s as if you never were away." One
may put her words down, and remember them, but how describe her sweet
tones, sweeter than music!

My young lord did not come home at the end of the campaign, and wrote
that he was kept at Bruxelles on military duty. Indeed, I believe he
was engaged in laying siege to a certain lady, who was of the suite of
Madame de Soissons, the Prince of Savoy's mother, who was just dead, and
who, like the Flemish fortresses, was taken and retaken a great
number of times during the war, and occupied by French, English, and
Imperialists. Of course, Mr. Esmond did not think fit to enlighten Lady
Castlewood regarding the young scapegrace's doings: nor had he said a
word about the affair with Lord Mohun, knowing how abhorrent that man's
name was to his mistress. Frank did not waste much time or money on pen
and ink; and, when Harry came home with his General, only writ two lines
to his mother, to say his wound in the leg was almost healed, that he
would keep his coming of age next year--that the duty aforesaid would
keep him at Bruxelles, and that Cousin Harry would tell all the news.

But from Bruxelles, knowing how the Lady Castlewood always liked to have
a letter about the famous 29th of December, my lord writ her a long and
full one, and in this he must have described the affair with Mohun; for
when Mr. Esmond came to visit his mistress one day, early in the new
year, to his great wonderment, she and her daughter both came up and
saluted him, and after them the Dowager of Chelsey, too, whose chairman
had just brought her ladyship from her village to Kensington across the
fields. After this honor, I say, from the two ladies of Castlewood, the
Dowager came forward in great state, with her grand tall head-dress of
King James's reign, that, she never forsook, and said, "Cousin Henry,
all our family have met; and we thank you, cousin, for your noble
conduct towards the head of our house." And pointing to her blushing
cheek, she made Mr. Esmond aware that he was to enjoy the rapture of an
embrace there. Having saluted one cheek, she turned to him the other.
"Cousin Harry," said both the other ladies, in a little chorus, "we
thank you for your noble conduct;" and then Harry became aware that the
story of the Lille affair had come to his kinswomen's ears. It pleased
him to hear them all saluting him as one of their family.

The tables of the dining-room were laid for a great entertainment; and
the ladies we