, and probably
extending her tour to Louisiana, where she owned some land.

Her going away so suddenly without apprising them of her intention, was
totally inexplicable to Mr. and Mrs. Evering; and they justly concluded
that she must have taken some offence. Rosamond well knew the cause, and
rightly supposed that her aunt finding herself unable to meet the family
with her former feelings towards them, had thought it best to avoid
seeing them for a very long time.

The confusion visible in Rosamond's face and manner when Mrs. Marbury
was spoken of, aroused the suspicions of her father and mother: and on
their questioning her closely, she confessed, with many tears, that she
had really informed her aunt of what had passed on the subject of her
accompanying them to church. But as tell-tales have very little candour
where themselves are concerned, and as tale-telling always leads to
lying, she steadily denied that she had been guilty of the slightest
exaggeration in her report to Mrs. Marbury; protesting that she had told
her nothing but the simple truth.

From that time, Rosamond was not allowed to visit or call at any house
unaccompanied by her mother, who was almost afraid to trust her out of
her sight. Her parents avoided discussing any thing of the least
consequence in _her_ presence; always remembering to send her out of the
room. This mode of treatment very much mortified her; but she could not
help acknowledging that she deserved it.

Her father received no intelligence from Mrs. Marbury. He and Mrs.
Evering both wrote to her at different times, endeavouring to mollify
her displeasure; but not knowing exactly where she was, the letters were
not directed to the right places, and did not reach her.

For a long time Rosamond was so unusually discreet, that her parents
began to hope that her odious fault was entirely cured.

One day, her chamber having been washed in the afternoon, it was found
too damp for her to sleep in with safety to her health; and her mother
told her that she must, that night, occupy the room adjoining hers. This
room, which was but seldom used, was separated from Mrs. Evering's
apartment by a very thin partition; and communicated with it by a door
which was almost always kept closed; the bed in each of these chambers
being placed against it.

Rosamond, having been awakened in the night by the fighting of some cats
in the yard, heard her father and mother in earnest conversation. They
had