this mistaken mother, who
congratulates herself on having so satisfactorily discharged her maternal
duty, and hopes to do as well for Esther. But Esther is a child as yet,
a little merry romp of fourteen: as honest-hearted, and as guileless and
simple as her sister, but with a fearless spirit of her own, that I fancy
her mother will find some difficulty in bending to her purposes.

CHAPTER XXVII

October 9th.--It was on the night of the 4th, a little after tea, that
Annabella had been singing and playing, with Arthur as usual at her side:
she had ended her song, but still she sat at the instrument; and he stood
leaning on the back of her chair, conversing in scarcely audible tones,
with his face in very close proximity with hers. I looked at Lord
Lowborough. He was at the other end of the room, talking with Messrs.
Hargrave and Grimsby; but I saw him dart towards his lady and his host a
quick, impatient glance, expressive of intense disquietude, at which
Grimsby smiled. Determined to interrupt the _tete-a-tete_, I rose, and,
selecting a piece of music from the music stand, stepped up to the piano,
intending to ask the lady to play it; but I stood transfixed and
speechless on seeing her seated there, listening, with what seemed an
exultant smile on her flushed face to his soft murmurings, with her hand
quietly surrendered to his clasp. The blood rushed first to my heart,
and then to my head; for there was more than this: almost at the moment
of my approach, he cast a hurried glance over his shoulder towards the
other occupants of the room, and then ardently pressed the unresisting
hand to his lips. On raising his eyes, he beheld me, and dropped them
again, confounded and dismayed. She saw me too, and confronted me with a
look of hard defiance. I laid the music on the piano, and retired. I
felt ill; but I did not leave the room: happily, it was getting late, and
could not be long before the company dispersed.

I went to the fire, and leant my head against the chimney-piece. In a
minute or two, some one asked me if I felt unwell. I did not answer;
indeed, at the time, I knew not what was said; but I mechanically looked
up, and saw Mr. Hargrave standing beside me on the rug.

'Shall I get you a glass of wine?' said he.

'No, thank you,' I replied; and, turning from him, I looked round. Lady
Lowborough was beside her husband, bending over him as he sat, with her
hand on his shoulder, softly talking an