you I had a strong
rival in lady Adela Castlemayne, the Duke of Wight's daughter; she was the
most beautiful lady my uncle had ever seen (he only saw her in the Grand
Stand at Woodchester races, and never spoke a word to her in his life). And
if she would have had Frank, my uncle would still have been dissatisfied
as long as the Princess Victoria was unmarried; none would have been good
enough while a better remained. But Maggie," said she, smiling up into her
friend's face, "I think it would have made you laugh, for all you look as
if a kiss would shake the tears out of your eyes, if you could have seen my
uncle's manner to me all day. He will have it that I am suffering from an
unrequited attachment; so he watched me and watched me over breakfast; and
at last, when I had eaten a whole nest-full of eggs, and I don't know how
many pieces of toast, he rang the bell and asked for some potted charr. I
was quite unconscious that it was for me, and I did not want it when
it came; so he sighed in a most melancholy manner, and said, 'My poor
Erminia!' If Frank had not been there, and looking dreadfully miserable, I
am sure I should have laughed out."

"Did Frank look miserable?" said Maggie, anxiously.

"There now! you don't care for anything but the mention of his name."

"But did he look unhappy?" persisted Maggie.

"I can't say he looked happy, dear Mousey; but it was quite different when
he came back from seeing you. You know you always had the art of stilling
any person's trouble. You and my aunt Buxton are the only two I ever knew
with that gift."

"I am so sorry he has any trouble to be stilled," said Maggie.

"And I think it will do him a world of good. Think how successful his life
has been! the honors he got at Eton! his picture taken, and I don't
know what! and at Cambridge just the same way of going on. He would be
insufferably imperious in a few years, if he did not meet with a few
crosses."

"Imperious!--oh Erminia, how can you say so?"

"Because it's the truth. He happens to have very good dispositions; and
therefore his strong will is not either disagreeable, or offensive; but
once let him become possessed by a wrong wish, and you would then see how
vehement and imperious he would be. Depend upon it, my uncle's resistance
is a capital thing for him. As dear sweet Aunt Buxton would have said,
'There is a holy purpose in it;' and as Aunt Buxton would not have said,
but as I, a 'fool, rush in where angels