with perfect
impropriety, both you and Bella. She had no business to show you that
anonymous letter; and when she did show it you, you should have taken
it from her, and told her not to believe a word of it."

"And married my daughter to a libertine! Why, Charlotte, I am ashamed
of you."

Mrs. Molineux colored high; but she kept her temper, and ignored the
interruption. "Then, if you decided to go into so indelicate a question
at all (and really you were not bound to do so on anonymous
information), why, then, you should have sent for Sir Charles, and
given him the letter, and put him on his honor to tell you the truth.
He would have told you the fact, instead of a garbled version; and the
fact is that before he knew Bella he had a connection, which he
prepared to dissolve, on terms very honorable to himself, as soon as he
engaged himself to your daughter. What is there in that? Why, it is
common, universal, among men of fashion. I am so vexed it ever came to
Bella's knowledge: really it is dreadful to me, as a mother, that such
a thing should have been discussed before that child. Complete
innocence means complete ignorance; and that is how all my girls went
to their husbands. However, what we must do now is to tell her Sir
Charles has satisfied me he was not to blame; and after that the
subject must never be recurred to. Sir Charles has promised me never to
mention it, and no more shall Bella. And now, my dear John, let me
congratulate you. Your daughter has a high-minded lover, who adores
her, with a fine estate: he has been crying to me, poor fellow, as men
will to a woman of my age; and if you have any respect for my
judgment--ask him to dinner."

She added that it might be as well if, after dinner, he were to take a
little nap.

Admiral Bruce did not fall into these views without discussion. I spare
the reader the dialogue, since he yielded at last; only he stipulated
that his sister should do the dinner, and the subsequent siesta.

Bella returned looking very wistful and anxious.

"Come here, niece," said Mrs. Molineux. "Kneel you at my knee. Now
look--me in the face. Sir Charles has loved you, and you only, from the
day he first saw you. He loves you now as much as ever. Do you love
him?"

"Oh, aunt! aunt!" A shower of kisses, and a tear or two.

"That is enough. Then dry your eyes, and dress your beautiful hair a
little better than _that;_ for he dines with me to-day!"

Who so bright and happy now