committed against the reputation of a family not my own; and what
I advised respecting the child of another, with full as small
compunction I would _do_ with mine. I cannot conceive anything more
unreasonable or intolerable than that the fortune and the character of
a family should be marred by the idle caprices of a girl."

She spoke this with great severity, and paused as if she expected some
observation from me. I, however, said nothing.

"But I need not explain to you, my dear Fanny," she continued, "my
views upon this subject; you have always known them well, and I have
never yet had reason to believe you likely, voluntarily, to offend me,
or to abuse or neglect any of those advantages which reason and duty
tell you should be improved--come hither, my dear, kiss me, and do not
look so frightened. Well, now, about this letter, you need not answer
it yet; of course you must be allowed time to make up your mind; in
the mean time I will write to his lordship to give him my permission
to visit us at Ashtown--good night, my love."

And thus ended one of the most disagreeable, not to say astounding,
conversations I had ever had; it would not be easy to describe exactly
what were my feelings towards Lord Glenfallen; whatever might have
been my mother's suspicions, my heart was perfectly disengaged;
and hitherto, although I had not been made in the slightest degree
acquainted with his real views, I had liked him very much, as an
agreeable, well informed man, whom I was always glad to meet in
society; he had served in the navy in early life, and the polish which
his manners received in his after intercourse with courts and cities
had not served to obliterate that frankness of _manner_ which belongs
proverbially to the sailor. Whether this apparent candour went deeper