m. It was he who broke our happiness down, and he bids me to repair
it. It was he who showed himself to me at last, as he was, not as I had
thought him. It is he who comes before my children stupid and senseless
with wine--who leaves our company for that of frequenters of taverns and
bagnios--who goes from his home to the city yonder and his friends there,
and when he is tired of them returns hither, and expects that I shall
kneel and welcome him. And he sends _you_ as his chamberlain! What a proud
embassy! Monsieur, I make you my compliment of the new place."

"It would be a proud embassy, and a happy embassy too, could I bring you
and my lord together," Esmond replied.

"I presume you have fulfilled your mission now, sir. 'Twas a pretty one
for you to undertake. I don't know whether 'tis your Cambridge philosophy,
or time, that has altered your ways of thinking," Lady Castlewood
continued, still in a sarcastic tone. "Perhaps you too have learned to
love drink, and to hiccup over your wine or punch;--which is your worship's
favourite liquor? Perhaps you too put up at the 'Rose' on your way through
London, and have your acquaintances in Covent Garden. My services to you,
sir, to principal and ambassador, to master and--and lackey."

"Great Heavens, madam," cried Harry, "what have I done that thus, for a
second time, you insult me? Do you wish me to blush for what I used to be
proud of, that I lived on your bounty? Next to doing you a service (which
my life would pay for), you know that to receive one from you is my
highest pleasure. What wrong have I done you that you should wound me so,
cruel woman?"

"What wrong?" she said, looking at Esmond with wild eyes. "Well, none--none
that you know of, Harry, or could help. Why did you bring back the
small-pox," she added, after a pause, "from Castlewood village? You could
not help it, could you? Which of us knows whither fate leads us? But we
were all happy, Henry, till then." And Harry went away from this colloquy,
thinking still that the estrangement between his patron and his beloved
mistress was remediable, and that each had at heart a strong attachment to
the other.

The intimacy between the Lords Mohun and Castlewood appeared to increase
as long as the former remained in the country; and my Lord of Castlewood
especially seemed never to be happy out of his new comrade's sight. They
sported together, they drank, they played bowls and tennis: my Lord
Castlewood would go