ociety, and to nerve and concentrate her powers of
political intrigue. Her mind grew more and more masculine; her dark
eye burnt with a sterner fire; the sweet mouth was less prodigal of its
smiles; and that air of dignity which she had always possessed, grew
harder in its character, and became command.

This change did not tend to draw Godolphin nearer to her. He, so
susceptible to coldness, so refining, so exacting, believed fully
that she loved him no more--that she repented the marriage she had
contracted. His pride was armed against her; and he sought more eagerly
those scenes where all, for the admired, the gallant, the sparkling
Godolphin, wore smiles and sunshine.

There was another matter that rankled in his breast with peculiar
bitterness. He had wished to raise a large sum of money (in the purchase
of some celebrated works of art), which could only be raised with Lady
Erpingham's consent. When he had touched upon the point to her, she
had not refused, but she had hesitated. She seemed embarrassed, and, he
thought, discontented. His delicacy took alarm, and he never referred
to the question again; but he was secretly much displeased with her
reluctant manner on that occasion. Nothing the proud so little forget
as a coolness conceived upon money matters: In this instance, Godolphin
afterwards discovered that he had wronged Constance, and misinterpreted
the cause of her reluctance.

Yet as time flew on for both, both felt a yearning of the heart towards
each other; and had they been thrown upon a desert island--had there
been full leisure, full opportunity, for a frank unfettered interchange
and confession of thought--they would have been mutually astonished to
find themselves still so beloved, and each would have been dearer to the
other than in their warmest hour of earlier attachment. But when once,
in a very gay and occupied life, a husband and wife have admitted
a seeming indifference to creep in between them, the chances are a
thousand to one against its after-removal. How much more so with a
wife so proud as Constance, and a husband so refining as Godolphin!
Fortunately, however, as I said before, the temper of each was
excellent; they never quarrelled; and the indifference, therefore,
lay on the surface, not at the depth. They seemed to the world an
affectionate couple, as couples go; and their union would have been
classed by Rochefoucauld among those marriages that are very happy--il
n'y a point de