everything in consequence was very harmoniously, if not sincerely
conducted between them.

Lady Moseley was completely happy. If she had the least doubts before, as
to the intentions of Egerton, they were now removed. His journey to that
unfashionable watering-place, was owing to his passion; and however she
might at times have doubted as to Sir Edgar's heir, Denbigh she thought a
man of too little consequence in the world, to make it possible he would
neglect to profit by his situation in the family of Sir Edward Moseley.
She was satisfied with both connexions. Mr. Benfield had told her General
Sir Frederic Denbigh was nearly allied to the Duke of Derwent, and Denbigh
had said the general was his grandfather. Wealth, she knew Emily would
possess from both her uncle and aunt; and the services of the gentleman
had their due weight upon the feelings of the affectionate mother. The
greatest of her maternal anxieties was removed, and she looked forward to
the peaceful enjoyment of the remnant of her days in the bosom of her
descendants. John, the heir of a baronetcy, and 15,000 pounds a year,
might suit himself; and Grace Chatterton, she thought, would be likely to
prove the future Lady Moseley. Sir Edward, without entering so deeply into
anticipations of the future as his wife, experienced an equal degree of
contentment; and it would have been a difficult task to discover in the
island a roof, under which there resided at the moment more happy
countenances than at Benfield Lodge; for as its master had insisted on
Denbigh becoming an inmate, he was obliged to extend his hospitality in an
equal degree to Colonel Egerton: indeed, the subject had been fully
canvassed between him and Peter the morning of his arrival, and was near
being decided against his admission, when the steward, who had picked up
all the incidents of the arbor scene from the servants (and of course with
many exaggerations), mentioned to his master that the colonel was very
active, and that he even contrived to bring water to revive Miss Emmy, a
great distance, in the hat of Captain Jarvis, which was full of holes, Mr.
John having blown it off the head of the captain without hurting a hair,
in firing at a woodcock. This mollified the master a little, and he agreed
to suspend his decision for further observation. At dinner, the colonel
happening to admire the really handsome face of Lord Gosford, as
delineated by Sir Joshua Reynolds, which graced the dining-ro