gentleman gave a full account of his interview with Lady Anne; but it struck him that, while Mrs. Palmer quite agreed with him respecting the heartless selfishness which dictated such a view of the question, the view itself did not seem to her as so exceedingly absurd; she hesitated, and seemed embarrassed, instead of giving the cordial assent to his finishing question of "Now, did you ever hear of any thing more ridiculous, than the supposition of a love affair between myself and those children?"
"You cannot call them children," said Mrs. Palmer, at last.
"They are such to me," returned Mr. Glentworth.
"You may think so," replied the old lady.
"And what on earth business," exclaimed he, "is it to any one else? I am rich, and independent, and have not a tie or relative in the world. Who can object to my considering the family of my oldest friend as my own?"
"I am not thinking," said Mrs. Palmer, "of people in general; I am thinking of the girls themselves."
"Then you will agree with me," interrupted Mr. Glentworth, "in seeing the advantages that are derived from having a friend like myself. I procure for them many pleasures, from which they have hitherto been excluded. I induce them, by a judicious choice of books, to turn their attention to subjects hitherto neglected, for their education has been worthless."
