AN UNJUST ACCUSATION. 201 



on my return, I will hold myself engaged to yon, even though 

 it should be the very last." 



" You are not going to leave us again now, William," said 

 Mrs. Gordon • " I have not seen you the whole evening ; so sit 

 down with me a little, unless you prefer strangers to your 

 aunt." 



"No, dear aunt, that is not my character, you well know ; 

 those I profess to love, I love deeply and for ever, and no 

 stranger can ever induce me to waver for one moment in my 

 affections or respect to those who are entitled to my esteem and 

 confidence." 



Soon after, Major Hammond came up, offering his arm to 

 Blanche ; and when they were alone, Mrs. Gordon said, " You 

 have sufficiently punished dear Blanche for her trifling error, 

 to-night, William, and you are now more severe to her than she 

 deserves." 



" The happiness of life, dear aunt, depends on trifles appa- 

 rently as light as air \ and the disposition is shown as much in 

 little things as in great events ; and you see my anticipations 

 about Blanche are being realised. I fear it will be some time 

 before she really knows her own mind. What ! ought Lord 

 Danby, or a dozen lords, to influence her conduct towards one 

 she professes to love, and make him insignificant in the presence 

 of a perfect stranger ! A woman cannot love the man she 

 would help to humiliate. No, no, aunt ; it harasses me to think 

 more about Blanche's treatment, which has sunk deep in my 

 heart. No sooner have I risked my life to save her from one 

 lord than I am nearly involved in a quarrel with another, 

 whom she thinks proper to patronise and place on an equal, if 

 not a superior, footing to myself; but from this night Blanche 

 is free to act as she pleases, without the least reference to me, 

 as I will never presume to advise or influence her for the future ; 

 in fact, I believe she does not rightly yet understand her own 

 feelings towards me, which, most probably, are those of sisterly 

 regard only, as she appears to be much taken, at first sight, with 

 Lord Danby." 



" William, you are now not only severe but unjust also, and 

 are magnifying a trifle into a serious offence. Blanche has atoned 

 and suffered most severely for her error, and it was all I could 

 do to console her. Will you make me also miserable, as well as 

 herself?" 



" No, dear aunt, I will say no more ; perhaps I have said 

 too much." 



