In the mean time, the mother was literally breaking her own heart, in endeavouring to break the tie which bound that of her daughter; and the father, who ardently desired his daughter's marriage, beheld all her blooming years pass by without the hope of seeing his wishes fulfilled. The death of Mr. Granard affected his sister exceedingly; and the religious exercises she engaged in, on his behalf, threw her into so weak a state, that the visit which Glentworth made as early as he could after the news of this loss was received, showed him clearly that it would be the last in which he should be called on to listen to her exhortations and reply to her arguments. Poor Riccardini was distracted, between the dread of losing the wife he fondly loved, the hope that her death might realize the great wish of his heart, by giving Margarita leave to marry, and a fear lest she should be entrapped into taking the veil, which he well knew was a point often pressed by the priests, who might at present be said to be the only company admitted, to his melancholy abode.
The invalid lived much longer than was expected; and she so entirely won the whole heart of her idolizing daughter, that she prevailed on her to promise that she would never marry Glentworth for the express reason "that he would make her so excellent a husband, that his virtues would seduce her from her church, and that he would not allow her to bring up his children in the true faith. "She did not, however,
