THE FLORAL TELEGRAPH. 73 
silent and loving guardianship ; and 
the fruits were very bitter. But still, 
believe me, I was actuated by some 
better feelings. I knew that the eld¬ 
est, young Lord Lionel, was worthy, 
or, at least, as worthy as man could 
be, of Violetta. Of the Honourable 
Edmund there was but little said, 
and that little was far from favour¬ 
able. He had no glaring vices ; and, 
as yet, his name was untainted with 
any direct charge of wickedness. But 
he was gross in body, and heavy in 
intellect — a respectable clown, over 
which the polish of the gentleman 
had been imperfectly thrown. He 
was very good-natured, because he 
H 
