and even
great wealth, Lord Roehampton will not despise it, will not--for I
wish to put it frankly--be uninfluenced by the circumstances, for Lord
Roehampton is a wise man; but he would not marry you if he did not
believe that you would make for him a delightful companion in life, that
you would adorn his circle and illustrate his name."

"Ah! I see you are all in the plot against me," said Adriana. "I have no
friend."

"My dear Adriana, I think you are unreasonable; I could say even
unkind."

"Oh! pardon me, dear Myra," said Adriana, "but I really am so very
unhappy."

"About what? You are your own mistress in this matter. If you do not
like to marry Lord Roehampton, nobody will attempt to control you. What
does it signify what Lady Montfort says? or anybody else, except your
own parents, who desire nothing but your happiness? I should never have
mentioned Lord Roehampton to you had you not introduced the subject
yourself. And all that I meant to say was, what I repeat, that your
creed that no one can wish to marry you except for your wealth is a
morbid conviction, and must lead to unhappiness; that I do not believe
that Lord Roehampton is influenced in his overture, if he make one, by
any unworthy motive, and that any woman whose heart is disengaged should
not lightly repudiate such an advance from such a man, by which, at all
events, she should feel honoured."

"But my heart is engaged," said Adriana in an almost solemn tone.

"Oh! that is quite a different thing!" said Myra, turning pale.

"Yes!" said Adriana; "I am devoted to one whose name I cannot now
mention, perhaps will never mention, but I am devoted to him. Yes!"
she added with fire, "I am not altogether so weak a thing as the Lady
Montforts and some other persons seem to think me--I can feel and decide
for myself, and it shall never be said of me that I purchased love."

CHAPTER XLIV

There was to be no great party at Hainault; Lord Roehampton particularly
wished that there should be no fine folks asked, and especially no
ambassadors. All that he wanted was to enjoy the fresh air, and to
ramble in the forest, of which he had heard so much, with the young
ladies.

"And, by the by, Miss Ferrars," said Mr. Neuchatel, "we must let what
we were talking about the other day drop. Adriana has been with me quite
excited about something Lady Montfort said to her. I soothed her and
assured her she should do exactly as she liked, and that neither I nor