de her lay
her weight upon him with a freedom which she would not otherwise
have used. Oh!--that her Nora should live to be Lady Peterborough!
We are apt to abuse mothers for wanting high husbands for their
daughters;--but can there be any point in which the true maternal
instinct can shew itself with more affectionate enthusiasm? This poor
mother wanted nothing for herself from Mr. Glascock. She knew very
well that it was her fate to go back to the Mandarins, and probably
to die there. She knew also that such men as Mr. Glascock, when they
marry beneath themselves in rank and fortune, will not ordinarily
trouble themselves much with their mothers-in-law. There was nothing
desired for herself. Were such a match accomplished, she might,
perhaps, indulge herself in talking among the planters' wives of her
daughter's coronet; but at the present moment there was no idea even
of this in her mind. It was of Nora herself, and of Nora's sisters,
that she was thinking,--for them that she was plotting,--that the
one might be rich and splendid, and the others have some path opened
for them to riches and splendour. Husband-hunting mothers may be
injudicious; but surely they are maternal and unselfish. Mr. Glascock
put her into the carriage, and squeezed her hand;--and then he
squeezed Nora's hand. She saw it, and was sure of it. "I am so glad
you are going to be happy," Nora had said to him before this. "As
far as I have seen her, I like her so much." "If you do not come
and visit her in her own house, I shall think you have no spirit of
friendship," he said. "I will," Nora had replied;--"I will." This had
been said up-stairs, just as Lady Rowley was coming to them, and on
this understanding, on this footing, Mr. Glascock had pressed her
hand.

As she went home, Lady Rowley's mind was full of doubt as to the
course which it was best that she should follow with her daughter.
She was not unaware how great was the difficulty before her. Hugh
Stanbury's name had not been mentioned since they left London, but at
that time Nora was obstinately bent on throwing herself away upon the
"penny-a-liner." She had never been brought to acknowledge that such
a marriage would be even inappropriate, and had withstood gallantly
the expression of her father's displeasure. But with such a spirit as
Nora's, it might be easier to prevail by silence than by many words.
Lady Rowley was quite sure of this,--that it would be far better to
say nothing furt