ing crowd of strangers.

But few more incidents of note occurred that night; dancing continued
with unabated spirit, even after the departure of the royal guests, and
pleasure was the prevailing feeling to the last. The notice of the Duke,
and the benignant spirit of the Duchess, her gentle and kindly manners,
had penetrated many a young and ardent soul, and fixed at once and
unwaveringly the stamp of future loyalty within.

Once introduced to Mrs. Cameron, and aware that she resided so near
them, Mr. and Mrs. Hamilton cultivated her acquaintance; speedily they
became intimate. In Mrs. Fortescue's broken and dying narrative, she had
more than once mentioned them as the friends of her husband, and having
been most kind to herself. Edward had alluded to Captain Cameron's care
of him, and parting advice, when about to embark for England; and Ellen
had frequently spoken of Mrs. Cameron's kindness to her when a child.
All those who had shown kindness to her sister were objects of
attraction to Mrs. Hamilton, and the widow speedily became so attached
to her and her amiable family, that, on Walter being suddenly ordered
out to Ireland (which commands, by the way, the young man obeyed with
very evident reluctance), she gladly consented to rent a small
picturesque cottage between Moorlands and Oakwood, an arrangement which
added much to the young people's enjoyment; while the quiet repose of
her present life, the society of Mrs. Hamilton and her worthy husband,
as also that of Mr. Howard, restored the widow to happiness, which had
not been her portion since her husband's death; and now, for the first
time, Mrs. Hamilton became acquainted with those minute particulars
which she had for the last nine years desired to know, concerning the
early childhood of those orphans then committed to her care. That her
sister had been partial, it was very easy to discover; but the extent of
the evil, and the many little trials Ellen's very infancy had to
encounter, were only subjects of conjecture, for she could not bear to
lead them to speak on any topic that might in the least have reflected
on the memory of their mother.

The intelligence therefore which she now obtained explained all that had
been a matter of mystery and surprise in Ellen's character, and rendered
clearer than ever to Mrs. Hamilton the painful feelings which had in
opening youth actuated her niece's conduct; and often, as she listened
to Mrs. Cameron's account of her inf