was in her hand, in which she 
appeared sufficiently interested as to feel still more annoyed 
at the interruption she was constantly receiving from a young 
lady, who was also an inmate of her room. 

Striking, indeed was the contrast exhibited in the features 
of the mother and daughter, for so nearly were they connected, 
and yet to some the inanimate expression of the former would 
have been far preferable to the handsome but scornful coun- 
tenance of the latter. She could not have been more than 
eighteen, but the expression of the features and the tone of 
cbararacter were already decided to no ordinar3i| degree. 
There was an air of fashion in her every movement ; an easy ar 



88^ THS mother's &ECOMPENSB. 

Burance and independence of  wfaioh might have made 
her mother respected, but which in one so young were intoler- 
able to all save those whom she had contrived to make her de^ 
voted admirers.  of the natural beauty of her face, 
haughtiness, , and some of the baser wordnetdesire of human 
nature, were there visibly impressed ; at least whenever she 
appeared in her natural character, when no concealed designs 
caused her to veil those less amiable  in eloquent 
smiles and a manner whose  was felt and unresisted, 
even by those who perhaps had been before prejudiced against 
her. Various were the characters she