409 



of suspense, irritated by injuries and insult, but not yet roused by 

 indignation to dare the worst that Mr. Radford could do; and 

 though he heard her express her determination never to marry 

 Richard Radford, unless free from her vows to Henry Layton, 

 without remonstrance, only begging her to keep that resolu- 

 tion secret till the last moment, yet, with the usual resource 

 of weakness, he sought to postpone the evil hour by seeming 

 to enter into all his enemy's views. 



Thus had passed Edith's time; and it is unnecessary to 

 enter into a more detailed account of her thoughts and feelings 

 previous to the period we have mentioned: namely, one hour 

 before the arrival of her father and Henry Layton at the door 

 of the house. She was sitting, then, in that small back draw- 

 ing-room, with her fair cheek leaning on her hand, her eyes bent 

 down upon the table, and her mind busy with the present and 

 the future. "It is foolish," she thought, "thus to alarm my- 

 self. No harm can happen. They dare not show me any 

 violence; and no clergyman in England will venture to pro- 

 ceed with the service against my loud dissent. My uncle 

 and Layton, too, must soon hear of this, and will interfere. I 

 will not give way to such terrors any more." 



As she thus meditated, she heard a rapid step upon the 

 great stairs, and the next moment Mr. Radford entered, 

 booted, spurred, and dusty, as from a journey, and with a 

 heavy horsewhip in his hand. His face betrayed more agita- 

 tion than she had ever seen it display. There was a deep 

 line between his brows, as if they had been long bent into 

 such a frown, that they could not readily be smoothed again. 

 His long upper-lip was quivering with a sort of impatient 

 vehemence that would not be restrained; and his eye was 

 flashing as if under the influence of some strong passion. 



"Well, Miss Croyland," he said, throwing his horsewhip 

 down upon the table, and casting himself into a chair, 

 "I hope they have made you comfortable during my ab- 

 sence?" 



Edith merely bowed her head without reply. 



" Well, that's civil 1'' cried Mr. Radford; "but I think every- 

 body is going mad, and so it is no wonder that women do I 

 Miss Croyland, I have a piece of news for you ; there is going 

 to be a wedding in our house, to-night 1" 



Still Edith was silent, and looked towards the fire. 



