1

Herbert and Sackville. Sir William was not fond of sustaining any conversation, unless on subjects that particularly interested him, and generally confined himself to dropping occasional humorous remarks. But these, though too often, like angels' visits, "few and far between," had always an enlivening effect. Sackville had powers of entertainment which rendered him truly an acquisition, and these powers he had now exerted.

When they reassembled in the drawing-room, all were, or seemed to be, happy. Of Herbert's happiness there could be little doubt; for he soon found himself talking to Agnes rather apart from the rest, so as to be heard by her alone, recalling the few last delightful days of his visit at Huntley, all but declaring his attachment, and rejoicing to reflect that these half-admitted, half-uttered declarations, were made beneath her father's roof, under his eye, and perhaps not entirely without his approbation. He was glad to perceive that Sir William took frequent opportunities of talking to her, listened attentively to her observations, and seemed pleased with what she said. Mr. Morton's eye was also seen to turn sometimes towards his daughter and Herbert; but its expression was perfectly benign, and neither of them shrunk from its scrutiny. The latter part of the evening amply compensated to Herbert for the mortifications of its commencement, and it was with no slight regret that he found himself obliged to take his leave. The parting, however, was very satisfactory. Lady Louisa gave him a gracious smile; Mr. Morton shook him very cordially by the hand, and Agnes allowed him to take hers; nor did she at all displease him by the conscious blush with which, fearful of observation, she withdrew it from his prolonged pressure.

All the party went away well pleased with the result of the visit. Sir William had collected ample food for his love of the ludicrous in the events

of the evening; and gave full vent, on his way home, to all the satirical pleasantries that had come across his fancy during the last five hours. "I like this Morton," said he: "the man has some pleasant absurdities in him. I don't care if I take potluck with him again. He is like a land tortoise: if you want to see him to advantage you must take him unawares, before he can get his head into his shell. The animal's mail stands him in the same stead that good breeding does Morton."

Lady Lacy was confirmed, by the observation of this evening, in her opinion that Mr. Morton was certainly a gentlemanly man; thought Lady Louisa an agreeable woman; remarked how handsomely they seemed to live, and shrewdly suspected that this was not their every-day style, and that, in fact, whatever they might say, they certainly had expected them.

Before they retired to rest, Sir William took an opportunity of conveying to his son privately, the result of his observations upon Agnes Morton. "Herbert," said he, "to set your mind at ease-I like her. I will say nothing of her looks. I could not make you think her handsomer by any thing that I could add, and if I did not admire her beauty you would only wonder at my want of taste. I cannot judge of her disposition. It may be good, or it may be bad, for all one knows after five hours' acquaintance. Her manners, I think, are good; they are natural and elegant, and free from peculiarity. I should think she was sensible. I did not hear her say a foolish thing, but all was right-minded and well-expressed. She has a turn for pleasantry; that I like. I don't want girls to be brilliant themselves, but they ought to understand the brilliancies of others. It is a great thing to be able to laugh at the right time; and it is an art, let me tell you, which few possess. Miss Morton does possess it; and thence I augur well of her capacity. VOL I.

15

She seems to have read, and to like reading. That is another good thing. It saves women from tittle-tattle, and much ado about nothing. Then, she is observant and well-judging. I thought she seemed distressed for her father, when she saw him fretting and fidgetting, because the fish was overdone, and his overgrown plateau had been set on in the hurry rather awry. I am sure she would be above such trifles. I think I have said enough to show you that I don't disapprove of her; but still you must not be precipitate-I won't have you throw yourself at her feet yet-let us grow better acquainted with the Mortons before our families are irrevocably united. I wish for prudence and circumspection, and you, Herbert, are one from whom I can look for obedience, even in such a case as this. And now, good night. Digest at your leisure all that I have said about Miss Morton; and if you have any grace, you will dream of her."

Whether Lacy fulfilled to the letter his father's injunctions, has not been clearly ascertained: but never certainly had he retired to rest with a more triumphant sense of difficulties overcome, and a more full assurance of eventual and speedy success, than visited his mind that night. Armed with the approbation of both the fathers, fearing from the mothers no violent opposition, and satisfied of the unaltered state of the affections of Agnes, what obstructions could he apprehend? The prospect was fair and flattering; and that benignant Providence which kindly withholds from us a knowledge of the future, allowed him still to revel in that sweetest of mortal banquets-Hope.

CHAPTER XVII.

Conspiracies no sooner should be formed

Than executed.

ADDISON... Cato,

ANY observant person who had studied the looks and manner of Agnes and Lacy during the visit which has been above described, would have come to the conclusion that an attachment subsisted between them. No wonder, then, that such fact should have been rendered as clear to the quick comprehension of Sackville as if it had been avowed to him by the parties themselves. He saw that they were attached; and saw it with surprise, displeasure, and dismay. He saw it with surprise, because he knew that only a few weeks before they had been total strangers, strangers who had no desire to become acquainted, and whose impressions of each other were, if any thing, unfavourable. He saw it with displeasure, because it promised to interfere with a project which, of all others, he had most at heart-that of uniting himself with Agnes Morton. The motives which inclined him to this were various: but their result was a determination of the most firm and unalterable kind. He loved her as much as it was in his nature to love any one: he admired her beauty, and could appreciate the extent of her capacity, and the excellence of her disposition. By these she was strongly recommended to his choice: but perhaps not more strongly

than by the circumstance of her inheriting a fortune of eighty thousand pounds.

Other causes also contributed to strengthen his resolution. Being nearly related to the husband of Miss Morton's aunt, he had passed much of his time with them, and, after the death of Mr. Denham, obtained a strong influence over his widow, and became her counseller and assistant in the direction of her affairs. This influence he was too careful of public opinion to abuse to any very obvious extent; and he allowed her, after leaving her landed property and a handsome legacy to him, to bequeath the greater part of her fortune to Agnes, her adopted niece. But he did not do this without having his recompense in view. He was

struck by the budding graces of the little girl; and trusting that she would be no less charming as she advanced to womanhood, internally resolved to remunerate himself for his present disinterestedness, by making the young heiress at some future time his wife. For this purpose he contrived that her fortune should be placed in the hands of two trustees, himself, and a Mr. Hawkesworth, an elderly man of great respectability, but whose timidity of character put him completely under the control of Sackville. He also contrived that she should be debarred from marrying, under pain of forfeiture, before the age of twenty-four, without the consent of her trustees, and that meanwhile the greater part of her fortune, instead of being appropriated to supporting the extravagance of her father, should be allowed to accumulate in their hands.

Such were his plans for the attainment of an object which, having once determined to be desirable, he now, with that stern inflexibility of purpose which belonged to his character, steadily resolved to carry. Hitherto he had been slow and cautious in his operations, and had endeavoured to