s forms,
When lulled by zephyrs, or when roused by storms,
Its colours changing, when from clouds and sun,
Shades after shades, upon the surface run.

CRABBE.

And therefore, since I cannot prove a lover
To entertain these fair well-spoken days,
I am determined to prove a villain.

SHAKESPEARE.

Two or three weeks now elapsed, without the occurrence of
anything worth relating; but in which I was much struck with
two entirely new features in Henry's character, which were
gloom and irritability. At times he was still as agreeable as
ever, but the least coldness on my part, or the commonest kind
of attention paid me by others, seemed to exasperate him
beyond any attempt at self-government. He was once on the
verge of insulting Sir Edmund Ardern, because I had talked to
him for an hour together; and there was nothing touching in
the fierce jealousy which he showed on these occasions. When
under its influence, he seemed absolutely to hate me, and
sometimes he quite frightened me by his violence. However,
when that had been the case, he would suddenly recollect
himself, and then, by his ardent expressions of passionate
affection; by the grief, the misery, he pleaded in
justification of his violence; by the words of eloquent
appeal, of tender entreaty, which seemed to spring from the
very depths of his heart; he moved, he agitated, he persuaded
me; and, half in weakness, half in self-deception, partly from
the fear of losing the excitement of being adored by one who
fascinated my mind, though he did not touch my heart, I
tacitly encouraged him in the belief that I returned his
affection.

On the 7th of July, after I had been about a month at Brandon,
I received a letter from Mrs. Middleton, the purport of which
was, that my uncle desired me to return immediately to
Elmsley; that she was sorry that he was so positive about it,
as she saw by my letters that I was amused there; that she
would have been more able to withstand him on the subject, and
to obtain for me a prolongation of my visit, had it not been
that the very circumstance which had occasioned his decision,
was one which, from motives which I could well understand, she
could not discuss with him, and in which she could take no
part; "and that, my love (she added), is my brother's
unexpected visit to Brandon. I have seldom seen your uncle so
much irritated as when he heard of his going there; and it was
with difficulty that he ref