rself.

"You had better let Richards come to you, my dear, while you are
here," said Lady Aylmer, with a slight smile on her countenance which
outraged Clara more even than the words. "We like to see young ladies
nicely dressed here." To be told that she was to be nicely dressed
because she was at Aylmer Park! Her whole heart was already up in
rebellion. Do her best to please Lady Aylmer! It would be utterly
impossible to her to make any attempt whatever in that direction.
There was something in her ladyship's eye,--a certain mixture of
cunning, and power, and hardness in the slight smile that would
gather round her mouth, by which Clara was revolted. She already
understood much of Lady Aylmer, but in one thing she was mistaken.
She thought that she saw simply the natural woman; but she did, in
truth, see the woman specially armed with an intention of being
disagreeable, made up to give offence, and prepared to create dislike
and enmity. At the present moment nothing further was said, as
Captain Aylmer entered the room, and his mother immediately began to
talk to him in whispers.

The two first days of Clara's sojourn at Aylmer Park passed by
without the occurrence of anything that was remarkable. That which
most surprised and annoyed her, as regarded her own position, was the
coldness of all the people around her, as connected with the actual
fact of her engagement. Sir Anthony was very courteous to her, but
had never as yet once alluded to the fact that she was to become
one of his family as his daughter-in-law. Lady Aylmer called her
Miss Amedroz,--using the name with a peculiar emphasis, as though
determined to show that Miss Amedroz was to be Miss Amedroz as far
as any one at Aylmer Park was concerned,--and treated her almost as
though her presence in the house was intrusive. Belinda was as cold
as her mother in her mother's presence; but when alone with Clara
would thaw a little. She, in her difficulty, studiously avoided
calling the new-comer by any name at all. As to Captain Aylmer, it
was manifest to Clara that he was suffering almost more than she
suffered herself. His position was so painful that she absolutely
pitied him for the misery to which he was subjected by his own
mother. They still called each other Frederic and Clara, and that
was the only sign of special friendship which manifested itself
between them. And Clara, though she pitied him, could not but learn
to despise him. She had hitherto given