ion that her own life would be brief, and knew
that the mind and character of her daughter must have a great effect
upon the Duke, whom she loved much, though she could not venerate
very highly.
With a heart, then, full of deep and pure feelings, with a mind not
only originally bright and strong, not only highly cultivated and
stored with fine tastes, but highly directed and fortified with
strong principles, with an enthusiastic love of everything that was
beautiful and graceful, generous, noble, and dignified--it is not to
be wondered at that, in the wide society of the capital, or amongst
all the acquaintances who thronged her father's house, Lady Laura had
seen no spirit congenial to her own, no heart with the same feelings,
no mind with the same objects. In every one she had met with, there
had still been some apparent weakness, some worldliness, some
selfishness; there had been coldness, or apathy, or want of
principle, or want of feeling; and the bright enthusiasms of her
young nature had been confined to the tabernacle of her own heart.
She had seen Wilton Brown but seldom, it is true, but nevertheless
she felt differently towards him and other people. There were
several causes which had produced this; and perhaps, as Lady Laura
was not absolutely an angel, his personal appearance might have
something to do with it, though less than might be supposed. His fine
person, his noble carriage, his bright and intelligent countenance,
the rapid variety of its expressions, the dignified character of the
predominant one to which it always returned, after those more
transient had passed away--all gave the idea of there being a high
heart and mind beneath. In the next place, Wilton had, as we have
told, commenced his acquaintance with her by an act of personal
service, performed with gallantry, skill, and decision, at the risk
of his own life. In the third place, in all his conversation, as far
as she had ever known or remarked, there were those small casual
traits of good feelings, fine tastes, and strong principles,
expressed sometimes by a single word, sometimes by a look or gesture,
which are a thousand-fold more convincing, in regard to the real
character of the person, than the most laboured harangue, or essay,
or declaration.
Thus it was that Laura hoped, and fancied, and believed, she had now
seen one person upon earth whose feelings, thoughts, and character
might assimilate with her own. Pray let the reader understand, that I
do not mean to say Lau