stammers, and seems to beg us to believe that he means nothing
whatever by his behaviour. Can you convey to his City-intelligence that
he is just a trifle ill-bred?"

Now, Arabella had always seen Edward as a thing that was her own, which
accounts for the treatment to which, he had been subjected. A quick spur
of jealousy--a new sensation--was the origin of her leaning toward
Edward; and the plea of saving Adela from annoyance excused and covered
it. He, for his part, scarcely concealed his irritation, until a little
scented twisted note was put in his hand, which said, "You are as anxious
as I can be about our sweet lost Emilia! We believe ourselves to be on
her traces." This gave him wonderful comfort. It put Adela in a beautiful
fresh light as a devoted benefactress and delicious intriguante. He threw
off some of his most telling caricatures at this period. Adela had
divined that Captain Gambier suspected his cousin Merthyr Powys of
abstracting Emilia, that he might shield her from Mr. Pericles. The
Captain confessed it, calmly blushing, and that he was in communication
with Miss Georgiana Ford, Mr. Powys's half-sister; about whom Adela was
curious, until the Captain ejaculated, "A saint!"--whereat she was
satisfied, knowing by instinct that the preference is for sinners. Their
meetings usually referred to Emilia; and it was astonishing how willingly
the Captain would talk of her. Adela repeated to herself, "This is our
mask," and thus she made it the Captain's; for it must be said that the
conquering Captain had never felt so full of pity to any girl or woman to
whom he fancied he had done damage, as to Emilia. He enjoyed a most
thorough belief that she was growing up to perplex him with her love, and
he had not consequently attempted to precipitate the measure; but her
flight had prematurely perplexed him. In grave debate with the ends of
his moustache for a term, he concluded by accusing Merthyr Powys; and
with a little feeling of spite not unknown to masculine dignity, he wrote
to Merthyr's half-sister--"merely to inquire, being aware that whatever
he does you have been consulted on, and the friends of this Miss Belloni
are distressed by her absence."

The ladies of Brookfield were accustomed to their father's occasional
unpremeditated absences, and neither of them had felt an apprehension
which she could not dismiss, until one morning Mr. Powys sent up his card
to Arabella, requesting permission to speak with h