free from
such keen _surveillance_. In these thoughts he was ably seconded by
Annie, who was constantly pitying Caroline's enslaved situation, and
condemning Mrs. Hamilton's strict severity, declaring it was all
affectation; she was not a degree better than any one else, who did not
make half the fuss about it. Lord Alphingham's resolution was taken,
that before the present season was over, Caroline should be engaged to
him, _nolens volens_ on the part of her parents, and he acted
accordingly.

As opposite as were the characters, so was the conduct of Caroline's two
noble suitors. St. Eval, spite of the encouragement he received, yet
shrunk from paying any marked attention either to Caroline or her
parents. It was by degrees he became intimate in their family, but
there, perhaps, the only person with whom he felt entirely at ease was
Emmeline, who, rejoicing at Caroline's change of manner, began to hope
her feelings were changing too, and indulged in hopes that one day Lord
St. Eval might really be her brother. Emmeline knew her sister's opinion
of coquetry was very different to hers; but this simple-minded girl
could never have conceived that scheme of duplicity, which, by the aid
and counsel of Annie, Caroline now practised. She scarcely ever saw
Alphingham, and never hearing her sister name him, and being perfectly
unconscious of his attentions when they met, she could not, even in her
unusually acute imagination, believe him St. Eval's rival. More and more
enamoured the young Earl became each time he felt himself an especial
object of Caroline's notice; his heart throbbed and his hopes grew
stronger, still he breathed not one word of love, he dared not.
Diffident of his own attractive qualities, he feared to speak, till he
thought he could be assured of her affections. In the intoxication of
love, he felt her refusal would have more effect upon him than he could
bear. He shrunk from the remarks of the world, and waited yet a little
longer, ere with a trembling heart he should ask that all-important
question. So matters stood in Mr. Hamilton's family during the greater
part of the London season; but as it is not our task to enter into
Caroline's gaieties, we here may be permitted to mention Mrs. Greville's
departure with her delicate and suffering child from the land of their
birth.

Mr. Greville had made no opposition to their intended plan. Seriously
Mr. Maitland had told him that the life of his child depended