lwyn
looked much distressed, and almost ashamed, as she glanced at Lettice to
see how she took it; but Lettice appeared to be too much engaged with a
knot in her netting to seem to take it at all, which evidently relieved
Mrs. Melwyn. The scene had not, however, been lost upon our friend, who
had observed it with a smile of secret contempt.

Mentally, however, congratulating herself upon her good, robust nerves;
such things, she well knew, being perilous to those cursed with
delicacy of that sort. The best endeavors, the best intentions, would
be without avail in such cases, such sufferers would find their powers
of endurance destroyed by these successive acts of violence, till it
would be impossible to meet them tolerably. Again she looked at Mrs.
Melwyn, and with great pity. Again she rejoiced in the idea of saving
her from what she perceived was indeed, to such a frame and temper as
hers, a source of very great suffering; and again she resolved to keep
up her own spirits, and maintain the only true defense, courage and
indifference. She felt sure, if she could only, by a little effort, do
this for a short time, the effort would terminate in a habit; after
which it would cost her little or nothing more.

The general, though polite to Lettice in their first communications,
held her in far too little esteem to care one doit what he did or said
before her. He was an excessively proud man; and the idea that a girl,
so greatly his inferior in every way, should keep him in check, or
venture even to make a remark upon him, far less presume to judge his
conduct, never entered his head. I wonder what he would have felt, if he
could have been made aware of that secret smile.

Now a tray with wine, spirits, and water, was introduced. The general
took his accustomed glass of whisky and water, then opened his
cigar-box, and began to smoke. This process invariably made Mrs. Melwyn
feel rather sick, and she rose this evening to go away; but being asked
what she was moving for, she resumed her seat, and sat till two cigars
had been smoked, and the clock told half-past ten; when, as the general
loved early hours, she was suffered to take her departure.

The servant entered with lighted candles. Mrs. Melwyn took one, and bade
him give Miss Arnold another; and they went up stairs together.

"Good night, my dear," said the lady of the house, with a wearied, worn
air, and a tone in which there was a good deal of sadness.

She never