 fixed, and founded on his
esteem for her character, he would not love her less at the end of that
period, when she should have the power of giving him her estate
unincumbered with difficulties and unembarrassed by law suits; and
should, she hoped, escape the misery of seeing Delamere's anguish and
despair, on which she could not bear to reflect.

She ingenuously explained to Mrs. Stafford her reasons for refusing to
receive Godolphin's proposals; in which her friend, tho' she allowed
them to be plausible, by no means acquiesced; still insisting upon it,
that the kindest thing she could do towards Lord Delamere, as well as
the properest in regard to the settlement of her estate, was immediately
to accept Godolphin. But Emmeline was not to be convinced; and all she
could obtain from Mrs. Stafford was an extorted promise, reluctantly
given, that she would not give any advice or encouragement to Godolphin
immediately to press his suit. Emmeline, tho' convinced she was right,
yet doubted whether she had fortitude enough to persist in the conduct
she wished to adopt; if exposed at once to the solicitations of a woman
of whose understanding she had an high opinion, and to the ardent
supplications of the man she loved.

The day after her arrival in London, she had sent to Berkley-square,
and was informed that Lord Montreville and his family were in Norfolk.

Thither therefore she wrote, and enclosed the letter she had brought
from Lord Westhaven. Her own was couched in the most modest and dutiful
terms, and that of Lord Westhaven was equally mild and reasonable. But
they gave only disquiet and concern to the ambitious and avaricious
bosom of Lord Montreville. Tho' already tortured by Delamere's absence
and illness, and uncertain whether the object of his long solicitude
would live to reap the advantage of his accumulated fortunes, he could
not think but with pain and reluctance of giving up so large a portion
of his annual income: still more unwilling did he feel to refund the
produce of the estates for so long a period; and in the immediate
emotion of his vexation at receiving Lord Westhaven's first letter, he
had sent for Sir Richard Crofts, who, having at the time of Mr.
Mowbray's death been entrusted with all the papers and deeds which
belonged to him, was the most likely to know whether any were among them
that bore testimony to the marriage of Mr. Mowbray and Miss Stavordale.

The fact was, that a very little time before he died, his steward,
Williamson, had received the memorandum of which Emmeline
