Page:Lady Anne Granard 3.pdf/163

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LADY ANNE GRANARD.
161

forbear to feel pleased with the interest she expressed on his behalf in the election."

But this was little, when compared with what he felt for Isabella, whom he held to be "a very Daniel;" and when they stepped into their room at the hotel, he did not hesitate to clasp her to his bosom, and exclaim—

"Oh! how much wiser art thou than thy years!"

In fact, if ever it was possible to outgrow, by care and wisdom, by affection and good principles, the evils threatened by an ill-assorted marriage, himself and Isabella were the couple who would do it; but he was also deeply, and, for his young wife, happily impressed, with the belief, that she had thus far made the greater sacrifices, and showed the more active disposition to that end; and he said to himself, "Really I love that poor girl better every day! I have been singularly fortunate in having so sweet a young woman to be the mother of my son."

It appeared, that Lady Anne had a strength of constitution, a tenacity of life, or much of that strength of mind, which could resist, to an extraordinary degree, the inroads of disease, and those prophecies of attendants, which so frequently assist the complaint. In her case, one might truly exclaim with Young—

"Is death at distance? No; he hath been on thee."