ur
looked annoyed, gave a sort of whistle, and said, as if searching for an
excuse, 'Why, they never could spare her from Wrangerton.'

'O, that they would,' said Violet, eagerly; 'or if not mamma herself, at
least, I am sure, Matilda would come to me, or Annette.'

'Whew!' again whistled Arthur; 'I don't know whether that will do.'

'Arthur!'

'There will be my mother close by, and Lady Elizabeth. No, no, you won't
want to have any one up from there.'

'May I not have my own mamma?' pleaded poor Violet, urged into something
like pertinacity.

But Arthur cut her short; his great dislike to what he had to say making
him speak the more ungraciously: 'I don't want to vex you, Violet, but
once for all we must come to an understanding. You must not expect to
have your family here. They are good sort of people, and all that style
of thing,'--he faltered at her looks of imploring consternation, and
tried to work himself into anger in order to be able to finish. 'It
is of no use looking wretched, I tell you, you must put it out of your
head. They belong to a different set altogether, and it won't do any
way. There now, don't go and be nervous about yourself; Theodora shall
see to you, and you'll do very well, I have no doubt.'

With these words he hastily quitted her, that he might not witness the
distress he had occasioned, though he had not the least idea what his
refusal was to her.

The sense of her own helplessness and inexperience, and the prospect of
illness, without mother or sister, were lost in the more overpowering
sorrow at his unkindness. How could he love her if he denied her this at
such a time, and in such a manner?' He is ashamed of my family! ashamed
of me! He is disappointed in me! I can't make it pleasant to him at
home. I am not even good-tempered when I am not well, and I am not half
as pretty as I used to be! Oh! if he had but married me for anything
but my prettiness! But I was not worth vexing every one for! I am only a
plague and trouble! Well, I dare say I shall die, now there is no one
to take care of me, and then, perhaps, he will be sorry for me. Just at
last, I'll tell him how I did mean to be a good wife, and tried all I
could.'

But then poor Violet fell into a maze of terror. She roused herself and
dried her tears on hearing some one approaching. It was James, bringing
in a parcel. It contained a beautiful and costly silk dress. After the
first glance she pushed it from her, and her