en burst into tears. He embraced me tenderly; and we
have been good friends ever since. He has been decently temperate at
table, and well-conducted towards Lady Lowborough. The first day he held
himself aloof from her, as far as he could without any flagrant breach of
hospitality: since that he has been friendly and civil, but nothing
more--in my presence, at least, nor, I think, at any other time; for she
seems haughty and displeased, and Lord Lowborough is manifestly more
cheerful, and more cordial towards his host than before. But I shall be
glad when they are gone, for I have so little love for Annabella that it
is quite a task to be civil to her, and as she is the only woman here
besides myself, we are necessarily thrown so much together. Next time
Mrs. Hargrave calls I shall hail her advent as quite a relief. I have a
good mind to ask Arthur's leave to invite the old lady to stay with us
till our guests depart. I think I will. She will take it as a kind
attention, and, though I have little relish for her society, she will be
truly welcome as a third to stand between Lady Lowborough and me.

The first time the latter and I were alone together, after that unhappy
evening, was an hour or two after breakfast on the following day, when
the gentlemen were gone out, after the usual time spent in the writing of
letters, the reading of newspapers, and desultory conversation. We sat
silent for two or three minutes. She was busy with her work, and I was
running over the columns of a paper from which I had extracted all the
pith some twenty minutes before. It was a moment of painful
embarrassment to me, and I thought it must be infinitely more so to her;
but it seems I was mistaken. She was the first to speak; and, smiling
with the coolest assurance, she began,--

'Your husband was merry last night, Helen: is he often so?'

My blood boiled in my face; but it was better she should seem to
attribute his conduct to this than to anything else.

'No,' replied I, 'and never will be so again, I trust.'

'You gave him a curtain lecture, did you?'

'No! but I told him I disliked such conduct, and he promised me not to
repeat it.'

'I thought he looked rather subdued this morning,' she continued; 'and
you, Helen? you've been weeping, I see--that's our grand resource, you
know. But doesn't it make your eyes smart? and do you always find it to
answer?'

'I never cry for effect; nor can I conceive how any one can.'