lf, won upon the better feelings of her sister so far, as to restore
between them the usual exchange of kindness and sympathy. But Jane
admitted no confidence; she found nothing consoling, nothing solid, to
justify her attachment to Egerton; nothing indeed, excepting such external
advantages as she was now ashamed to admit had ever the power over her
they in reality had possessed. The marriage of the fugitives in Scotland
had been announced; and as the impression that Egerton was to be connected
with the Moseleys was destroyed of course, their every-day acquaintances,
feeling the restraints removed that such an opinion had once imposed, were
free in their comments on his character. Sir Edward and Lady Moseley were
astonished to find how many things to his disadvantage were generally
known; that he gambled--intrigued--and was in debt--were no secrets
apparently to anybody, but to those who were most interested in knowing
the truth; while Mrs. Wilson saw in these facts additional reasons for
examining and judging for ourselves; the world uniformly concealing from
the party and his friends their honest opinions of his character. Some of
these insinuations reached the ears of Jane: her aunt having rightly
judged, that the surest way to destroy Egerton's power over the
imagination of her niece was to strip him of his fictitious qualities,
suggested this expedient to Lady Moseley; and some of their visitors had
though as the colonel had certainly been attentive to Miss Moseley, it
would give her pleasure to know that her rival had not made the most
eligible match in the kingdom. The project of Mrs. Wilson succeeded in a
great measure; but although Egerton fell, Jane did not find she rose in
Her own estimation; and her friends wisely concluded that time was the
only remedy that could restore her former serenity.

In the morning, Mrs. Wilson, unwilling to have Emily present at a
conversation she intended to hold with Denbigh, with a view to satisfy her
annoying doubts as to some minor points in his character, after excusing
herself to her niece, invited that gentleman to a morning drive. He
accepted her invitation cheerfully; and Mrs. Wilson saw, it was only as
they drove from the door without Emily, that he betrayed the faintest
reluctance to the jaunt. When they had got a short distance from the lodge
she acquainted him with her intention of presenting him to Mrs.
Fitzgerald, whither she had ordered the coachman to proceed. Den