if she fancied a doubt of the propriety of
such conduct was rising in her friend's mind, and she was ready with
examples of girls of high birth and exemplary virtues who practised it
with impunity: it gave a finish to the character of a woman, proved she
would sometimes act for herself, not always be in leading-strings; it
gave a taste of power, gratified her ambition; in short, flirtation was
the very acme of enjoyment, and gave a decided _ton_ before and after
marriage.

St. Eval was not sanguine. But it was in vain he tried to resist the
fascinations of the girl he loved, he could not for an instant doubt but
that she encouraged him; he even felt grateful, and loved her more for
those little arts and kindnesses with which she ever endeavoured to draw
him from his reserve, and chain him to her side. Could that noble spirit
imagine she only acted thus to afford herself amusement for the time,
and prove her power to her companions? Could she, the child of Mr. and
Mrs. Hamilton, act otherwise than honourably? We may pardon Lord St.
Eval for believing it impossible, but bitterly was he deceived. Even her
mother, her penetrating, confiding mother, was deceived, and no marvel
then that such should be the case with a comparative stranger.

Had Caroline's manner been more generally coquettish, Mrs. Hamilton's
eyes might have been opened; but her behaviour in general was such as
rather to diminish than increase those fears which, before her child had
joined the world, had very frequently occupied her anxious heart. To
strangers even, her encouragement of St. Eval might not have been
observable, though it was clearly so to the watchful eyes of her
parents, whose confidence in their daughter's integrity was such as
entirely to exonerate her in their minds from any intention of coquetry.
In this instance, perhaps, their regard for the young Earl himself, and
their mutual but secret wishes might have heightened their belief, that
not only was St. Eval attracted but that Caroline encouraged him, and
feeling this they regretted that Lord Alphingham should continue his
attentions, which Caroline never appeared to receive with any particular
pleasure.

Anxious as had been Mrs. Hamilton's feelings with regard to the
friendship subsisting between her daughter and Annie Grahame, she little
imagined how painfully the influence of the latter had already tarnished
the character of the former. Few are aware of the danger arising from
thos