months
whilst we still resided at Richmond, the Colonel was my wife's constant
visitor. He often came without Clive. He did not care for the world
which the young gentleman frequented, and was more pleased and at home
by my wife's fireside than at more noisy and splendid entertainments.
And, Laura being a sentimental person interested in pathetic novels and
all unhappy attachments, of course she and the Colonel talked a great
deal about Mr. Clive's little affair, over which they would have such
deep confabulations that even when the master of the house appeared,
Pater Familias, the man whom, in the presence of the Rev. Dr. Portman,
Mrs. Laura had sworn to love and honour these two guilty ones would be
silent, or change the subject of conversation, not caring to admit such
an unsympathising person as myself into their conspiracy.

From many a talk which they have had together since the Colonel and his
son embraced at Malta, Clive's father had been led to see how strongly
the passion which our friend had once fought and mastered, had now
taken possession of the young man. The unsatisfied longing left him
indifferent to all other objects of previous desire or ambition. The
misfortune darkened the sunshine of his spirit, and clouded the world
before his eyes. He passed hours in his painting-room, though he tore up
what he did there. He forsook his usual haunts, or appeared amongst his
old comrades moody and silent. From cigar-smoking, which I own to be
a reprehensible practice, he plunged into still deeper and darker
dissipation; for I am sorry to say, he took to pipes and the strongest
tobacco, for which there is no excuse. Our young man was changed. During
the last fifteen or twenty months, the malady had been increasing on
him, of which we have not chosen to describe at length the stages;
knowing very well that the reader (the male reader at least) does not
care a fig about other people's sentimental perplexities, and is not
wrapped up heart and soul in Clive's affairs like his father, whose rest
was disturbed if the boy had a headache, or who would have stripped the
coat off his back to keep his darling's feet warm.

The object of this hopeless passion had, meantime, returned to the
custody of the dark old duenna, from which she had been liberated for a
while. Lady Kew had got her health again, by means of the prescriptions
of some doctors, or by the efficacy of some baths; and was again on foot
and in the world, tramp