 his passion. Lady Montreville was now going to
Barege, Bath having been found less serviceable than was at first hoped
for; and Delamere was written to to meet her Ladyship and her eldest
daughter at Paris, in order to accompany them thither.

Peace having been in the interim established, Lord Westhaven found he
should return no more to his regiment, and purposed with his wife to
attend Lady Montreville part of the way, and then to go into
Switzerland, where his mother's family resided, who had been of that
country.

Lady Westhaven was extremely gratified by this scheme; not only because
she was delighted to wait on her mother, but because she hoped it would
help to dissipate a lurking uneasiness which hung over the spirits of
her Lord, and which he told her was owing to the uncertain and
distressing situation of a beloved sister. But whenever the subject was
mentioned, he expressed so much unhappiness, that his wife had not yet
had resolution to enquire into the nature of her misfortunes, and only
knew in general that she was unfortunately married.







Emmeline had now lost her lover, at least for some time; and one of her
friends too was gone where she could seldom hear of her. These
deprivations attached her more closely than ever to Mrs. Stafford. Mr.
Stafford was gone to town; and except now and then a short and
melancholy visit from Fitz-Edward, to whom Delamere had lent his house
at Tylehurst, they saw nobody; for all the neighbouring families were in
London. They found not only society but happiness together enough to
compensate for almost every other; and passed their time in a way
particularly adapted to the taste of both.

Adjoining to the estate where Mrs. Stafford resided, a tract of forest
land, formerly a chase and now the property of a collegiate body, deeply
indents the arable ground beyond it, and fringes the feet of the green
downs which rise above it. This part of the country is called Woodbury
Forest; and the deep shade of the beech trees with which it is covered,
is broken by wild and uncultured glens; where, among the broom, hawthorn
and birch of the waste, a few scattered cottages have been built upon
sufferance by the poor for the convenience of fewel, so amply afforded
by the surrounding woods. These humble and obscure cabbins are known
only to the sportsman and the woodcutter; for no road whatever leads
through the forest: and only such romantic wanderers as Mrs. Stafford
and Emmeline, were conscious of the beautiful walks which might be found
among these natural shrubberies and solitary shades. The two friends
