e
accomplishment of her hopes previous to their departure. Perhaps, in
the bottom of her heart, she flattered herself that, on hearing of her
safety, her obdurate relations might be moved, by a sudden burst of
pity and kindliness, to make overtures of reconciliation--at all
events to dispatch words of courteous enquiry; for she was ever
dwelling on her good fortune that her father should, on this
particular year, have so retarded the usual period of his departure.
Yet when the report of these exulting exclamations on her part reached
my ear, I was ungenerous enough to attribute them to a very different
origin, fancying that the poor submissive creature was thankful for
being within reach of protection from conjugal misusage.

Meanwhile, she was so far justified in one portion of her premises,
that no tidings of her residence at Lexley Park had as yet reached the
ear of her father. The fact was, that not a soul had courage to do so
much as mention, in his presence, the name of his once idolized child;
and Lord Robert, having been apprized of the circumstance, instantly
exacted a promise from his wife, that nothing should induce her to
hazard her father's displeasure by communication with her sister, or
by acquainting the General of the arrival of the offending pair. The
consequence was, that in the dread of encountering her sister, (whom
she felt ashamed to meet as the wife of the man they had so often
decried together,) Lady Robert rarely quitted the house; and these two
sisters, so long the affectionate inmates of the same chamber--the
sisters who had wept together over their mother's deathbed--abided
within sight of each other's windows, yet estranged as with the
estrangement of strangers.

And then, we pretend to talk with horror of the family feuds of
southern nations; and, priding ourselves on our calm and passionless
nature, feel convinced that all the domestic virtues extant on earth,
have taken refuge in the British empire!

Every day, meanwhile, I noticed that the handsome countenance of
Everard Sparks grew gloomier and gloomier; and how was I to know that
every day he received letters from his father, announcing the
unfavourable aspect of their suit; and that (owing, as was supposed,
to the suggestions of General Stanley's solicitors) even the conduct
of the adverse party was becoming offensive. The elder Sparks wrote
like a man overwhelmed with mortification, and stung by a sense of
undeserved injury; and