 might think with pride and pleasure of conquering, as his wife, that

coldness to which, as his mistress, she could not be insensible.
Lord Castlenorth had so determined a predilection for the match, which the difficulties he had met with had by no means abated, that he would not see any thing that appeared inimical to this his darling scheme. His great object was—and he forgot his infirmities as he pursued it—to procure for Willoughby the reversion of all his titles, and, to change his name to Fitz-Hayman. This he found would be attended with no great difficulty; and now, whenever he saw his nephew, he enumerated all the species of satisfaction which in his opinion would attend these acquirements, dwelling with great delight on the circumstance of the family arms remaining unchanged; though he offered to quarter those of Willoughby, if their owner found any reluctance in parting with them entirely.
From these harangues, which nothing could for a moment render interesting to Willoughby, his imagination was often quite

absent, and sled after Celestina, whom it represented as making the felicity of Montague Thorold, and enjoying with him that life of elegant and literary retirement, which he had himself fondly hoped to share with her. Frequently, when his uncle was talking to him of his ancestor, Reginald Fitz-Hayman, who in the reign of Henry IV. was slain by the celebrated Hotspur, then in rebellion, after having twice unhorsed him, describing the circumstances of the combat, and still more minutely the bearings thereupon granted in addition to their former coat, Willoughby, far from attending to him, was meditating on some walk he had taken with Celestina during their short happiness at Alvestone the preceding spring; on the remarks she had made, and the improvements she had suggested; and having no idea of what his uncle was talking about, only under standing by his tone when he ended a period, he said—"To be sure"—"Oh certainly"—"Very great"—"Undoubtedly"—without knowing or caring

whether these words were well placed: while Lord Castlenorth was too much delighted with the pleasure of hearing himself talk on his favourite topic, to remark, that Willoughby knew not a syllable of what he was saying; and the latter had really acquired such a habit of inattention to those subjects about which his uncle paraded, that he not unfrequently had, in appearance, assented to plans relative to his fortune, and his residence after his marriage, when in reality he had not, on the discourse to which he seemed to listen, formed any one idea.
A few days only
