"have you not a husband?"

Mary shrunk back, and was alternately pale and red. A delicate sense of
propriety prevented her replying; and recalled her bewildered
reason.--Assuming, in consequence of her recollection, a more composed
manner, she made the intended enquiry, and left the room. Henry's eyes
followed her while the females very freely animadverted on her strange
behaviour.




CHAP. XII.


The physician was sent for; his prescription afforded Ann a little
temporary relief; and they again joined the circle. Unfortunately, the
weather happened to be constantly wet for more than a week, and confined
them to the house. Ann then found the ladies not so agreeable; when they
sat whole hours together, the thread-bare topics were exhausted; and,
but for cards or music, the long evenings would have been yawned away in
listless indolence.

The bad weather had had as ill an effect on Henry as on Ann. He was
frequently very thoughtful, or rather melancholy; this melancholy would
of itself have attracted Mary's notice, if she had not found his
conversation so infinitely superior to the rest of the group. When she
conversed with him, all the faculties of her soul unfolded themselves;
genius animated her expressive countenance and the most graceful,
unaffected gestures gave energy to her discourse.