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 Chelsea, too, whose chairman had just
brought her ladyship from her village to Kensington across the fields.
After this honour, 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 were in