nd to her lord. His own language when he was thwarted
was not indeed of the gentlest: to be brief, there was a family dispute on
this, as there had been on many other points--and the lady was not only
forced to give in, for the other's will was law--nor could she, on account
of their tender age, tell her children what was the nature of her
objection to their visit of pleasure, or indeed mention to them any
objection at all--but she had the additional secret mortification to find
them returning delighted with their new friends, loaded with presents from
them, and eager to be allowed to go back to a place of such delights as
Sark Castle. Every year she thought the company there would be more
dangerous to her daughter, as from a child Beatrix grew to a woman, and
her daily increasing beauty, and many faults of character too, expanded.

It was Harry Esmond's lot to see one of the visits which the old lady of
Sark paid to the lady of Castlewood Hall: whither she came in state with
six chestnut horses and blue ribbons, a page on each carriage step, a
gentleman of the horse, and armed servants riding before and behind her.
And, but that it was unpleasant to see Lady Castlewood's face, it was
amusing to watch the behaviour of the two enemies: the frigid patience of
the younger lady, and the unconquerable good humour of the elder--who would
see no offence whatever her rival intended, and who never ceased to smile
and to laugh, and to coax the children, and to pay compliments to every
man, woman, child, nay dog, or chair and table, in Castlewood, so bent was
she upon admiring everything there. She lauded the children, and wished--as
indeed she well might--that her own family had been brought up as well as
those cherubs. She had never seen such a complexion as dear
Beatrix's--though to be sure she had a right to it from father and
mother--Lady Castlewood's was indeed a wonder of freshness, and Lady Sark
sighed to think she had not been born a fair woman; and remarking Harry
Esmond, with a fascinating superannuated smile, she complimented him on
his wit, which she said she could see from his eyes and forehead; and
vowed that she would never have _him_ at Sark until her daughter were out
of the way.

Chapter XII. My Lord Mohun Comes Among Us For No Good

There had ridden along with this old princess's cavalcade, two gentlemen;
her son, my Lord Firebrace, and his friend, my Lord Mohun, who both were
greeted with a great deal o