in that affair?'

'Honestly, Mary, if I thought about the matter at all, I thought it a
pity he should go so much to the Brownlows.'

'I believe I could tell you the history, if you thought it worth while;
and though it may be gossip, I should like you to do justice to Sir
Guy.'

'Very well; though I don't think there is much danger of my doing
otherwise. I only wondered he should become intimate there at all.'

'I believe Mrs. Edmonstone thinks it right he should see as much of the
world as possible, and not be always at home in their own set.'

'Fair and proper.'

'You know she has shown him all the people she could,--had Eveleen
staying there, and the Miss Nortons, and hunted him out to parties, when
he had rather have been at home.'

'I thought he was fond of society. I remember your telling me how amused
you were with his enjoyment of his first ball.'

'Ah! he was two years younger then, and all was new. He seems to me too
deep and sensitive not to find more pain than pleasure in commonplace
society. I have sometimes seen that he cannot speak either lightly or
harshly of what he disapproves, and people don't understand him. I was
once sitting next him, when there was some talking going on about an
elopement; he did not laugh, looked almost distressed, and at last said
in a very low voice, to me, "I wish people would not laugh about such
things."'

'He is an extraordinary mixture of gaiety of heart, and seriousness.'

'Well, when Mrs. Brownlow had her nieces with her, and was giving those
musical parties, his voice made him valuable; and Mrs. Edmonstone told
him he ought to go to them. I believe he liked it at first, but he found
there was no end to it; it took up a great deal of time, and was a style
of thing altogether that was not desirable. Mrs Edmonstone thought at
first his reluctance was only shyness and stay-at-home nonsense, that
ought to be overcome; but when she had been there, and saw how Mrs.
Brownlow beset him, and the unpleasant fuss they made about his singing,
she quite came round to his mind, and was very sorry she had exposed him
to so much that was disagreeable.'

'Well, Mary, I am glad to hear your account. My impression arose from
something Philip Morville said.'

'Captain Morville never can approve of anything Sir Guy does! It is not
like Charles.'

'How improved Charles Edmonstone is. He has lost that spirit of repining
and sarcasm, and lives as if he had an object.'

'Yes;