were very happy, Fanny and Oaklands, as they revelled in the
bright certainty of their mutual love, and entranced by the absorbing
contemplation of their new-found happiness, forgot in the sunshine of
each other's presence the flight of moments, whilst I, involuntarily
contrasting the fair prospect that lay open before them with the dark
cloudland of my own gloomy fortunes, had soon traversed in thought
the distance to Barstone Priory, and become immersed in fruitless
speculations as to what might eventually be the result of Mr. Vernor's
sordid and cruel policy. It was now longer than usual since I had heard
from Clara; suspense and impatience were rapidly increasing into the
most painful anxiety, and I had all but determined, if the next day's
post brought no relief, to disobey her injunctions to the contrary, and
once again make an attempt to see her. Oh! it is hard to be banished
from the presence of those we love--with an ear attuned to the gentle
music of some well-remembered voice, to be forced to listen to the cold,
unmeaning commonplaces of society--with the heart and mind engrossed by,
and centred on, one dear object, to live in a strange, unreal fellowship
with those around us, talking, moving, and acting mechanically--feeling,
as it ~379~~ were, but the outward form and shadow of one's self, living
two distinct and separate existences, present, indeed, in body, but in
the only true vitality--the life of the spirit--utterly and completely
absent. From reflections such as these, I was aroused by observing the
deepening shades of evening, which were fast merging into night; and
collecting my ideas, I remembered that there were many things which must
be said and done in consequence of the unexpected turn events had taken.
No human being is so completely isolated that his actions do not in some
degree affect others, and in the present instance this was peculiarly
the case. Sir John and my mother must be let into the secret, and poor
Lawless must learn the unsuccessful termination of his suit. But now,
for the first time, the somewhat equivocal situation in which chance
had placed me presented itself to my mind, and I felt a degree
of embarrassment, almost amounting to shame, at having to make my
appearance, and confess that I had been lying _perdu_ during the whole
of the preceding scene. Accident, however, stood my friend.

"I wonder where Frank is all this time!" exclaimed Harry, in reply to a
remark of Fanny's