--Perhaps she went and looked at the apartments which
she had adorned and prepared for his reception. It was for him and for
his company that she was eager. She had met no one so generous and
gentle, so honest and unselfish, until she had seen him.
Lady Anne knew the ways of women very well; and when Ethel that night,
still in great indignation and scorn against Barnes, announced that she
had written a letter to her uncle, begging the Colonel not to come at
Christmas, Ethel's mother soothed the wounded girl, and treated her with
peculiar gentleness and affection; and she wisely gave Mr. Barnes to
understand, that if he wished to bring about that very attachment, the
idea of which made him so angry, he could use no better means than those
which he chose to employ at present, of constantly abusing and insulting
poor Clive, and awakening Ethel's sympathies by mere opposition. And
Ethel's sad little letter was extracted from the post-bag: and her mother
brought it to her, sealed, in her own room, where the young lady burned
it: being easily brought by Lady Anne's quiet remonstrances to perceive
that it was best no allusion should take place to the silly dispute which
had occurred that evening; and that Clive and his father should come for
the Christmas holidays, if they were so minded.
Pages:
452
453
454
455
456
457
458
459
460
461
462
463
464
465
466
467
468
469
470
471
472
473
474
475
476