
every hour more powerfully undermining it. Her mind, softened by grief
for the death of poor Delamere, and more fondly attached than ever to
the generous Godolphin; whose noble qualities that unhappy event had
served to call forth anew, was rendered less capable than ever of
resisting his prayers; and Delamere, on whose account her determination
had been originally made, could now no longer suffer by her breaking it.
Still, however, she insisted upon it, that a term little short of what
she had named should elapse before her marriage should take place; as a
compliment to the memory of her unfortunate lover, and to the deep
sorrow of her uncle and Lady Westhaven.

Here, then, she rested her last defence. And when their encreasing
solicitations obliged her to consent to shorten the term to three
months, Godolphin undertook to make it the particular request of Lord
Montreville and his daughter, that their marriage should take place
within three weeks. Animated by the hopes of hastening the period, he
went himself into Kent; where he pleaded so successfully to Lady
Westhaven, that she not only wrote pressingly to Emmeline, but prevailed
on the Marquis to give him a letter also; in which, after deploring, in
terms expressive of anguish and regret, that unfortunate infatuation
which had eventually robbed him of his son, he told her that he had
very little more now to wish, dead as he was to the world, than to see
her happily married. That the tender attention of the generous Godolphin
to that beloved son, in the last hours of his life, had endeared him to
him above all other men; that his character, connections and conduct
were unexceptionable; and therefore, his Lordship added, that tho' he
did not know that he could himself bear to see it, he wished she would
not hesitate to complete his happiness; observing, that if she thought
it too early after the loss of so near a relation, she might have the
ceremony performed with such privacy, that only the respective families
need know of its celebration. Emmeline, having now no longer a
subterfuge, was obliged to let Godolphin take his own way. He exerted
himself so anxiously to get the deeds completed, that before the end of
three weeks they were finished. Lord and Lady Clancarryl prolonged their
stay on purpose; and they, together with Lady Adelina and Fitz-Edward,
were present at the ceremony. When it was over, Lord and Lady Clancarryl
took an affectionate leave of the bride and bridegroom, and set out for
Ireland, accompanied by Fitz-Edward; who, with the most painful
