erhaps Lady Armine was somewhat surprised at the calmness with which
her son received the intelligence. But Miss Grandison was not only very
unwell but very obstinate. She would not leave her room, but insisted
that no medical advice should be called in. Lady Armine protested,
supplicated, adjured; Miss Grandison appealed to Mr. Glastonbury; and
Glastonbury, who was somewhat of a physician, was called in, and was
obliged to assure Lady Armine that Miss Grandison was only suffering
from a cold and only required repose. A warm friendship subsisted
between Lady Armine and her niece. She had always been Katherine's
favourite aunt, and during the past year there had been urgent reasons
why Lady Armine should have cherished this predisposition in her favour.
Lady Armine was a fascinating person, and all her powers had been
employed to obtain an influence over the heiress. They had been quite
successful. Miss Grandi-son looked forward almost with as much pleasure
to being Lady Armine's daughter as her son's bride. The intended
mother-in-law was in turn as warmhearted as her niece was engaging; and
eventually Lady Armine loved Katherine for herself alone.

In a few days, however, Miss Grandison announced that she was quite
recovered, and Lady Armine again devoted her unbroken attention to her
son, who was now about to rise for the first time from his bed. But
although Miss Grandison was no longer an invalid, it is quite certain
that if the attention of the other members of the family had not been so
entirely engrossed, a very great change in her behaviour could not have
escaped their notice. Her flowers and drawings seemed to have lost their
relish; her gaiety to have deserted her. She passed a great portion
of the morning in her room; and although it was announced to her that
Ferdinand was aware of her being an inmate of the Place, and that in a
day or two they might meet, she scarcely evinced, at this prospect of
resuming his society, so much gratification as might have been expected;
and though she daily took care that his chamber should still be provided
with flowers, it might have been remarked that the note she had been so
anxious to send him was never written. But how much, under the commonest
course of circumstances, happens in all domestic circles that is never
observed or never remarked till the observation is too late!

At length the day arrived when Lady Armine invited her niece to visit
her son. Miss Grandison expr