, without any impediment on the
part of his mother; but was yet undecided whither to go. While Crofts,
no longer thwarted by his observation, or humbled by his haughty
disdain, managed matters so well, that in spite of the pride of noble
blood, in spite of her reluctance to marry a commoner, he conquered and
silenced all the scruples and objections of Miss Delamere; and a young
English clergyman, a friend of his, coming to Nice, as both he and
Crofts declared, _by the meerest accident in the world_, just about that
time, Crofts obtained her consent to a private marriage; and his friend
took especial care that no form might be wanting, to enable him legally
to claim his bride, on their return to England.







Emmeline had now been near a month at Bath, whence she had not written
to Delamere. She had seldom done so oftener than once in six or eight
weeks; and no reason subsisted at present for a more frequent
correspondence.

Far from having any idea that he would think her temporary removal
extraordinary, she had not attempted to conceal it from him; and of his
jealousy of Fitz-Edward she had not the remotest suspicion. For tho'
Mrs. Ashwood's hints, and the behaviour of James Crofts, had left no
doubt of their ill opinion of her, yet she never supposed them capable
of an attempt to impress the same idea on the mind of Delamere; and had
no notion of the variety of motives which made the whole family of the
Crofts, with which Mrs. Ashwood was now connected, solicitous to
perpetuate the evil by propagating the scandalous story they had
themselves invented.

Unconscious therefore of the anguish which preyed upon the heart of her
unhappy lover, Emmeline gave her whole attention to Lady Adelina, and
she saw with infinite concern the encreasing weakness of her frame; with
still greater pain she observed, that by suffering her mind to dwell
continually on her unhappy situation, it was no longer able to exert the
powers it possessed; and that, sunk in hopeless despondence, her
intellects were frequently deranged. Amid these alienations of reason,
she was still gentle, amiable and interesting; and as they were yet
short and slight, Emmeline flattered herself, that the opiates which her
physician (in consequence of the restless and anxious nights Lady
Adelina had for some time passed) found it absolutely necessary to
administer, might have partly if not entirely occasioned this alarming
symptom.

Still, however, the busy imagination of Emmeline perpetually represented
to her impending sorrow, and her terror hourly encreased. She figured to
herself the decided phrenzy