed his determination never again to -hold intercourse with her who had been the cause of so much misery and -delusion. At the same time, with a feeling of that nice honour and -noble generosity of soul which had never entirely left Lord Albert's -breast, he informed Lady Hamlet Vernon that her infamy would remain a -secret with him, unless her own future conduct towards himself should -make it necessary, in self-defence, to do otherwise. - -Before this answer reached Lady Hamlet Vernon, she had been in some -degree prepared for the blow, for Mr. Foley, who was in town, on -receiving the letter which had been intended for Lord Albert, instantly -surmised the worst, and had proceeded with the utmost haste to -Brighton.--There Lord Albert's answer found him and Lady Hamlet Vernon -in all the dismay and terror which detection of so sinister an intrigue -would naturally cause. - -The arrival of Lord Albert was hourly looked for by them, as the sure -consequence of what had taken place, in order to demand an explanation -of the letter which had fallen into his hands; for Lady Hamlet Vernon -was certain that she had written no other letter by that post except to -himself and Mr. Foley, and felt, therefore, a conviction on the subject -of his arrival, which was anticipated as a certainty: and although the -necessity of the moment obliged Mr. Foley and Lady Hamlet Vernon to be -in consultation together, a person was on the watch to apprise them of -his approach, so that Mr. Foley's presence might not strengthen the -suspicions already connected with his name. - -Under these circumstances therefore, the arrival of a letter only was, -at the moment, rather a relief; though it had been felt by the parties -that there was more chance of Lord Albert's being still deceived, had -he been exposed to the influence of Lady Hamlet Vernon's charms in a -personal interview.--His letter was broken open in haste: the return -of her own last unopened, which fell from the envelope, sufficiently -foretold its purport. The messenger had departed after giving in the -packet, with a brief announcement that there was no reply. It would be -impossible to characterize all the feelings of disappointed passion, -self-interest, hatred, and revenge, together with the mutual reproaches -to which these gave birth between the detected actors of this infamous -intrigue. - -After giving way, however, to the first ebullitions of anger against -each other, mutual recrimination, and all those scorpion-like feelings -which are the consequences of a copartnery in guilt, the sense of -necessity to secure self-preservation, and to shield themselves from -public ignominy, made them both catch eagerly at the terms of secrecy -implied in the latter sentence of Lord Albert's letter; and when -Lady Hamlet was convinced that there was no hope of regaining him -to her views, she felt the necessity of submission, and sheltering -herself under such terms as the exigency of the case required. All -love was banished from her breast by feelings of rage and shame at -her detection; and with the heartlessness of an _intrigante_, she -determined to put _bonne mine à mauvais jeu_, and boldly deny a guilt -which she knew could be but covertly imputed to her. She wrote an -answer, therefore, on the instant, to Lord Albert, couched in terms -such as the offended feelings of a haughty woman would dictate. In her -turn she cast off Lord Albert--"one for whose happiness she avowed that -she had been ready to sacrifice every thing. But now she found that -the very measures she had taken from pure devotion to himself had -been made matter of accusation against her; measures easily explained, -if an explanation had been solicited. It was he who had sought her -affections, not she his; and when he thus rudely rejected a heart which -he had taken pains to win, she could not but feel that she had escaped -from that irretrievable ruin which must have followed her union with -him." Having thus endeavoured to turn the tide of recrimination against -Lord Albert, the feeling which at the moment pressed most urgently upon -her was, as in the case of all criminal confederacies, to rid herself -of the insufferable presence of the partner of her crime; and therefore -pressing upon him the draft which had been intended originally to -remove him to the continent, she placed it in his hands for the same -purpose now, and in a few hours afterwards he had embarked for Dieppe. - -Lord Albert read Lady Hamlet Vernon's communication with calm -indifference. His eyes were unsealed. He knew her character now too -thoroughly to be surprised: still less was he to be shaken from his -purpose; and was far more firmly resolved to pursue the right course -than he had ever been to follow the wrong: and wretched as he was at -heart, he found consolation in reflecting deeply on the merciful -interposition of a higher power than any earthly one, which had thus -snatched him from misery. Wretched as he was at heart, he found -consolation; and with this feeling commenced the arduous task of -bringing back his mind and heart to former principles of uprightness -and virtue. - -Lady Hamlet Vernon, on her part, took a different course. Sensible that -to betray any feeling on the event would only draw down further remark -and observation, she again plunged into the society from which she had -of late withdrawn; and prolonging her stay at Brighton, avoided all -those unpleasant circumstances which, for a time at least, would have -attended her meeting Lord Albert in public. - -Lord Albert D'Esterre had formed his resolution on a principle of -rectitude, and acted upon it with that degree of promptitude which is -the sure test of sincerity in well-doing. When the moment's exertion, -however, was over, his mind, enfeebled from the lengthened moral -disease under which it so long had laboured, shrunk back in conscious -weakness: and he became sensible, that however earnest the will may be, -the difficulty is great to retrace our steps from error; and that it -is still more difficult to regain firm footing in the path of virtue, -when we have wandered from it for any length of time. - -The painful recollection of the hours he had lost, or more than lost, -the conviction of the misuse of his intellectual faculties, pressed -upon him with a leaden weight that seemed to defy all his efforts to -recover the power and energy of his mind. That solitude of the heart, -too, which was now in prospect before him, shed a gloom around; for, -for whom was he to live? was the natural question which now suggested -itself, and one not likely to meet a wise reply at the moment. - -After-reflection, indeed, might tell him, that there is a higher -motive to live to virtue, than any which this world's affections can -afford; but to this nobler impulse he had unfortunately for the present -become insensible, and in having become so he had lost the surest -means of happiness. Lord Albert was, however, notwithstanding this -sense of destitution, unwilling, for many reasons, to throw himself on -the only stay left him--the supporting friendship of Lord Glenmore: -partly, perhaps, from that averseness to humble himself in the sight -of another, however dear, or however honourable, the individual may -be, which it is so common to human nature to feel; and also from many -mixed motives, alike of genuine good and _spurious_ quality, which -affect the purposes of all at some times and in some degree. - -Lord Glenmore had in part heard and part guessed Lord Albert's rupture -with Lady Hamlet Vernon, and secretly rejoiced in the event: but -with the delicacy and kindliness of feeling which was his particular -characteristic, he tacitly entered into the unhappiness of his -friend; and thought, as he always did when he saw another fall into -temptation's snare, that had _he_ been tempted in as powerful a degree, -he also might have fallen under the like condemnation. - -Without, therefore, appearing to seek Lord Albert's confidence on the -present occasion, Lord Glenmore showed him all the tender sympathy he -entertained for him by a thousand nameless kind attentions; attentions -which rekindled in Lord Albert's breast all his feelings of former -friendship, and a sense of the value of that friend from whom of late -he had been so entirely estranged. Gradually and imperceptibly they -became once more reunited in their habits of intercourse, and Lord -Albert's vacant hours were again devoted to Lord Glenmore's society. -Little did the latter suspect that the time was drawing nigh, when he -himself should require similar support and consolation to that which -he was now affording Lord Albert. But thus it is:--we are all dependent -beings one upon another; and they are wise who, by mutual good offices, -lay up for themselves a store of kindness for the hours of perplexity -and bereavement. - -Several weeks had passed away, after Lord Glenmore's express wish for -Lady Glenmore's return, before the latter quitted Paris. This delay -arose not so much from a positive reluctance on her part to return -home, as from that idle habit of living in the momentary excitement -of frivolous pleasures which so much enervate the mind, and deaden -the sense of virtuous affection. Lady Tenderden's character afforded -no antidote to the bane of this growing evil; and Mr. Leslie Winyard, -of course, still bent on the pursuit of Lady Glenmore, used all his -endeavours to retard her stay in Paris as long as possible. - -At length, however, the day of their departure came; and when she -arrived in London, she was received in the arms of an affectionate -and too confiding husband. Perhaps, on the first moment's reflection, -brief as these moments were, Lady Glenmore felt in this cordial -reception somewhat of self-reproof that her return had been so long -unnecessarily deferred: but it is one of the concomitant evils of such -a mode of life as hers was, that it is utterly impossible reflection -should have any permanent seat in the mind; so that the natural checks -of conscience, which at intervals will force themselves into view in -hearts not quite hardened, become gradually smothered and suppressed, -till at length they are wholly discarded. - -Thus, on the morrow after Lady Glenmore's arrival, the better though -perhaps painful feelings with which she arose were not suffered long -to maintain their ascendancy. The throng of inquirers and friends, -and of _désœuvré_ persons, who flocked around her, soon banished -all reflection. The inquisitive, investigating spirit of a long -morning's _tête-à-tête_ with Lady Tilney, the empty nothingness of Lady -Ellersby's converse; the worldly-mindedness of Lady De Chere, and the -frivolity of all; with a subsequent _soirée_ that closed the scene of -her first recognizance in London; were circumstances well calculated to -turn away Lady Glenmore from any salutary train of thought, which, if -steadily entertained, might have led to a good result. She found even -in Lord Albert's constant presence (for he now almost lived with Lord -Glenmore) a secret satisfaction, a something of the continuation of -that scattering of attention which had become habitual to her during -her last four months' residence on the continent; and the circumstance -of never being alone with her husband in the once happy privacy of -domestic quiet, which some time previously she would have mourned over -and regretted, was now an agreeable relief to her. What a fatal symptom -it is of the state of the affections, when the presence of any third -person is felt to be a relief, in the habitual intercourse of daily -life between man and wife! It is a touchstone by which all married -persons may try the condition of their hearts; and one by whose proof -it is always well to abide, if any lurking evil is found to endanger -happiness. - -Although Lady Glenmore might not feel that there was much to hide in -what had passed during her absence, and that many would have called -her conduct, only living as others do who live in the world, yet her -nature, originally, was so amiable and ingenuous, that she still -reserved a place in her breast for that silent monitor which had never -wholly left its station; and it told her that perhaps all that had -been said, and done, and written, and permitted, would not have been -agreeable to her husband. There are a thousand minor occurrences, -which, when considered apart, are _not_ of criminal nature; but which, -when taken together, form a tremendous aggregate of danger, and which -are most certainly detrimental to the purity of married love. If the -sources of the heart are polluted, of what value is the nature of the -virtue that is left? - -Lady Glenmore certainly did feel that there were circumstances -attendant on her _séjour_ at Paris and at Spa which she would not -relate to her husband; and she was happy to think Lord Albert's -constant presence afforded a check to any but general allusions on the -subject of her tour. Had Lord Glenmore been unoccupied with public -affairs, or had he _not_ been one whose own uprightness of heart and -conduct shut out all suspicion of others, he might have observed that -something of _gêne_ in Lady Glenmore's manner rendered her different -from what she had been. But, delighted to be once more with his wife; -happy in her presence, and in the joyousness which her renovated health -and beauty diffused around him; and frequently absorbed, besides, in -those cares which abstract a man from many of those minute perceptions -that idle people are alive to, he observed not the alteration in her -manner. - -Three days, however, after her return, a case addressed to Lord -Glenmore at his office in Downing-street was forwarded from the -custom-house at Dover. On the box being opened, it was found to -contain a _porte-feuille_ resembling those in which public papers -are transmitted between official personages, and was stamped with -a coronet, and with the initials G. G. The box itself was not -fastened, and was accompanied by a note from one of the heads of -the custom-house, stating, that it had been left at Dover some days -back; and, from all accounts, by one of his lordship's servants -in the hurry of departure, the initials on the box seeming to -authorize the supposition. On the note being handed to Lord Glenmore -by his secretary, he desired him to inspect the contents of the -_porte-feuille_; and when informed that it seemed to contain papers -of a private nature, Lord Glenmore desired to see it himself. He -found it filled with letters addressed to Lady Glenmore, and amongst -others, some which he recognised as being his own; and he was about -to give orders that it should be sent to his house, concluding it was -a mistake, when, on removing some of the letters, and lifting them up -for the purpose of shutting the box, a miniature portrait attracted his -eye. He thought he recognised the features. He paused for a moment, -still gazing at it. At last he exclaimed, "Why! this is surely Leslie -Winyard's portrait! How came it here? This must be a mistake!" Again he -looked at the letters, but there was no mistake. The letters were all -addressed to Lady Glenmore, and some of them were his own. - -He involuntarily shuddered. For a moment he half doubted _what_ to do; -whether to close the box, and leave it to Lady Glenmore to explain a -circumstance which appeared so strange, or whether himself to endeavour -to elucidate the mystery by an investigation of the contents. He -hesitated between these two resolves, while his hand mechanically -turned the papers over. In another moment his attention was arrested -by a few brief words beginning, "You will not leave Paris, surely, so -cruelly, so unexpectedly? Remember there are duties of the heart, as -well as those of _convenance_. I rely upon your giving me some days to -prepare for your absence: indeed you owe me this favour;"--and the note -ran on in a similar strain of familiarity, and implied confidence of a -return of sentiment. - -To a person of Lord Glenmore's open, unsuspicious nature, the shadow of -such a discovery as seemed now unfolding itself was paralyzing; yet he -was a man of too much strong sense alike to shrink from investigation -when such was necessary, as to act upon any sudden impulse, or form a -hasty conclusion. There was enough, however, in what he had seen, to -make him think deeply, fearfully, and to determine him on probing the -matter at once to its very source. - -After a few moments' reflection, his resolution was taken. He knew -that to breathe such a suspicion as these circumstances created of -the woman he loved, even to herself, if she _were_ innocent, would be -the severest wound and deepest degradation that could be inflicted on -her heart; and if she were _not_ innocent, that it would demand more -of calm reflection, than, in the agony of excited feelings, he could -perhaps command, in order to come to any decision. He determined, -therefore, ere he took any further step in the business, to proceed -to an immediate examination of the _porte-feuille_. With every nerve -stretched to agony, and a brain on fire, he removed the papers one by -one, turning over all the letters and notes it contained. He dreaded -to find what he was searching for. Who can express the pain of such a -search? It was some time before he found any character assimilating to -those of the note he had already perused. At length, when he came near -the bottom of the portfolio, the same hand-writing presented itself on -a thousand scraps of paper, and on the direction of various letters. - -Again he started, and was obliged for a moment to pause,--his senses -refused their office; but, in another, he rallied; though with that -inward tremor which checks the pulse of life, he turned them over, -and, seizing the first that presented itself, read it with a perfect -knowledge of its contents. The notes and letters were numerous, yet -he missed not one; but continued to read them carefully through with -breathless eagerness, alive to the apprehension of discovering, at -every line of their perusal, something that would inflict a more deadly -wound than he had yet received. When he came to the conclusion, he -literally gasped for breath. "Thank God," he exclaimed, as he dashed a -burning tear from his cheek, "there is nothing positively to criminate -the wife of my bosom!" But to so fond, so noble and faithful a heart -as Lord Glenmore's, was it not sufficient agony to find, that, while -absent from him, her intimacy with another had been of that kind -which could permit of such a correspondence?--a correspondence which -proved that her intercourse with Mr. Leslie Winyard had been of that -nature which sullies the purity of a married woman; and which proved, -likewise, that it had been one of daily habitude, and that not only -had the hours of the day been passed in his presence, but often, by the -dates of the notes, it was evident she must have received them in the -morning before she arose, and at night, after she had retired to rest. -Was this not sufficient to harrow up his soul? Calling, however, to -his aid as much calmness as the circumstances in which he was placed -could admit, he reperused the notes, to avoid all chance of a hasty -or superficial judgment; and again he had the consolation of feeling -certain that they in nowise criminated Lady Glenmore, however much they -proved her guilty of an indiscretion of a most perilous kind. - -The letters were the artful compositions of a man of intrigue, such -as he knew Mr. Leslie Winyard to be; and in the intimacy which they -discovered there was a stain on the character of Lady Glenmore, -which, though many degrees removed from positive vice, was still a -degradation to her and to himself. And is there not a pang of long -remorse to follow such a dereliction of duty? And are there not tears -of penitence, wrung from the heart's inmost core, to be shed, which, -though they through mercy wash out sin, cannot wash out shame? And -is there not a something, too, of self-condemnation that pierces -the heart of the husband who can, in the veriest shadow of a shade, -impute to his own neglect, or carelessness, or over-weening security, -his wife's aberrations? Oh! what a world of solemn reflection was now -opened up before Lord Glenmore's view! Bitterly did he repent having -ever suffered a man of such a character as Mr. Leslie Winyard to be on -terms even of acquaintance in his house. - -It was not the time, however, to dwell on this irretrievable point; -neither to give way to the suspicions which flashed across him, of -Lady Tenderden's having been, at least, deeply to blame in suffering -the progress of an affair of which she must have been aware, and which -she ought to have arrested in its course by returning home directly. -Neither did he suffer himself to dwell on the reflection, that perhaps -the society into which Lady Glenmore had been thrown in England might -have laid the foundation of her present deviation from propriety. It -was all too late. It was enough, for the present moment, to know, by -the evidence before him, that a fearful evil existed; and he prayed -inwardly that he might already have learned its full extent. He felt -that he could have no surer test how far Lady Glenmore's heart was -involved in the error of her conduct, than by a direct appeal to -herself; for he thought, "It is impossible she could as yet have lost -that ingenuousness, that openness of disposition, which was ever her -peculiar charm! The brief space of a few months cannot have uprooted -virtues which were the growth of years! Should it be,"--and again he -offered up aspirations to Heaven that strength and counsel might be -given him to act for the best under all circumstances, and as in a -Christian spirit he ought to do. - -Immediate action, under a sense of mental agony, is less painful than -an inactive endurance; and Lord Glenmore hastened home to sound the -full depth of his misery. Arrived at his house, he found Lady Glenmore -was out. He felt it impossible to meet her any where but under his own -roof and alone, and was therefore determined to await her return. It -was late before she came in; and as she hurried from her carriage, she -gave orders that it should be at the door again in an hour, and was -proceeding hastily to her apartment to change her dress for dinner, -when a servant followed her half way up stairs, saying that Lord -Glenmore had desired to see her ladyship as soon as she entered. "Tell -Lord Glenmore," she replied, in a gay tone of voice, "that I am very -late, and have hardly time to dress. I am going to dine with Lady -Tenderden; but I will see him before I go out. At what time is Lord -Glenmore's carriage ordered? at eight, is it not?" - -"I believe so, my lady," was the reply. - -"Oh! very well. Then I shall be with him before I go out." - -Lord Glenmore, however, had heard his wife's voice; and coming out of -his room he called to her, "Georgina, I must speak with you." There was -something in the tone in which he spoke unlike its usual sound, which -made Lady Glenmore, without waiting to answer, descend immediately to -his room. She entered, and was beginning to state the purport of the -message she had sent to him by the servant, when he said to her, in -the same grave and impressive tone, "Georgina, you cannot leave home -to-day." - -"What is the matter?" she exclaimed. "My father! is he ill? or my -mother? What _has_ happened? Has any thing befallen _them_?--For -mercy's sake tell me;"--and she rushed into his arms trembling and in -tears. Lord Glenmore bade her compose herself. "They are well, quite -well," he said; and gently disengaging himself from her, he gazed at -her for a moment in silence, as though he would read her inmost soul; -and then said, "Georgina, have you no other cause for apprehension than -for the safety of your parents?" - -"Oh, yes!" she replied wildly, "for yourself;" and again flung herself -into his arms. "Has anything grieved _you_? has any thing befallen you?" - -Lord Glenmore was touched by this genuine mark of feeling for himself, -which he knew her too well to think was assumed. He sighed deeply; and -pressing his hand on his breast, unconsciously gave utterance to the -hope which, at the moment, this proof of her affection afforded him, -murmuring audibly, "All may yet be well." Lady Glenmore looked at him -with inquiring eye; when at length, taking from the table the packet -of Leslie Winyard's letters, he opened them before her, asking her if -she knew them, and if they had been addressed to herself. She looked at -them with an expression of surprise; and then mingled shame and dismay -were painted on her countenance, the colour went and came in her cheek, -her lip trembled, and covering her face with her hands, she burst into -an agony of tears. - -"Georgina, I adjure you," said her husband in the most solemn tone, -rendered hollow and tremulous by emotion, "I call upon you by all that -is sacred; by your vows, plighted to me at the altar; by the love -which, if all things are not alike deceptive, you have till lately -evinced towards me----." - -"Till lately!" she interrupted him, with a gesture and an expression -of the most harrowing agony, "oh! ever, ever!"--and would again have -thrown herself into his arms, but that Lord Glenmore retreated from her -advance, and she fell on her knees with clasped hands before him, and -raising her eyes stedfastly to his, remained in silent supplication, -till Lord Glenmore, evidently as much moved as herself, gently raised -her, and bidding her sit on the sofa by him, said, "You must be calm, -Georgina. I must hear your explanation. I need not ask you if you -felt there was no impropriety, as a married woman, in your receiving -notes of this description: your agitation proves that you feel it was -wrong. But I must first know how you came to admit of any addresses of -the sort; and then I must learn how far your error has proceeded, and -whether your heart is engaged in it."--Lady Glenmore shook her head -in agony of denial.--"And remember, Lady Glenmore," continued Lord -Glenmore, "that whilst the most perfect openness on your part can alone -restore you in time to my affection, so also any deception for the -moment, or any success in imposing on me, must eventually recoil on -yourself, and only hasten your ruin and the entire loss of my heart and -esteem." - -Lady Glenmore remained bathed in tears, apparently unable to give -utterance to what was passing in her breast. - -"If I understand you right, Georgina, by the gesture which this moment -escaped you, your heart is _not_ engaged in this affair. But how, then, -I ask, could you for a moment suffer any one to assume an intimacy with -you such as these notes testify? Surely it could not be vacancy of -affection, and in default of any object of attachment; for was I not -myself, a few short months before, the husband of your free choice? Or -is it that you are changed indeed?" he added, with a look of inquiring -anxiety. - -Again Lady Glenmore shook her head in bitterness of sorrow. - -"Tell me, then; how long has this kind of familiarity existed between -you and the writer of these notes? and tell me, is any one aware of -this degrading intimacy?" - -"I will tell you all, Glenmore," she exclaimed; "all--all!" Lord -Glenmore shuddered to think how his happiness rested on the awful -revelation of what that all might be. "I will tell you every thing," -she repeated; and endeavouring to still the sobs that burst from her -heaving bosom, she began.--"That you, Glenmore, should think my heart -engaged to any one but yourself is the deepest pang I feel; and if I -have been guilty, in appearance, of any imprudence or indiscretion, it -is _only in appearance_. In judging me I hope you will be merciful, -though perhaps I cannot ask this at your hands. But if you see fit to -cast me off, and if what I shall say avail me nothing in restoring -me to your affection, still my heart will be yours till it ceases to -beat; and as no one has ever shared it for an instant, so shall no one -_ever_, to my dying hour. _I_ give my heart or my affections to such a -one as Mr. Leslie Winyard?--impossible! I could not if I would. You, -you alone, can ever possess it. But to evince the tenderness which I -feel for you in public, I was told was wrong, was ridiculous; and I was -taught to think that you yourself would cease to love me if I troubled -you with demonstrations of this fondness. I was told, also, that -another than you ought to be my attendant in the world; and the example -of those around me confirmed in this idea." Lord Glenmore sighed -heavily as he felt the truth of what last fell from Lady Glenmore. - -"Who _could_ have told you this?" he uttered involuntarily. - -"Glenmore, did you not yourself tell me that I must look to the conduct -of those with whom I lived as the best guide for my own? did you not -tell me that Lady Tenderden would be my best model? And if I have -displeased you in my late conduct, think how much I have been led into -the error by your own directions?" - -"Georgina, your heart must tell you, that I could never intend, by any -suggestions on my part, that you should form an _intimacy_ with such -a person as Mr. Leslie Winyard, at least such an intimacy as you seem -to have done by these notes. It is true I might have bid you lay aside -the foolish expectation that I should be ever at your side in public; -but I could never judge so ill of your understanding, as to suppose -that such expressions, on my part, could be interpreted to the extent -of endangering your honour and my happiness. But proceed. You have not -yet told me how this intimacy has grown, or what encouragement you have -given to justify such insolent presumption." - -"Indeed, indeed, Glenmore, I can hardly tell you how. But first, -whenever I _was_ in public, you were always absent; or, if not absent, -at least occupied with others and not with myself. I sat alone, -_ennuyé_, and with a feeling of desertion. At the _écarté_ parties, -especially, I felt desolate. To them, you know, no young, unmarried -ladies were admitted; and the persons who composed the society were -either engaged in play, or else those who sat out were so engaged, -two and two, in conversation at distant parts of the room, that I -felt awkward in attempting to join them. Oh! how I have sat, night -after night, in those fine rooms, thinking how little they afforded -happiness, and wishing myself any where else! The first person who paid -me any attention was Mr. Leslie Winyard. I found him agreeable and -entertaining; and neither saw nor heard, in his manner or conversation, -any thing that the whole world might not have seen or heard with me. -If others spoke to me, it was a matter of form, or only a passing -word, without seeming to care whether I answered or not; while he, -on the contrary, always listened to what I had to say with apparent -interest,--always seemed impressed with a wish to please me whenever -we met; and thus our intimacy commenced. Deprived of you, Glenmore, I -thought there was no harm in amusing myself in public during the time -that I was there; instead of being quite _délaissée_. _You_ know how -unwilling I was to enter on a life of dissipation." Lord Glenmore again -sighed, as if in assent to the truth of these words; and blamed himself -inwardly that he had ever suffered Lady Glenmore to mingle, unprotected -by himself, in society which now, for the first time, appeared to him, -in its full force, to be of such dangerous tendency, that he felt he -ought to have known better. - -"But your greater intimacy abroad," he went on to ask, "Georgina? for -it was abroad that these notes seem to have been written. Did you -receive none such before your departure?" - -"None, on my sacred word," she replied. - -"Then how came you to admit them?" - -"Oh! I can scarcely tell. Sometimes we were left in doubt, the evening -before, whether our party was to take place on the following day or -not, and he wrote to me to know _how_ it was to be. Then I sometimes -returned fatigued with our day's excursion, and a note of inquiry would -arrive. Then another morning would come flowers, another music, and -with all these came notes." - -"Did you ever answer them?" - -"Very seldom, for you know I hate writing; and when I did it was only a -literal word of reply to some question about the hour at which we were -to ride or dine out. The notes themselves will tell you this, Glenmore, -for they complain of never being answered." - -"But if you did not answer, you valued them, Georgina, or you would not -have preserved them." - -"Yes," she replied, "I liked the attention they proved; but that was -all. _I_ meant no harm; and though Lady Tenderden frequently knew of -the circumstance, she never reproved me for receiving them." - -"Did Lady Tenderden," exclaimed Lord Glenmore with surprise, "never -tell you you were in the wrong, or, at least, imprudent?" - -"No--no," Lady Glenmore answered with some hesitation, and as if -endeavouring to recollect herself. - -"You hesitate, Georgina. Did Lady Tenderden, I ask you pointedly, never -make any remark on Mr. Leslie Winyard's attentions to you?" - -"Yes, yes; once she did say something." - -"What was it?" asked Lord Glenmore, with breathless impatience. - -"She told me that I should not encourage Mr. Leslie Winyard _alone_; -that it was bad taste to have but one cavalier; that he would grow -tired of me if I did not divide my preference." - -"Gracious heaven!" exclaimed Lord Glenmore, striking his hands -together; "and is it to this guardianship that I have intrusted -you?--But the picture, Georgina, the picture! tell me, how came the -picture of that man in your possession?" - -"His picture!" repeated Lady Glenmore with surprise. - -"Yes," rejoined Lord Glenmore sternly; and taking it from beneath the -papers, pointed to it. - -"Oh! I remember now; I had totally forgotten it. But one day, when I -was writing, he came up to me. We had been talking, the evening before, -of remembering people and their features in absence, and I had declared -my inability to recall any one, however intimate, to my memory, when I -did not see them; and then he said he could not bear me to forget him, -and he would put his portrait in my _porte-feuille_, which I conclude -he did; but indeed, indeed I have never looked at it or thought of it -since;"--and she raised her eloquent eyes, streaming with tears, full -in Lord Glenmore's face. - -The latter, during the whole of what had passed, felt that his wife was -only the victim of the system of that society in which she had been -cast. He could not for a moment believe that the expression of that -genuine feeling which had been displayed could have been assumed,--that -the undisguised truth had not been elicited in every word that had -fallen from Lady Glenmore's lips,--that she had been led away by the -vanity of a designing man's attention, and during a season, _perhaps_, -of neglect on his part. - -How could he then, if his honour and her heart were still unpolluted, -deal harshly by her? Lord Glenmore's views, on all subjects, were -clear and decided; and from what he had elicited from Lady Glenmore, -his purpose was fixed, provided she answered him satisfactorily on two -points, and with the same ingenuous spirit, and the same conviction. -Turning to her, therefore, with much solemnity, he said, - -"Georgina, you have been foolish: I believe this to be the extent -of your error. I, perhaps, have been unwise in trusting too much to -your discretion. But before I can again repose confidence in you, you -must first assure me, in the most solemn manner, that you have told -me _all_,--that you have concealed no part of this transaction from -me:--you must swear it." - -"I swear," exclaimed Lady Glenmore; and falling on her knees, once more -raised her hands and eyes to heaven, in affirmation of her words, and -in agony of feeling. - -Lord Glenmore was deeply agitated. "And then," he continued, his voice -faltering with emotion, "you must promise me that you will break off -all intercourse and acquaintance with that man." - -"All, all!" she cried, embracing his knees; "joyfully I will break it -off," and raising an imploring look of love up to his face. - -"Voluntarily, freely," he continued, as he gazed at her. - -"Yes, Glenmore," she repeated, with deep earnestness. "What is he or -his hated name to me, if you but love me? Only trust me, try me, and -you will find how devotedly I am your own." - -Lord Glenmore was deeply affected; and as she clung to his knees, -raised her in his arms, and pressed her convulsively to his heart. - -"_I will trust you, Georgina_," he said, as he impressed a kiss on her -forehead--the seal of peace; nor was it impressed in vain. "And now," -he added, "you require repose. This has been a deep lesson to you and -to myself. Go to your chamber, Georgina, and thank God, as I do, that -you have been thus saved from degradation and misery." Again Lady -Glenmore flinging herself into those dear arms which no longer repelled -her embrace, wept for some moments on his neck delicious tears of -penitence and love. - -Once more alone, Lord Glenmore reviewed all that had passed; and in -the calm reflection of a strong mind saw at once the miserable cause, -and the nearly fatal effects, of a mode of life, the awful dangers -of which he had never till then questioned. He had the honesty to -perceive in his own conduct much more to blame than in that of his -young and inexperienced wife. His belief amounted to conviction of her -innocence, even in regard to the imprudence into which she had been -betrayed. A thousand times did he condemn his own mistaken course, and -his too confiding nature, as the cause of all that had occurred. A -thousand instances did he recall of his having placed Lady Glenmore in -circumstances where a less virtuous nature than hers would have fallen -a more easy sacrifice. - -The delusion of the false system of society in which she had been -cast was now unveiled, and a thousand proofs of the immorality and -viciousness which marked the course of those with whom he had -habitually lived now stared him in the face; and with a deep feeling -of gratitude he raised the voice of thanksgiving to Heaven, that the -mist of error had been dispelled in time to save her who was dearer to -him than his own life, and in whose happiness his own was involved. How -to break from the entanglements of a society which had produced these -baneful results was a reflection of difficulty. - -Lord Glenmore was too much a man of the world, and too good and just -a person, to act hastily in such circumstances; for he well knew that -to do so would be only to draw down upon himself and his wife the -animadversions of the world at large, and the rancour of those from -whom he separated; and in this his wife's character must suffer. It -required, therefore, the calmness of repose, and the deliberation of a -less agitated mind, to decide on the after-measures to be taken; and -with the determination of adopting such as might appear best suited to -the circumstances of the case, he retired, at length, to rest. - - - - -CHAPTER XIII. - -FINAL DEVELOPMENT OF A DANGEROUS SYSTEM. - - -Whatever confidence Lord Glenmore felt in possessing the full and -undivided affections of Lady Glenmore, yet the particulars of such a -disclosure as had come to light, of her intimacy with Leslie Winyard, -could not fail, for a long period, to throw a gloom on his existence; -and gave birth to a feeling, that the happiness which he had hitherto -contemplated as unclouded was now obscured by some of those shades -which are incident to all human enjoyments, and which are wisely -ordered to wean us, perhaps, from a world we might otherwise love too -well. - -Convinced, however, that Lady Glenmore had been timely saved from -falling a prey to circumstances arising out of the nature of the -society into which she was thrown, and which he could not help -considering were in a great measure the result of his own want of -forethought and care, he felt assured that the decision he had come to -was as much his _duty_, as his heart told him it was his _desire_. - -To withdraw Lady Glenmore from that circle was nevertheless no easy -task. Habits of conventional dissipation are seldom broken through -without producing a mutual aversion between the parties. From this -feeling, on the part of her former associates, it was his anxious wish -to guard Lady Glenmore; for he felt that to a young and inexperienced -heart there can be no greater temptation to return to error, than to -be exposed to those sneers and contemptuous remarks which the world of -folly is ever ready to apply when it finds itself tacitly reproved. - -While, therefore, Lady Glenmore remained exposed, as she must of -necessity be for a season, to the casual society of Lady Tenderden, -Lady Tilney, and the rest of that party, it would have been impolitic, -with the views Lord Glenmore entertained, for him to have adopted any -very marked change in his own or Lady Glenmore's outward deportment -towards them. But he laid a sure and better foundation of future -propriety in the conduct of his wife, by developing to her the dangers -and awful consequences which, now that his fears had been timely -awakened, he saw existed in the mode of life and peculiar society in -which they had hitherto taken a part. - -Struck with dismay at the contemplation of the picture he drew, and -while there was no reason to appeal further than to her own good sense, -Lord Glenmore felt convinced that the veil had been seasonably removed -from _her_ eyes as well as _his own_; and that, with a conviction of -the danger which surrounded her, and with affections firmly fixed upon -himself, he might discard all fear for the future on _her_ account. -In regard to her acquaintance, however, with Mr. Leslie Winyard, a -more decided line was necessarily taken; and although this step gave -rise to some whispers among the younger and more licentious part of -the society, and elicited innuendos from Leslie Winyard himself, under -which, with real baseness, he sought to conceal the mortification of -his abrupt dismissal, yet the more prudent of the _coterie_ rejoiced in -the circumstance, as averting the danger of a _public scandal_ which -threatened them. - -Amongst this number Lady Tilney was loud in dwelling on the fortunate -_dénouement_ of an affair which, had it terminated otherwise, might -have been detrimental to the interests of the circle in which she -reigned; and arrogated to herself the whole merit of having, by her -good policy, been the means of bringing it to this conclusion:--a false -and unhallowed presumption, thus to attribute to human agency alone, -and human foresight, events which proceed from a higher source than -this world's wisdom can reach! but which is too common an error in -minds where religion is not the abiding principle. - -Neither Lady Tilney, however, nor any of the _coterie_, were aware of -the determination of Lord and Lady Glenmore to withdraw themselves -ultimately from their circle; an event which movements in the political -world, as unexpected as they were generally deprecated, greatly -facilitated, and of which Lord Glenmore failed not to take advantage, -as much for the sake of his domestic peace, as for the maintenance -of his political principles. Measures which he felt he never could -consistently support were on the point of being brought forward by the -head of the ministry; and with that frankness and decision of character -which had marked his whole life, he sought permission to retire from -public affairs, and resign the office which he held. - -Aware of the importance of his support, the minister of the day long -sought to retain him on his side; but no arguments of expediency -could overcome the fixed principles of right and wrong by which Lord -Glenmore was actuated; and he finally succeeded in liberating himself -from the toils of an office which, since the late threatened overthrow -of his domestic peace, he had found induced too great a sacrifice -of more essential points of happiness. Equally rejoiced with Lord -Glenmore was Lord Albert D'Esterre at this event, for in the present -state of his mind he found mixing in public, which his official -situation imposed upon him, a most irksome burden; and he hailed with -satisfaction a circumstance which, as a natural consequence of Lord -Glenmore's resignation, freed him also from the toils of office. The -first favourable result that accrued from this change was, that it -threw Lord Glenmore and Lord Albert more together; who, in the leisure -of retirement, experienced the sweets of that steady friendship which -is the offspring of mutual esteem. - -In a proposal which, soon after these occurrences, Lord Glenmore made -to Lord Albert, of taking advantage of their liberation to go abroad, -the latter readily joined; not only as being his friend's wish but also -as one in which he would have sooner indulged himself, except for the -pain he endured at the thought of quitting Lord Glenmore. All barriers -to his wishes in this respect being removed, the arrangements for a -foreign tour were soon completed; and leaving the _coterie_ astonished -at the _mauvais ton_ of their quitting London in the middle of _the -season_, and when no one was at Paris, and no inducement could exist -for a _séjour_ abroad, according to their calculation, Lord Glenmore -and Lord Albert were soon consigned to oblivion, and ceased to be -subjects of conversation. - -They, on their part, quitted London without one of those regrets so -generally experienced by the young and gay when bidding adieu to so -many seducing phantoms of pleasure--phantoms, however, whose fallacy -they had too deeply proved, ever to permit a moment's power over them -in future. - -The reunited friends pursued their journey in the same route; and -although Lord Albert's heart was any thing but light, a degree of -serenity was gradually restored to him in the calm of reflection, -the interest of the scenes he passed through, and above all in that -reflected ray of happiness which he caught from his friend. - -A year in this manner had passed away, and Lord Glenmore had recovered -that even cheerfulness which is a test of the heart's happiness, and -which the assurance of Lady Glenmore's devotedness to himself, and -total abandonment of all wish to re-enter scenes from which he had -withdrawn her, were calculated to restore. It was at this period that -the party found themselves at Naples: and here Lord Albert's proximity -to that country of classic name which he had once before visited, -and which again seemed to call him to the contemplation of all the -interests and beauties which it ever retains, together with that spirit -of restlessness, which is the concomitant of an unoccupied heart, -tempted him once more to revisit Greece. - -In fulfilling this wish, however, he remained some time undecided, -from his averseness to quit the Glenmores; but when Lady Glenmore's -health at length prevented the possibility of their removing from -Naples, he decided on resigning the society of his friends for a few -months, and prepared for his departure. However lively his regret at -the moment of separation, and however irksome his absence, from Lord -Glenmore might appear, Lord Albert's stay in Greece was prolonged far -beyond his original intention; for who, once having tasted the delights -attendant on Grecian travel, can readily forego the charm it affords? -If there is earthly balm for a wounded spirit, it is in the feelings -and reflections which such scenes inspire. - -In the correspondence that continued between Lord Glenmore and Lord -Albert D'Esterre, he found the former had quitted Italy, and intended -to pass the winter in Munich. When, therefore, his own affairs called -him imperatively back to England, he took his route through Germany; -and arriving late at Munich, stopped there for the night, in order to -enjoy a few hours society with the only persons who still, he believed, -were solicitous to retain his friendship. The announcement of his -arrival was quickly followed by his presence at the hotel inhabited by -Lord Glenmore. The meeting and reception were such as may be imagined, -though seldom realized, between friends so cordially united; and if it -suffered any alloy, it was the contrasted loneliness of Lord Albert's -heart with the domestic felicity of Lord Glenmore. But although he felt -the pang of self-regret, he was not insensible to the reflected joy of -Lord Glenmore's happiness. - -His transient visit was soon followed by the declaration of his -intended departure on the morrow. But who can tell what a day may -bring forth? From this intention he was eagerly dissuaded by the -joint entreaties of Lord and Lady Glenmore; and yielding to their -solicitations, and the prospect of the pleasure of their society, -rather than to the inducement they held out of a court festival that -was to take place the following day, he gave a reluctant acquiescence -to retard his journey, and promised his attendance at the Court. - -On the morrow, Lord Albert arrived at the palace, but late; and was -obliged to hurry through the apartments, in order to be in time for -his presentation. This formality gone through, he was leisurely -retracing his way to rejoin the Glenmores, who stood in a distant part -of the circle, when his eyes were attracted to a form which he thought -he recognised, but so changed, so pale, so much taller than he had -been used to recollect as the image of the person whom the features -represented, that he stopped for a moment in doubt. But that moment -was sufficient to make him remember all. It was Lady Adeline Seymour -who stood before him. For a moment he paused, and was irresolute how -to act. His head swam round, and every object in the room became one -confused mass. He looked for a way to escape; but escape there was -none, without causing much observation, the circle was so closely -drawn; and he found he must inevitably proceed in the direction where -this magic phantom stood. He endeavoured to arm himself for the dreaded -trial; but with every nerve trembling, and every pulse beating, he -was forced to move on. He endeavoured to fix his eyes on the ground, -but, in despite of himself, they were constantly raised to the object -that so irresistibly attracted them. As he drew nearer, he observed -Lady Dunmelraise leaning on the arm of her daughter. Again he started, -and gasped with uncontrollable emotion. The Court was breaking up. -The current of the throng set in one way, and pressed upon him till -he found himself absolutely borne close to the very beings whom, -of all others, it caused him the most violent agitation of mingled -feelings to meet. "Lord Albert D'Esterre" exclaimed Lady Dunmelraise, -and, courtesying, she half smiled as she recognised him. He bowed -in silence, unable to speak. Lady Dunmelraise continued to address -him:--"Have you been long at Munich, Lord Albert?" "Yes--no--yes--no. I -have been"----and he murmured a few incoherent words that admitted of -any interpretation, but which she did not misunderstand. - -"Adeline, dear!" she said, turning to her daughter, whose head had -drooped, and whose eyes sought the ground, "Adeline! do you not -recognise Lord Albert D'Esterre?" Lady Adeline bowed without speaking, -or raising her head. She was powerless. Lord Albert's eyes were -fixed in stupified amazement on her. The crowd had now congregated -around them, and it was impossible for either party to move. Painful -as this situation was, Lord Albert thought he read, in the tremor -of Lady Adeline's frame, a something indefinable indeed, but which, -nevertheless, breathed of tender reminiscence. In another minute, the -glove and fan which she held in her hand dropped from her trembling -hold. - -Lord Albert hastened to recover them; and, in presenting them to her, -the whole recollection of the scene at the Court of London flashed -vividly on his mind: the myrtle sprig, the look that had accompanied -the bequest of it to him, all returned to _his_ remembrance; and had -it faded entirely from hers? He ventured not to speak; but in this act -of common courtesy, while holding the fan by one end as she touched -it at the other, there was a mutually tremulous vibration that passed -through it, which told him of _all that was thrilling_ in her heart at -the moment, and which instinctively conveyed to him a renovated gleam -of hope. Under these feelings, Lord Albert, in his turn, stooped his -head to hide the tear that started to his eye, as he acknowledged--for -how could he do otherwise than acknowledge?--that _this_ was not the -feeling of one indifferent to him. - -It needed, however, only a moment's reflection to repress the -presumptuous joy which for an instant filled his breast; and, with -wounds fresh opened, he sought the opportunity which a movement in the -crowd afforded him to rush from the palace to his carriage. Thence he -drove impetuously to his hotel, called his servants, gave orders for -instant preparations for departure, and hastily changing his dress, and -desiring his carriage to attend him at Lord Glenmore's hotel, proceeded -thither. - -He entered with excited feelings, and a spirit irritated by the most -contradictory emotions, and half-inclined to reproach Lord Glenmore -for having exposed him to the painful scene which he had just passed -through. Lord Albert met him on the staircase, that moment returned -from Court. Lord Glenmore looked at him at first with astonishment, and -then at his change of dress. - -"Glenmore," said Lord Albert in a hurried tone, "I must speak to -you;"--and as they entered his apartment, he continued, in agitation: - -"Why have you exposed me to this scene? Why did you not tell me that -she was here? I have met Adeline;"--and he sunk into a chair, unable to -utter more. - -"My dear D'Esterre," Lord Glenmore replied, "forgive me. You must know -how far it is from any wish of my heart to pain or agitate yours. -That you should have met Lady Adeline under circumstances distressing -to your feelings, you may believe I deeply lament: that I knew she was -resident here, it could never be my intention to conceal from you: but -that your meeting will be ultimately productive of mutual happiness to -you both (however agonizing at the moment), I cannot for an instant -doubt." Lord Albert paced the room in agitation. - -"Hear me; only hear me, D'Esterre, for a few moments." Lord Albert -again cast himself into a seat. - -"Let me tell you, then, quietly, that since we parted, and particularly -since our residence in this place, Lady Adeline has become the intimate -friend of my wife. Her secret thoughts have been revealed to Georgina. -Need I tell what these thoughts are? They reveal an attachment the -truest and most refined that ever warmed a heart, and that heart is -wholly and unchangeably your own. Was it possible, D'Esterre, that, -knowing you as I do, I should allow what I believe to be the truth to -remain secret, and not inform my wife that your affections were in -reality centred in Lady Adeline? And again, as your friend, knowing, -or, at least, surmising, all those unfortunate circumstances which -had arisen to separate you, that I should not endeavour to clear up -the misapprehension, and remedy the evil? Was it, too, possible, would -it have been the part of a real friend, had I deferred for an instant -seeking to place every thing in its true light to Lady Dunmelraise? -I should, indeed, have been unworthy of the character, if, from a -momentary fear of your displeasure, I had forborne to do so. This I -have done, D'Esterre;"--and Lord Glenmore added, half smiling, and -extending his hand to him as he spoke, "and for this, as well as for -the meeting that has just taken place, I feel you cannot _blame_ me." - -"You are all goodness," exclaimed Lord Albert mournfully. "But what -then?" he cried with gasping eagerness, "what can it all avail me?" - -"What then! why this, D'Esterre--the crowning of your wishes, the -fulfilment of your happiness. I found Lady Dunmelraise almost as much -enlightened as to the circumstances which broke off your engagement -with Lady Adeline as myself; and, in avowing this knowledge, she -accompanied it with expressions of regret that she had not herself been -more explicit on the subject to you. - -"With this understanding of Lady Dunmelraise's sentiments, and the -conviction of Lady Adeline's affections being wholly yours, have I -acted wrong, even in apparent violation of your feelings, in bringing -about this interview? After all, the first meeting has been, perhaps, -as little trying to both as could well be; and it has, with this -explanation, I hope, opened the way to a more delightful reverie still. -D'Esterre, I adjure you by our friendship, by your own happiness, -trust to me, trust to Georgina, and suffer not this fortunate moment -to escape! Give way to the genuine impulse of your heart. Let not any -false pride, any untimely fears, influence you; but empower me, this -very instant, to go to Lady Dunmelraise, and prepare the way for your -reception." - -Lord Albert D'Esterre, with a sense of happiness too overpowering to -admit of any distinct feeling, yielded up all the latent prejudices -and pride of his nature, which Lady Dunmelraise's rejection still left -rankling in his bosom; and, overcome by the tender entreaties of Lord -Glenmore, he at last convulsively exclaimed, - -"Go, go, Glenmore! but do not deceive me; do not place me in any -position unworthy of your friend." Lord Glenmore waited not an instant, -but flew to Lady Dunmelraise, the happy messenger of happy tidings. -The purpose of his mission was soon made known, and as soon acceded to; -and when Lord Albert, the victim of delusion, found himself once more -in Lady Dunmelraise's presence, the cordial pressure of the hand, the -expressions of pleasure at again meeting, the tearful eye, and soft -intonation of voice, soon assured him that all the justice that could -be done him had already taken effect in Lady Dunmelraise's mind; and -the half-broken, half-murmured sentences which he attempted in reply -were interrupted by the latter calling to Lady Adeline Seymour from the -adjoining room. As she came forward with downcast looks and trembling -footstep, Lord Albert hastened towards her, took her hands in his, and -as he pressed them to his lips, asked her "if she could forgive him?" - -In sounds almost inarticulate, she pronounced his name; and as her -head was bowed down, overcome with the agitation of such a moment, -Lady Dunmelraise approached, pressed their united hands together, and -blessed them as her children. - -With what inebriation of happiness did Lord Albert quit this scene! -with what a cheered and gladdened spirit did he return to Lord -Glenmore! with what an overflowing spirit of thankfulness did he pour -forth his acknowledgments to the friend who, under Providence, had -restored him to happiness, and with such judicious zeal guided and -counselled him to reach the goal!--For these feelings there are no -words. To Lady Glenmore also he opened his whole soul, and condemned -repeatedly his misapprehension of Adeline's conduct, and his own want -of candour; while he listened with rapturous delight to every fresh -proof which fell from Lady Glenmore's lips, of Lady Adeline's love; -though even in this, there was an anguish mingled with the joy, to -think how little he had merited the devotion of such a heart. After -some hours had passed, during which Lord Albert, in the delirium of his -felicity, scarcely could persuade himself of the reality of a change -which so short a time had wrought in his existence, he became calmer; -and looking back on the past, he could not but see the over-ruling hand -of Providence in all that had befallen him. - -The unthinking might call it a chance, which had opened up to him -the real character of Lady Hamlet Vernon; and, in the same mistaken -levity, might have attributed to the same blind accident the serious -reflections which this discovery brought in its train: and continuing -in this error, they might ascribe to the same fortuitous power, that he -had reached Munich, a desolate and forlorn being, to whom no object -in life presented itself to cheer existence or stimulate exertion; and -that, now, how the evolution of a few hours had reversed the whole -picture, and placed him on the summit of human happiness!--Yes, the -unthinking and the hardened may ascribe all this to chance: but the -wise and good know that _chance_ is only another word for Providence; -and that in every turn of our lives, in every minutia which affects -our existence here or hereafter, there is a mightier power to be -acknowledged than any secondary cause can alone produce. - -"D'Esterre," said Lord Glenmore, as the latter entered the apartment -where he was sitting with Lady Glenmore, "D'Esterre, do you know that -your carriage has been waiting for hours at the door?" and smiling as -he added, "I presume it may go back to your hotel, for I have to tell -you that Lady Dunmelraise and Lady Adeline will be here directly." Lord -Albert looked his delighted thanks. "And if you intend to make any -toilette for dinner," continued the former, "there is no time to lose." -Lord Albert arose, pressed the hands of both his friends to his heart, -and promised to return instantly. - -As he descended the staircase, he saw his old servant Comtois, who -held his travelling cloak. Lord Albert said, as he passed him, "No, -Comtois, no." The former made a sign to the courier to mount. Lord -Albert observed this, and turning round, added, "Comtois, I shall not -set off to-day." - -"No, _milor_?" rejoined the latter with surprise, his features catching -a portion of the joy that gleamed from his master's face, and to which -such an expression had long been a stranger. "_Milor, donc, a changé -d'intention: il ne part pas._" - -"No, Comtois; and I must dress as soon as possible, so go to my hotel." -The servant hastened forward to execute these orders, with as much -alacrity as Lord Albert had shown in giving them; and the grave tone -of command to the courier to return with the carriage was changed to -one almost of friendly familiarity, as he said, nodding to him, "Luigi, -_nous ne partons pas_. _Vite à l'hôtel._" - -It would be vain to attempt to describe all that passed, all that was -said and looked, when they met, between the now happy Lord Albert and -Lady Adeline. Much time at Munich was not suffered to elapse, before -arrangements were made for Lady Dunmelraise's and her daughter's return -to England, whither they were accompanied by Lord Albert; and when -arrived there, their union was to take place as soon as possible. Lord -and Lady Glenmore were entreated to return in time for the ceremony; -and the former, re-assured by the two years' devotion and increasing -attachment of his wife, now saw no reason for his prolonged stay on the -continent. - -Lord Albert D'Esterre, on his arrival in England, found some little -difficulty in explaining satisfactorily to his father Lord Tresyllian's -mind all the contradictory circumstances which had led to Lady -Adeline's rejection of him, and in regaining his approbation of their -union; but the wounded pride of the latter was at length appeased by -the most satisfactory details of all the occurrences, and beyond this -Lord Tresyllian had little feeling. The marriage took place a few -days after the arrival of the Glenmores, and for nine days formed the -subject of wonder and conversation in the _coterie_ of the exclusives, -in which Lord Albert had so nearly made a wreck of happiness. - -With this circle, a few excepted, no renewal of intimacy took place, -either on the part of Lord Albert or Lord Glenmore. They found, by -public report, that the fate of some who had figured in it had been -such as their course must sooner or later have brought them to. -Mr. Leslie Winyard had married, a few months after Lady Glenmore's -departure, an heiress of immense wealth; who, dazzled with the idea -of obtaining the _entrée_ into that circle of _ton_ in which he moved, -and betrayed by the delusive hope of reclaiming him from its more -destructive follies by her love and devotion, had given him her hand, -her fortune, and her happiness. Enormous, however, as was her wealth, -it was soon dissipated in the payment of his previous debts, and the -endless extravagances into which he plunged: and in eighteen months -after their union she had died of a broken heart; having lived to -witness the foul desertion of the man for whom she had sacrificed every -thing, and who was then living, in open violation of all religious and -moral feeling, with a recent victim of his seduction. - -Lady Glenmore shuddered as she heard these details, and lifted up her -hands in silent thanksgiving to the Almighty for having been preserved -from so awful a fate. As regarded Lord Albert, if any thing could have -been requisite to confirm him in the proper estimate he had formed -of Lady Hamlet Vernon's character, and the danger he had escaped, he -would have found it in _her_ subsequent history; for, pursuing the -same course of intrigue in which she had so nearly involved him, she -at length fell into the toils spread for others, and became the dupe -of her own vicious folly. Brought to a situation in which the fruits -of her conduct would soon become glaringly apparent, and which, if -discovered, must have driven her from that circle where every thing -depended on avoiding _detection_, and scorned by the man she had sought -to inveigle, she was obliged, as a last resource, to veil her infamy -by a marriage with Mr. Foley, with whom she lived at present on those -terms of mutual unhappiness which would naturally be the consequence of -such a union. - -Some few there were of the _coterie_, who had been timely warned, and, -seeing the tendency of the course they were pursuing, had withdrawn -from the magic sphere to better and more stable pursuits. Among -these was Lord Gascoigne, whose quick intelligence and clear head, -accompanied by a goodness of heart which he often concealed under a -show of levity, had preserved him from losing himself entirely in -the vortex of folly. Lord and Lady Baskerville, too, had seen their -error--an error more of the head arising from the contamination of -example, than of the heart; and who now lived as became their station, -and in the way which bade a fair promise for virtuous happiness; while -others of the number continued their heartless round, without coming -to any open disgrace, and yet without making any reform. Among these, -again, was Lady Tilney, who continued still the _soi-disant_ queen -of _ton_, blind to the approach of that period when her empire must -yield, in despite of all her strenuous efforts to uphold it, to that of -some fresh rising beauty; and still insensible to the dreadful vacuum -which in the decline of life, without the sincerity of friendship and -the resources of a well-cultivated mind--above all, without religious -trust to cheer and gild the setting sun of life--must be the miserable -portion of every human creature. - -One _distingué_ member of the _coterie_ was on the eve of leaving it -and the country, not willingly, but from imperative circumstances. The -Comtesse Leinsengen, who had for years played the part of a crafty -_diplomatiste_ with the government, as well as endeavoured to extend -her rule over the circles of fashion, had found herself at last foiled -in her political objects: and too proud to bear this defeat, she had -announced her departure as decisive; an event that to the minister -afforded a feeling of triumph, and no less of secret joy in the breast -of Lady Tilney, who had found in her "_dear friend_" her most dreaded -rival and pertinacious opponent. Oh! what a melancholy reflection to -think, if the Comtesse Leinsengen ever did think on any thing beyond -views of self-interest and the gratification of self-love, that an -intimacy with those with whom she had lived for so many years had been -productive of no one friendship that deserved the name, and given birth -to no one regret when she was about to leave them probably for ever! - -Such, however, would be found to be the case with almost every -individual forming part of this circle, where selfishness, -heartlessness, and cold over-reaching, alternately swayed every action; -passions which, when delineated, at some future day, as they appear -exemplified in individual characters on the scene, will give additional -strength to the moral lesson intended to be conveyed by this general -view of EXCLUSIVE SOCIETY. - - -THE END. - - -LONDON: PRINTED BY THOMAS DAVISON, WHITEFRIARS. - - - - -INTERESTING WORKS JUST PUBLISHED, BY HENRY COLBURN AND RICHARD BENTLEY, -NEW BURLINGTON-STREET. - - - The BOOK of the BOUDOIR. By LADY MORGAN. 2 vols. - - The NEW FOREST, a Novel. By the author of "Brambletye - House." 3 vols. - - DEVEREUX. By the author of "Pelham," and "The - Disowned." 3 vols. - - The SCHOOL of FASHION. 3 vols. - -"A true index to the tastes and feelings of the great world. The author -is known to be a person of high rank, and this is a circumstance to -which some weight is really due, when a book professes to depict the -lives and manners of the aristocracy. But in this instance the author -is more than merely a person of high rank: it is impossible to read her -book without acknowledging that she is also a person of lively talents -and quick observation, with a keen sense of the ridiculous, united by -rather a rare combination with clear sound sense and perspicacity of -judgment."--_Courier._ - - - TALES of an INDIAN CAMP. In 3 vols. post 8vo. 31_s._ 6_d._ - - TALES of MY TIME. By the author of "Blue Stocking Hall." In 3 vols. - post 8vo. - - STORIES of WATERLOO.--CONTENTS: Waterloo--The Field of Battle--The - Seventeenth of June--Quatre Bras--Ligny--Brussels--The Dead - Dragoon--Napoleon and his Army--The Captain of Grenadiers--The - Detachment--The Route--The Outlaw's Story--The March--Story of Colonel - Hilson--Sarsfield--Maurice Mac Carthy--The Champ de Mai--Belgium--The - Cavalry Picket--Napoleon's Return, &c. &c. In 3 vols. post 8vo. 28_s._ - 6_d._ - - The CHELSEA PENSIONERS. By the author of the "Subaltern." - 3 vols.--CONTENTS: The Gentle Recruit--A Day on Neutral - Ground--Saratoga--Maida--A Pyrenean Adventure--The Rivals. - - - - -_Works published by Colburn and Bentley._ - - - 1. STORIES of a BRIDE. By the Authoress of "The Mummy." 3 vols. - - 2. THE BORDERERS. An AMERICAN TALE. By the Author of "The Prairie," - "The Red Rover," &c. - - 3. THE KING'S PAGE. A Novel. 3 vols. - - 4. THE DAVENELS: or, A CAMPAIGN OF FASHION IN DUBLIN. 2 vols. 18s. - - 5. OLD COURT, a Novel. 3 vols. - - "This Romance is the work of a very able pen."--_Court Journal._ - - 6. RICHELIEU, A TALE OF THE COURT OF FRANCE. 3 vols. - - "A very superior work, and one well calculated for extensive - popularity."--_Literary Gazette._ - - 7. ECARTÉ; or, the SALONS OF PARIS. 3 vols. 28s. 6d. - - 8. THE NAVAL OFFICER; or, SCENES and ADVENTURES in the LIFE OF FRANK - MILDMAY. 3 vols. - - 9. WALDEGRAVE. A TALE of the SOUTH. 3 vols. 27s. - - 10. RYBRENT de CRUCE. 3 vols. 28s. 6d. - - "The production of an intelligent and cultivated person."--_New - Monthly Magazine._ - - "This is a very clever novel."--_Literary Gazette._ - - 11. GERALDINE of DESMOND; or, IRELAND in the REIGN of ELIZABETH. 3 - vols. - - "The work will take its station among the best historical romances - that have ever been written."--_Cheltenham Chronicle._ - - 12. BLUE STOCKING HALL. Second Edition. 3 vols. 27s. - - 13. TALES of a VOYAGER to the ARCTIC OCEAN. SECOND SERIES. 3 vols. - - 14. THE CARBONARO. A TALE, by the DUKE DE LEVIS. 2 vols. - - 15. THE SECTARIAN; or, The CHURCH and the MEETING-HOUSE. 3 vols. - - 16. TALES of WOMAN, Illustrative of the FEMALE CHARACTER. 2 vols. - - 17. THE MAN of TWO LIVES. A NARRATIVE, WRITTEN by HIMSELF. 2 vols. - - 18. THE CASTILIAN. A SPANISH TALE. 3 vols. - - - - -TRANSCRIBER'S NOTE: - -Obvious printer errors have been corrected. 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