was necessary to
let him have his own way on these points, and Philip thought himself
fortunate in getting a letter written which was in any degree rational
and moderate.

They had been so busy, and Mr. Edmonstone so excited, that Philip
thought it best to accept the offer of tea being sent them in the
dining-room, and it was not till nearly midnight that their conference
broke up, when Mr. Edmonstone found his wife sitting up by the
dressing-room fire, having shut Charles's door, sorely against his will.

'There,' began Mr. Edmonstone, 'you may tell Amy she may give him up,
and a lucky escape she has had. But this is what comes of settling
matters in my absence.' So he proceeded with the narration, mixing the
facts undistinguishably with his own surmises, and overwhelming his wife
with dismay. If a quarter of this was true, defence of Guy was out of
the question; and it was still more impossible to wish Amy's attachment
to him to continue; and though much was incredible, it was no time to
say so. She could only hope morning would soften her husband's anger,
and make matters explicable.

Morning failed to bring her comfort. Mr. Edmonstone repeated that Amy
must be ordered to give up all thoughts of Guy, and she perceived that
the words ascribed to him stood on evidence which could not be doubted.
She could believe he might have spoken them in the first shock of an
unjust imputation, and she thought he might have been drawn into some
scrape to serve a friend; but she could never suppose him capable of all
Mr. Edmonstone imagined.

The first attempt to plead his cause, however, brought on her an angry
reply; for Philip, by a hint, that she never saw a fault in Guy, had put
it into his uncle's head that she would try to lead him, and made him
particularly inaccessible to her influence.

There was no help for it, then; poor little Amy must hear the worst;
and it was not long before Mrs. Edmonstone found her waiting in the
dressing-room. Between obedience to her husband, her conviction of Guy's
innocence, and her tenderness to her daughter, Mrs. Edmonstone had a
hard task, and she could scarcely check her tears as Amy nestled up for
her morning kiss.

'O mamma! what is it?'

'Dearest, I told you a cloud was coming. Try to bear it. Your papa is
not satisfied with Guy's answer, and it seems he spoke some hasty words
of papa and Philip; they have displeased papa very much, and, my dear
child, you must try to bear it, h