he was amiable
and weak; led by her husband, and easily imposed upon. I am not clever
enough to have his eye for character: and perhaps I am weak and easily
imposed upon too. Before I had been ten minutes in Lady Northlake's
company, I would have given everything I possess in the world to have
had _her_ for my guardian.

"She had called to say good-bye, on leaving London; and my aunt was not
at home. We had a long delightful talk together. She asked me so kindly
to visit her in Scotland, and be introduced to Lord Northlake, that I
accepted the invitation with a glad heart.

"When my aunt returned, I quite forgot that we were on bad terms. I gave
her an enthusiastic account of all that had passed between her sister
and myself. How do you think she met this little advance on my part? She
positively refused to let me go to Scotland.

"As soon as I had in some degree got over my disappointment, I asked
for her reasons. 'I am your guardian,' she said; 'and I am acting in the
exercise of my own discretion. I think it better you should stay with
me.' I made no further remark. My aunt's cruelty made me think of
my dead father's kindness. It was as much as I could do to keep from
crying.

"Thinking over it afterwards, I supposed (as this is the season when
everybody leaves town) that she had arranged to take me into the country
with her. Mr. Gallilee, who is always good to me, thought so too,
and promised me some sailing at the sea-side. To the astonishment of
everybody, she has not shown any intention of going away from London!
Even the servants ask what it means.

"This is a letter of complaints. Am I adding to your anxieties instead
of relieving them? My kind old nurse, there is no need to be anxious. At
the worst of my little troubles, I have only to think of Ovid--and his
mother's ice melts away from me directly; I feel brave enough to endure
anything.

"Take my heart's best love, dear--no, next best love, after Ovid!--and
give some of it to your poor suffering husband. May I ask one little
favour? The English gentleman who has taken our old house at Rome, will
not object to give you a few flowers out of what was once my garden.
Send them to me in your next letter."

CHAPTER XXV.

On the twelfth of August, Carmina heard from Ovid again. He wrote from
Montreal; describing the presentation of that letter of introduction
which he had once been tempted to destroy. In the consequences that
followed the presentat