“By reputation, only, my dear,” said Mrs. Wilson; “but that is enough to convince me a friend of his must be a worthy character, if anything were wanting to make us your friends.”

The conversation was continued for some time, and Mrs. Fitzgerald saying she did not feel equal just then to the undertaking, but the next day, if they would honor her with another call, she would make them acquainted with the incidents of her life, and the reasons she had for speaking in such terms of Lord Pendennyss.  The promise to see her was cheerfully made by Mrs. Wilson, and her confidence accepted; not from a desire to gratify an idle curiosity, but a belief that it was necessary to probe a wound to cure it; and a correct opinion, that she would be a better adviser for a young and lovely woman, than even Pendennyss; for the Donna Lorenza she could hardly consider in a capacity to offer advice, much less dictation.  They then took their leave, and Emily, during their ride, broke the silence with exclaiming,—­

“Wherever we hear of Lord Pendennyss, aunt, we hear of him favorably.”

“A certain sign, my dear, he is deserving of it.  There is hardly any man who has not his enemies, and those are seldom just; but we have met with none of the earl’s yet.”

“Fifty thousand a year will make many friends,” observed Emily, shaking her head.

“Doubtless, my love, or as many enemies; but honor, life, and religion, my child, are debts not owing to money—­in this country at least.”

To this remark Emily assented; and after expressing her own admiration of the character of the young nobleman, she dropped into a reverie.  How many of his virtues she identified with the person of Mr. Denbigh, it is not, just now, our task to enumerate; but judges of human nature may easily determine, and that too without having sat in the parliament of this realm.

The morning this conversation occurred at the cottage, Mr. and Mrs. Jarvis, with their daughters, made their unexpected appearance at L——.  The arrival of a post-chaise and four with a gig, was an event soon circulated through the little village, and the names of its owners reached the lodge just as Jane had allowed herself to be persuaded by the colonel to take her first walk with him unaccompanied by a third person.  Walking is much more propitious to declarations than riding; and whether it was premeditated on the part of the colonel or not, or whether he was afraid that Mrs. Jarvis or some one else would interfere, he availed himself of this opportunity, and had hardly got out of hearing of her brother and Denbigh, before he made Jane an explicit offer of his hand.  The surprise was so great, that some time elapsed before the distressed girl could reply.  This she, however, at length did, but incoherently:  she referred him to her parents, as the arbiters of her fate, well knowing that her wishes had long been those of her father and mother.  With this the colonel was