dren they might
have traced evil propensities, which went far to counterbalance the
good--revengeful passions, and a proneness to selfish indulgence, which not
all their brilliant acquirements and feats of gallant prowess could
conceal from a close observer of character. They were at the same school
together, and at Lovell Castle for the vacation, when that sad catastrophe
took place which plunged the family in irremediable affliction. Mr.
Lovell, who had always been a nervous, ailing man, never recovered the
shock, and latterly he had sunk into complete indolence, and left the care
and management of his affairs entirely to Harold, who, however,
ill-fulfilled his duties. The aversion which Mrs. Priestly entertained
toward her nephew, and which she vainly strove to conceal, had once been
the source of painful contention between Mr. Lovell and his sister, though
now it had settled down into a silent grief never alluded to by either of
them. All these particulars I had heard from Rose; and much I was amazed
at Mrs. Priestly's conduct, coupled with the avowal she had made to me
respecting the disposal of her property in favor of her nephew; but I knew
her to be a just and strong-minded woman, and felt sure there was some
mystery connected with these family details, which Rose was bursting to
disclose, the first convenient opportunity. But I gave her no
encouragement to do so, for I thought that, had Mrs. Priestly wished me to
know the secret motives by which she was actuated, her confidence would
have been already bestowed; and it seemed a breach of trust, or
dishonorable, to gain the knowledge by other means. The sweet benignity of
Mildred Lovell, her untiring patience and unaffected cheerfulness, as well
as the strong resemblance of feature, continually reminded me of Mr.
Edwin, and I pondered often on the parting words which I had heard him
address to Mrs. Priestly--"Tell dear Mildred how happy I am."

And what was Mildred to Mr. Edwin? Wherefore was he exiled and alone? What
had he done that his name was forbidden to be spoken at Lovell? These
ideas constantly haunted me, despite my determination to exclude such idle
questionings concerning the mysterious affair. Rose sometimes communicated
some portion of her own gay spirit to me: we were thrown much together,
for Mildred was constantly occupied with her invalid parent, and Mrs.
Priestly shared the duties of her beloved niece. But I often desired the
solitude which was