elt that there was a strong commanding
will within that beautiful form which would bear no trifling. He had
often treated her with easy lightness--with no want of apparent respect
indeed--but with the persuasions and arguments such as men of business
often address to women as beings inferior to themselves either in
intellect or experience. Now Mr. Shanks wondered how he had escaped so
long and so well, and he resolved that for the future his conduct should
be very different.

Mrs. Hazleton, when he left her, sat down to rest--yes, to rest; for she
was very weary. There had been the fatiguing strife of strong passions
in the heart--hopes--expectations--schemes-contrivances; and, above all,
there had been a wrestling with herself to deal calmly and softly where
she felt fiercely. It had exhausted her; and for some minutes she sat
listlessly, with her eyes half shut, like one utterly tired out. Ere a
quarter of an hour had passed, wheels rolled up to the door; a
carriage-step was let down, and there was a foot-fall in the hall.

"Dear Mrs. Warmington, delighted to see you!" said Mrs. Hazleton, with a
smile sweet and gentle as the dawn of a summer morning.

CHAPTER XVII.

Circumstance will always have its finger in the pie with the best-laid
schemes; but it does not always happen that thereby the pie is spoiled.
On the contrary, circumstance is sometimes a very powerful auxiliary,
and it happened so in the present instance with the arrangements of Mrs.
Hazleton. Before that lady could bring any part of her scheme for
introducing Emily to the man whom she intended to drive her into taking
as a husband, to bear, the introduction had already taken place, as we
have seen, by an accident.

It was likely, indeed, to go no further; for Emily thought over what had
occurred, before she gave way to her native kindness of heart. She
remembered how tenacious all country gentlemen of that day were of their
sporting rights, and especially of what she had often heard her father
declare, that he looked upon any body who took his game off his
property, according to every principle of equity and justice, as no
better than a common robber.

"If the only excuse be that it is more exposed to depredation than other
property," said Sir Philip, "it only shows that the plunderer of it is a
coward as well as a villain, and should be punished the more severely."
Such, and many such speeches she had heard from her father at various
times, and