flutter, knowing that I had done wrong, and yet feeling someway as if I had done right, I did feel clearly there was a difference, mamma."
"Well, child, and in what did it consist?"
"Charles Penrhyn looked a great deal happier than Mr. Glentworth, and Louisa not quite so happy as Isabella—how should she, dear mamma, when you had not given your consent? otherwise she would have been perfectly beautiful, for dear uncle's kind letter and pretty present of most becoming gold ornaments had done her a great deal of good, undoubtedly."
"Did you read the Earl's letter?"
"I was so hurried I could scarcely read it, but I know he said he was sorry he could not give his pretty niece away to a worthy man, and he thought it would have been a sad thing if she had been an old maid, whilst her mamma was waiting to find her a duke."
"Umph!—umph!—was it written in the Earl's hand?"
"Oh! yes, mamma—and the box of ornaments, though plain gold, were so good, Louisa said she was sure the Countess had no hand in sending them."
"She is no fool in that conclusion, fool as she has been in other and more material affairs."
