rience of you supplies the defence you suppress--it reverses the
judgment which has aspersed you. And more ardently than before, I
press on you a refuge in the Home that will shelter your grandchild."
Noble-hearted woman! and nobler for her ignorance of the practical
world, in the proposal which would have blistered with scorching blushes
the cheek of that Personification of all "Solemn Plausibilities," the
House of Vipont! Gentleman Waife was not scamp enough to profit by
the ignorance which sprang from generous virtue. But, repressing all
argument, and appearing to acquiesce in the possibility of such an
arrangement, he left her benevolent delight unsaddened--and before the
morning he was gone. Gone in stealth, and by the starlight, as he had
gone years ago from the bailiff's cottage-gone, for Sophy, in waking, to
find, as she had found before, farewell lines, that commended hope and
forbade grief. "It was," he wrote, "for both their sakes that he had
set out on a tour of pleasant adventure. He needed it; he had felt his
spirits droop of late in so humdrum and settled a life. And there
was danger abroad--danger that his brief absence would remove. He had
confided all his secrets to Lady Montfort; she must look on that kind
lady as her sole guardian till he return--as return he surely would; and
then they would live happy ever afterwards as in fairy tales. He should
never forgive her if she were silly enough to fret for him. He should
not be alone; Sir Isaac would take care of him. He was not without
plenty of money-savings of several months; if he wanted more, he would
apply to George Morley. He would write to her occasionally; but she must
not expect frequent letters; he might be away for months--what did that
signify? He was old enough to take care of himself; she was no longer a
child to cry her eyes out if she lost a senseless toy, or a stupid old
cripple. She was a young lady, and he expected to find her a famous
scholar when he returned." And so, with all flourish and bravado, and
suppressing every attempt at pathos, the old man went his way, and
Sophy, hurrying to Lady Montfort's, weeping, distracted, imploring her
to send in all directions to discover and bring back the fugitive, was
there detained a captive guest. But Waife left a letter also for Lady
Montfort, cautioning and adjuring her, as she valued Sophy's safety from
the scandal of Jasper's claim, not to make any imprudent attempts to
discover him. Such a