walks nor assembly rooms, and scarcely once in a twelvemonth went outside of her native city, contrary to all the present principles of marrying policy. Mother’s, now a-days know better, they look upon their daughters as on a capital, which must circulate to produce interest; in those times, the poor girls were kept under lock and key, like hoarded treasure; but bankers knew where it was hidden, and how to obtain it. Mother Brigitta hoped she should, one day, find a rich son-in-law to release her from her long Babylonian captivity in the narrow street, and take her and her daughter back to the land of milk and honey.
Mela seemed to her to be endowed with so many charms, only to make her worthy of a high station; and she therefore did all in her power, by the great care she took of her education and manners, to fulfil what she thought the decree of nature.
One day, as Frank was at the window, observing the weather, he saw the charming Mela returning from church, where she regularly accompanied her mother to hear mass. In
