ted her manner,
and not regard, as for the time he allowed himself to fancy.

The evening closed, the noble guests departed, and daylight had resumed
its reign over the earth by the time Mr. Hamilton's carriage stopped in
Berkeley Square. Animatedly had Caroline conversed with her parents on
the pleasures of the evening during their drive; but when she reached
her own room, when Martyn had left her, and she was alone, she was not
quite sure if a few faint whisperings of self-reproach did not in a
degree alloy the retrospection of this her first glimpse of the gay
world; but quickly--perhaps too quickly--they were banished. The
attentions of Lord Alphingham--heightened in their charm by Miss
Grahame's positive assurance to her friend that the Viscount was
attracted, there was not the very slightest doubt of it--and the
proposed pleasure of compelling the proud, reserved St. Eval to yield to
her fascinations, alone occupied her fancy. To make him her captive
would be triumph indeed. She wished, too, to show Annie she was not so
completely under control as she fancied; that she, too, could act with
the spirit of a girl of fashion; and to choose St. Eval, and
succeed--charm him to her side--force him to pay her attentions which no
other received, would, indeed, prove to her fashionable companions that
she was not so entirely governed by her mother, so very simple and
spiritless as they supposed. Her power should do that which all had
attempted in vain. Her cheek glowed, her heart burned with the bright
hope of expected triumph, and when she at length sunk to sleep, it was
to dream of St. Eval at her feet.

Oh! were the counsels, the example, the appeal of her mother all
forgotten? Was this a mother's recompense? Alas! alas!

CHAPTER IV.

Numerous were the cards and invitations now left at Mr. Hamilton's door;
and the world, in its most tempting form, was indeed spread before
Caroline, although, perhaps, compared with the constant routine of
pleasure pursued by some young ladies who attend two or three assemblies
each of the six nights out of the seven, her life could scarcely be
called gay. Mr. Hamilton had drawn a line, and, difficult as it was to
keep, he adhered to his resolution, notwithstanding the entreaties of
his friends, and very often those of his daughter. A dinner-party and a
ball he would sometimes permit Caroline to attend in one day, but the
flying from house to house, to taste of every pleasure o