eum.

'I am sorry that Captain Armine could not accompany us,' said Lord
Montfort. 'I sent to him this morning early, but he was already out.'

'He has many affairs to attend to,' said Glastonbury.

Miss Temple looked grave; she thought of poor Ferdinand and all his
cares. She knew well what were those affairs to which Glastonbury
alluded. The thought that perhaps at this moment he was struggling with
rapacious creditors made her melancholy. The novelty and strangeness of
the objects which awaited her, diverted, however, her mind from these
painful reflections. Miss Grandison, who had never quitted England, was
delighted with everything she saw; but the Egyptian gallery principally
attracted the attention of Miss Temple. Lord Montfort, regardful of his
promise to Henrietta, was very attentive to Miss Grandison.

'I cannot help regretting that your cousin is not here,' said his
lordship, returning to a key that he had already touched. But Katherine
made no answer.

'He seemed so much better for the exertion he made yesterday,' resumed
Lord Montfort. 'I think it would do him good to be more with us.'

'He seems to like to be alone,' said Katherine.

'I wonder at that,' said Lord Montfort; 'I cannot conceive a happier
life than we all lead.'

'You have cause to be happy, and Ferdinand has not,' said Miss
Grandison, calmly.

'I should have thought that he had very great cause,' said Lord
Montfort, enquiringly.

'No person in the world is so unhappy as Ferdinand,' said Katherine.

'But cannot we cure his unhappiness?' said his lordship. 'We are his
friends; it seems to me, with such friends as Miss Grandison and Miss
Temple one ought never to be unhappy.'

'Miss Temple can scarcely be called a friend of Ferdinand,' said
Katherine.

'Indeed, a very warm one, I assure you.'

'Ah, that is your influence.'

'Nay, it is her own impulse.'

'But she only met him yesterday for the first time.'

'I assure you Miss Temple is an older friend of Captain Armine than I
am,' said his lordship.

'Indeed!' said Miss Grandison, with an air of considerable astonishment.

'You know they were neighbours in the country.'

'In the country!' repeated Miss Grandison.

'Yes; Mr. Temple, you know, resided not far from Armine.'

'Not far from Armine!' still repeated Miss Grandison.

'Digby,' said Miss Temple, turning to him at this moment, 'tell Mr.
Glastonbury about your sphinx at Rome. It was granite, was it not?'

'And