but on discovering what appeared to be the weak point in her character—­because it was out of all proportion strong—­idle people, in search of amusement, availed themselves of the knowledge to lead her a very uncomfortable life.  Her most intimate friends never knew, for months together, where she was to be found; and it was currently reported that General Jerningham had once advertised in the Times for his sister.  Certain it is, she always conned the newspapers with avidity, particularly the portion devoted to anonymous communications and the mystical interchange of sentiments; and we frequently suspected that her interest arose from a deeper source than mere curiosity.  The simple query:  ’Where do you think of passing this autumn, Miss Jerningham?’ threw her into a state of strange excitement; and she always commenced her answer somewhat in the following strain:  ’Letters of importance, daily looked for, will determine me—­circumstances over which I have no control:  it is possible that I may visit Cowes;’ but a possibility declared in this way by Miss Jerningham was never known to come to pass.  Wherever she chanced to be seen, former acquaintances popped upon her with uplifted hands, exclaiming:  ’What! you here?  Why, we thought you were at Ilfracombe’—­or some other far-away place.  ’How long have you been here?—­how long do you stay?’ were questions easily parried; but if a more searching investigation commenced, then the Mysterious Lady turned, and twisted, and doubled painfully; but somehow always managed to elude and baffle her persecutors.

Miss Jerningham’s moral rectitude and unimpeachable propriety of conduct—­unsullied by the breath of detraction—­rendered her in a great measure impervious to downright ill-nature; but still she was open to teasing and bantering; and the more she was teased, and the more she was bantered, the more impenetrable she became.  We endeavoured to find out from herself—­but unsuccessfully—­if she had always led such a roving kind of existence, and also how it originated; for General Jerningham had a nice villa near the metropolis, and a small, amiable, domestic circle, ready to receive and welcome the wanderer.  But no:  she came upon them unawares, and at periods when they least expected her, and disappeared again as suddenly, they knew not why nor whither.  In this way she vanished from the boarding-house where we first met her, with no intimation of her intention even to our hostess, till her baggage was ready and the coach at the door.

‘Where is Miss Jerningham?’ was the unanimous cry when she did not appear in her usual place.

‘She left us early this morning,’ quietly replied the landlady.

‘Gone—­really gone?’ was repeated in various tones of disappointment; and one old gentleman, who had paid the absent lady marked attention, demanded in a chagrined voice:  ’Pray, where has she gone?  Can you tell us that, ma’am?—­heigh!’