first year--a period to which Lord Montreville had long looked
forward with anxious solicitude. And now he could not but think with
bitterness that his son would not be present to animate the joy of his
dependants at this period; but was kept in another country, in the vain
hope of extinguishing a passion which could not be indulged without
rendering abortive all the pains his Lordship had taken to restore his
family to the eminent rank it had formerly borne in his country.

To Sir Richard Crofts, his sons had communicated the success of those
plans, by which they had sown, in the irritable mind of Delamere,
jealousy and mistrust of Emmeline; and he failed not to animate and
encourage their endeavours, while he used his power over the mind of
Lord Montreville to limit the bounty and lessen the affection his
Lordship was disposed to shew her as the daughter of his brother.

She received regularly her quarterly payment, but she received no more;
and instead of hearing, on those occasions, from Lord Montreville
himself, she had twice only a methodical letter from Maddox, the London
steward.

This might, however, be merely accidental; and Emmeline was far from
supposing that her uncle was estranged from her; nor could she guess
that the malice of Mrs. Ashwood, and the artifices of the Crofts', had
occasioned that estrangement.

Lord Montreville rather connived at than participated in their
ungenerous proceedings; and as if fearful of trusting his own ideas of
integrity with a plan which so evidently militated against them, he was
determined to take advantage of their endeavours, without enquiring too
minutely into their justice or candour. Sir Richard had assured him that
Mr. Delamere was in a great measure weaned from his attachment; and that
Mr. Crofts was almost sure, that if their meeting could be prevented for
a few months longer, there would be nothing more to fear from this long
and unfortunate prepossession.

Crofts himself, who had at length torn himself from his bride to pave
the way for his being received by her family as her husband, soon
appeared, and confirmed all this. He told Lord Montreville that Delamere
had conceived suspicions of Emmeline's conduct, (tho' he knew not from
what cause) that had at first excited the most uneasy jealousy, but
which had at length subsided with his love; that he had regained his
spirits; and, when he left his mother and sister, seemed resolved to
make a vigorous effort to expel from his mind a passion he was ashamed
of having so long indulged.

In saying all this, Crofts rather attended to what his Lordship wished
to
