334 THE BAWN VONE. 



fessional career. He soon afterwards married a young girl, of quiet 

 and domestic habits, of a gentle yet somewhat heavy turn, and whose 

 virtues savoured more of the absence of all vicious qualities than of 

 any active traits of benevolence. Perhaps her whole character might 

 be summed up in that insipid word well-meaning. 



While his relatives lived, and while under the excitement of new 

 connections, and supported by a young wife, who had brought him 

 money and friends, James Lacy promised to run a successful career. 

 His knowledge was really necessary to many ; for although the time 

 was healthy, yet healthy people are those who will have young child- 

 ren, and young children will be delicate, if only to render the 

 anxious mothers more solicitous. His tales of travel made him an 

 exceedingly pleasant companion, and brought him into too much com- 

 pany. 



His relative, who had some control over him, soon died, and left 

 him to the care of a wife whose influence was rapidly declining. 



By degrees he lost all relish for his profession, and his profession 

 was even with him, for it rapidly abandoned him. Late hours at night 

 brought on late hours in the morning, with all that apathy, disgust, 

 sense of weariness, and self-reproach, which eventually are left upon 

 home and wife, when neither have further to do with it than that the 

 former becomes the scene of such sensations, and the latter the un- 

 fortunate object upon whom they are visited. 



James Lacy was a lively character, yet his eye shone more with a 

 keen vivacity of spirit than with an equable good humour. His brow 

 was occasionally scowling, and his whole look that of a discontented 

 yet active mind. His lips were thin and were according with the 

 whole figure, which was slight and sinewy. Such a man, perhaps, 

 under proper influences, might have been made a prominent member 

 of society; and yet there was a want of a good, sound, moral sub- 

 stratum, without which the slightest, or brightest, or most showy 

 superstructure can hardly maintain its superiority. 



Upon Mary Lacy I do not want to insinuate any blame. She was 

 attentive and obedient ; retiring, yet not sulky. She soon became 

 meekly enduring ; and, although not such a one as the world can love, 

 she was. exactly such a person as the world is disposed to feel for. 



Poor Mary had soon to lament not only the course of sluggish vice 

 which her husband was pursuing, but also the neglect with which t he 

 treated herself. It was plain he was tired of her ; yet did she not 

 cease to love him. I really believe a woman never forgets her first 

 impressions. No change of habit, manner, or circumstances can 

 efface them. She looked from the cold contemptuous husband back to 

 the lively fascinating suitor. He, who did not marry for love at all, 

 saw only the money rapidly decreasing, which was the object of his 

 attractions, and a connection disappearing whose utility he had him- 

 self destroyed. 



He reproached, she replied not. He set it down to her incapacity, 

 then treated her with the most unendurable of all scorn the scorn of 

 silence. At meals he helped her without enquiry : sometimes she 

 laid down the knife and fork and wept; he did not seem to notice it. 

 She was obliged to leave the room ; he was indifferent to the manner. 



