she did of the
squire's death. As regarded herself, of course she could not grieve
for Mr. Amedroz; and as regarded Clara, Clara's father had for some
time past been apparently so insignificant, even in his own house,
that it was difficult to acknowledge the fact that the death of such
a one as he might leave a great blank in the world. But what had
Clara meant by declaring so emphatically that Captain Aylmer would
not visit Belton, and by speaking of herself as one who had neither
position nor friends in the world? If there had been a quarrel,
indeed, then it was sufficiently intelligible;--and if there was any
such quarrel, from what source must it have arisen? Mrs. Askerton
felt the blood rise to her cheeks as she thought of this, and told
herself that there could be but one such source. Mrs. Askerton knew
that Clara had received orders from Aylmer Castle to discontinue all
acquaintance with herself, and, therefore, there could be no doubt
as to the cause of the quarrel. It had come to this then, that Clara
was to lose her husband because she was true to her friend; or rather
because she would not consent to cast an additional stone at one who
for some years past had become a mark for many stones.

I am not prepared to say that Mrs. Askerton was a high-minded woman.
Misfortunes had come upon her in life of a sort which are too apt to
quench high nobility of mind in woman. There are calamities which,
by their natural tendencies, elevate the character of women and
add strength to the growth of feminine virtues;--but then, again,
there are other calamities which few women can bear without some
degradation, without some injury to that delicacy and tenderness
which is essentially necessary to make a woman charming,--as a woman.
In this, I think, the world is harder to women than to men; that a
woman often loses much by the chance of adverse circumstances which
a man only loses by his own misconduct. That there are women whom no
calamity can degrade is true enough;--and so it is true that there
are some men who are heroes; but such are exceptions both among men
and women. Not such a one had Mrs. Askerton been. Calamity had come
upon her;--partly, indeed, by her own fault, though that might have
been pardoned;--but the weight of her misfortunes had been too great
for her strength, and she had become in some degree hardened by what
she had endured; if not unfeminine, still she was feminine in an
inferior degree, with woman