ily. The
conventional usages of society are stronger barriers against friendship
than the world deems them. The life of cities supplies a coinage of
social intercourse which but very imperfectly represents the value of
true feeling; while in remoter and less cultivated regions, men are
satisfied to disencumber themselves of this false currency, and deal
frankly and openly with each other.

How little now did Sir Marmaduke remember of all Sir Archy's
peculiarities of manner and expression! how seldom did Sybella think
Kate's opinions wild and eccentric! and how difficult would it have been
to convince the fastidious Guardsman, that the society of St. James's
possessed any superiority in tone or elegance over the evenings at "the
Lodge."

The real elements of mutual liking were present here: the discrepancy
of character and taste--the great differences of age, and habit of
thought--yet moulded into one common frame of esteem from the very
appreciation of qualities in others, in which each felt himself
deficient. If Kate admired the simple but high-minded English girl,
whose thoughts were rarely faulty, save when attributing to others
higher and purer motives than the world abounds in, Sybella looked
up with enthusiastic delight to the glittering talents of her Irish
friend--the warm and generous glow of her imagination--the brilliant
flashes of her wit--the ready eloquence of her tongue, and, perhaps, not
least of all, the intrepid fearlessness of her nature, inspired her with
sentiments of almost awe, which seemed to deepen, and not diminish her
affection for Kate O'Donoghue.

It might appear an ungenerous theme to dwell on; but how often are our
friendships suggested by self-love?--how frequently are we led to think
highly and speak praisingly of qualities the opposite to our own, from
the self-satisfaction our apparent impartiality yields us. Justice
must, indeed, be a great virtue, when its very shadow can ennoble human
nature. Not such, however, were the motives here. Kate's admiration for
the unerring rectitude of Sybella's character was as free from taint as
was Sybella's heartfelt enthusiasm for the Irish girl. As for Frederick
Travers, the same dissimilarity in character which made him at first
compare Kate with his sister disadvantageously, now induced him to be
struck and fascinated by her qualities. The standard by which he had
measured her, she had long since passed, in his estimation; and any idea
of a c