; and, before she was nine years old, his daughter's
great fondness for her, and his own wish of being a real friend, united to
produce an offer from Colonel Campbell of undertaking the whole charge of her
education. It was accepted; and from that period Jane had belonged to Colonel
Campbell's family, and had lived with them entirely, only visiting her
grandmother from time to time.
    The plan was that she should be brought up for educating others; the very
few hundred pounds which she inherited from her father making independence
impossible. To provide for her otherwise was out of Colonel Campbell's power;
for though his income, by pay and appointments, was handsome, his fortune was
moderate and must be all his daughter's; but, by giving her an education, he
hoped to be supplying the means of respectable subsistance hereafter.
    Such was Jane Fairfax's history. She had fallen into good hands, known
nothing but kindness from the Campbells, and been given an excellent education.
Living constantly with right-minded and well-informed people, her heart and
understanding had received every advantage of discipline and culture; and Col.
Campbell's residence being in London, every lighter talent had been done full
justice to, by the attendance of first-rate masters. Her disposition and
abilities were equally worthy of all that friendship could do; and at eighteen
or nineteen she was, as far as such an early age can be qualified for the care
of children, fully competent to the office of instruction herself; but she was
too much beloved to be parted with. Neither father nor mother could promote, and
the daughter could not endure it. The evil day was put off. It was easy to
decide that she was still too young; and Jane remained with them, sharing, as
another daughter, in all the rational pleasures of an elegant society, and a
judicious mixture of home and amusement, with only the drawback of the future,
the sobering suggestions of her own good understanding to remind her that all
this might soon be over.
    The affection of the whole family, the warm attachment of Miss Campbell in
particular, was the more honourable to each party from the circumstance of
Jane's decided superiority both in beauty and acquirements. That nature had
given it in feature could not be unseen by the young woman, nor could her higher
powers of mind be unfelt by the parents. They continued together with unabated
regard however, till the marriage of Miss Campbell, who by that chance, that
luck which so often defies anticipation in matrimonial affairs
