e
breakfasted, dined, and drank tea at Mrs. Lansdowne's table nearly as
often as at her father's; and she frequently ran in early in the
morning, and scampered into Juliet's chamber before she had risen. Mr.
and Mrs. Lansdowne (both whose dispositions were remarkably amiable and
indulgent) did not approve of their daughter's intimacy with Madeline.
They had spoken to her on the subject; but Madeline's frank and
caressing manner, and her perpetual good-humour, had so won the heart of
Juliet, that it was painful to her to hear a word against her friend, as
she called her. So her parents concluded to let it pass for the present;
trusting to Juliet's becoming eventually disgusted by some outrageous
folly of Madeline's, who seemed to think her professed volatility an
excuse for every thing; and that the appellation of _a wild creature_,
which she took pride in giving herself, would screen her from any
resentment her unwarrantable conduct might provoke.

Still, as Edward observed, she had a great deal of selfishness and
cunning; as is generally the case with wild creatures; for when females
have so little of the delicacy of their sex as to throw aside the
restraints of propriety, the same want of delicacy makes them totally
regardless of the feelings or convenience of others, and renders them
callous to every thing like real sympathy or kindness of heart.

At home, Madeline was allowed to do exactly as she pleased; her father's
thoughts were perpetually in his counting-house, and her step-mother,
who spent all her time in the nursery, was incessantly occupied with the
care of a large family of young children, of whom Madeline never took
the least account. And she was so much at Mr. Lansdowne's that Juliet
had few opportunities of returning her visits.

She borrowed all Juliet's best books, and did not scruple to lend them
again to any person that she knew. Some of the books were never
returned; and others were brought back soiled, torn, and in a most
deplorable condition. One of her jokes was to take up Juliet's
muslin-work, and disfigure it with what she called gobble-stitch. She
came in one day and found the parlour unoccupied, and Juliet's
drawing-box on the table, with a beautiful landscape nearly finished.
Madeline sat down and daubed at it till it was quite spoiled, and when
Juliet discovered her at this employment, she turned it off with a
laugh, insisting that she had greatly improved the picture. She found
Juliet