ouse."

"To Elmwood House?" she asked eagerly.

"No, to my house in town, where I intend to be all the winter, and where
we shall live together."

She turned her face on the pillow to conceal tears of joy, but her sobs
revealed them.

"Come," said he, "this kiss is a token you have nothing to fear." And he
kissed her affectionately. "I shall send for Miss Woodley too
immediately," continued he.

"Oh! I shall be overjoyed to see her, my Lord--and to see Mr.
Sandford--and even Mr. Rushbrook."

"Do you know _him?_" said Lord Elmwood.

"Yes," she replied, "I have seen him two or three times."

The Earl hoping the air might be a means of re-establishing her strength
and spirits, now left the room, and ordered his carriage to be prepared:
while she arose, attended by one of his female servants, for whom he had
sent to town, to bring such changes of apparel as were requisite.

When Matilda was ready to join her father in the next room, she felt a
tremor seize her, that made it almost impossible to appear before him.
No other circumstance now impending to agitate her heart, she felt more
forcibly its embarrassment at meeting on terms of easy intercourse, him,
of whom she had never been used to think, but with that distant
reverence and fear, which his severity had excited; and she knew not how
she should dare to speak to, or look on him, with that freedom her
affection warranted.

After several efforts to conquer these nice and refined sensations, but
to no purpose, she at last went to his apartment. He was reading; but as
she entered, he put out his hand and drew her to him. Her tears wholly
overcame her. He could have intermingled his--but assuming a grave
countenance, he commanded her to desist from exhausting her spirits;
and, after a few powerful struggles, she obeyed.

Before the morning was over, she experienced the extreme joy of sitting
by her father's side as they drove to town, and of receiving, during his
conversation, a thousand proofs of his love, and tokens of her lasting
happiness.

It was now the middle of November; and yet, as Matilda passed along,
never to her, did the sun shine so bright as upon this morning--never did
her imagination comprehend, that the human heart could feel happiness
true and genuine as hers!

On arriving at the house, there was no abatement of her felicity: all
was respect and duty on the part of the domestics--all paternal care on
the part of Lord Elmwood; and she woul