euvres of Miss Harris laughed at by many of the young men in Bath,
and was by no means disposed to add himself to the food for mirth of these
wags; and, indeed, had cultivated her acquaintance with a kind of bravado
to some of his bottle companions, in order to show his ability to oppose
all her arts, when most exposed to them: for it is one of the greatest
difficulties to the success of this description of ladies, that their
characters soon become suspected, and do them infinitely more injury than
all their skill in their vocation.

With these views in the respective champions the campaign opened, and the
lady, on her return, acquainted his mother with the situation of the privy
purse, that was to promote her darling child to the enviable distinction
of the peerage. Lady Jarvis was for purchasing a baronetcy on the spot,
with what they had, under the impression that when ready for another
promotion they would only have to pay the difference, as they did in the
army when he received his captaincy. As, however, the son was opposed to
any arrangement that might make the producing the few hundred pounds he
had obtained from his mother's folly necessary, she was obliged to
postpone the wished-for day, until their united efforts could compass the
means of effecting the main point. As an earnest, however, of her spirit
in the cause, she gave him a fifty pound note, that morning obtained from
her husband, and which the Captain lost at one throw of the dice to his
brother-in-law the same evening.

During the preceding events, Egerton had either studiously avoided all
collision with the Moseleys, or his engagements had confined him to such
very different scenes, that they never met.

The Baronet had felt his presence a reproach, and Lady Moseley rejoiced
that Egerton yet possessed sufficient shame to keep him from insulting her
with his company.

It was a month after the departure of Lady Chatterton that Sir Edward
returned to B----, as related in the preceding chapter, and that the
arrangements for the London winter were commenced.

The day preceding their leaving Bath, the engagement of Chatterton with
Lady Harriet was made public amongst their mutual friends, and an
intimation was given that their nuptials would be celebrated before the
family of the Duke left his seat for the capital.

Something of the pleasure that she had for a long time been a stranger to,
was felt by Emily Moseley, as the well remembered tower of th