seen that
boy when I had him first from his father, and thought him too much of the
angel to live!'

There was a long pause, and Honor at length exclaimed, 'I see the chief
reason the Savilles came here!'

'Why?'

'To hinder my seeing him before he goes.'

'I am sure it would be sad pain to you,' cried Phoebe, deprecatingly.

'I don't know. He must not come here; but since I have had this letter,
I have longed to go up for one day, see him, and bring Lucy home. Mr.
Saville might go with me. You don't favour it, Phoebe? Would Robert?'

'Robert would like to have Owen comforted,' said Phoebe, slowly; 'but not
if it only made it worse pain for you. Dear Miss Charlecote, don't you
think, if the worst had been the marriage, you would have tried
everything to comfort him? but now that there is this other horrid thing,
this presuming on your kindness, it seems to me as if you could not bear
to see him.'

'When I think of their enmity and his sorrow, I feel drawn thither; but
when this deception comes before me, I had rather not look in his face
again. If he petted me I should think he was taking me in again. He has
Robert, he has his sister, and I have promised to let Mr. Saville judge.
I think Mr. Saville would let me go if Robert said I ought.'

Phoebe fondled her, and left her relieved by the outpouring. Poor thing!
after mistakes which she supposed egregious in proportion to the
consequences, and the more so because she knew her own good intentions,
and could not understand the details of her errors, it was an absolute
rest to delegate her authority, even though her affections revolted
against the severity of the judge to whom she had delivered herself and
her boy.

One comfort was that he had been the adviser chosen for her by Humfrey.
In obeying him, she put herself into Humfrey's hands; and remembering the
doubtful approval with which her cousin had regarded her connection with
the children, and his warnings against her besetting sin, she felt as if
the whole was the continuation of the mistake of her life, her conceited
disregard of his broad homely wisdom, and as if the only atonement in her
power was to submit patiently to Mr. Saville's advice.

And in truth his measures were not harsh. He did not want to make the
young man an outcast, only to prevent advantage being taken of indulgence
which he overrated. It was rather his wife who was oppressive in her
desire to make Miss Charlecote see things