her would then be at an end. How
delightful would it be to her to welcome that sorrowful one to her
own bright home, and to give joy where joy had never yet been known!
How all the lawyers would praise her, and tell her that she had saved
a noble family from ruin. She already began to have feelings about
the family to which she had been a stranger before she had come among
the Lovels. And if it really would make him happy, this Phoebus,
how glorious would that be! How fit he was to be made happy! Daniel
had said that he was sordid, false, fraudulent, and a fool;--but
Daniel did not, could not, understand the nature of the Lovels. And
then she herself;--how would it be with her? She had given her heart
to Daniel Thwaite, and she had but one heart to give. Had it not been
for that, it would have been very sweet to love that young curled
darling. There were two sorts of life, and now she had had an insight
into each. Daniel had told her that this soft, luxurious life was
thoroughly bad. He could not have known when saying so, how much
was done for their poor neighbours by such as even these Lovels. It
could not be wrong to be soft, and peaceful, and pretty, to enjoy
sweet smells, to sit softly, and eat off delicately painted china
plates,--as long as no one was defrauded, and many were comforted.
Daniel Thwaite, she believed, never went to church. Here at Yoxham
there were always morning prayers, and they went to church twice
every Sunday. She had found it very pleasant to go to church, and to
be led along in the easy path of self-indulgent piety on which they
all walked at Yoxham. The church seats at Yoxham were broad, with
soft cushions, and the hassocks were well stuffed. Surely, Daniel
Thwaite did not know everything. As she thus built her castles in the
air,--castles so impossible to be inhabited,--she fell asleep before
she had resolved what letter she should write.

But in the morning she did write her letter. It must be written,--and
when the family were about the house, she would be too disturbed for
so great an effort. It ran as follows:--

Yoxham, Friday.

DEAREST MAMMA,

I am much obliged for your letter, which I got the
day before yesterday. Lord Lovel came here yesterday,
or perhaps I might have answered it then. Everybody
here seems to worship him almost, and he is so good to
everybody! We are all to go on a visit to Bolton Abbey,
and sleep at an inn somewhere, and I am sure I