I felt a great desire to accept this invitation; and my mother kindly permitted me to go, but declined going herself, saying that it was time I should learn to live without her, and she without me. Accordingly, for the first time we were separated. But this separation was soon soothed to me by the charms of the life which I was leading. I was a new face: I was only seventeen, and I was said to be the heiress of considerable property. This, you know, was an exaggeration; my fortune was handsome, but not very large: however, I was followed and courted, but none of my admirers were in my opinion at all equal to Seymour or De Walden: they gratified my vanity, but they failed to touch my heart.
One day at an exhibition, I met a newly-married lady, who when single had been staying in the neighbourhood of my mother's uncle during our last visit, and was much admired both by my mother and myself. This meeting gave us great pleasure, and she hoped I would come and see her at her lodgings. I promised that I would.
"But there is nothing like the time present: will you go home with me now, and spend a quiet day? You must come again when my husband is at home and I have a party; but he dines out to-day, and I shall be alone till evening."
"But I am not dressed."
"Oh! I can send for your things and your maid; and such an opportunity as this of telling you all about my love and my marriage may never occur again."
I was as eager to hear as she was to tell; my friend consented to part with me, and I accompanied her home.
In the afternoon while we were expecting two or three ladies of her acquaintance, and were preparing to walk with them in the park, my friend received a little note from her husband.
"That is so like Ridley," said she. "However, this is an improvement; for he often goes out and invites half-a-dozen people to dinner without giving me any notice: but now he has only invited one man to supper, and has sent to let me know they are coming. His name I see is the same as yours, Seymour Pendarves: is he a cousin of yours?"
"What!" cried I, almost gasping for breath, "Seymour Pendarves in England, and coming hither!"
"Yes; but what is the matter, or why are you so agitated?"