She raised her head, and held out her hand to Julia.
"My dear child, you have given me excessive pain most uselessly. Thompson, I am better; you always stifle me with those salts; take them away. Your obstinacy in refusing Mr. Pynsent and Hatton almost broke my heart. How could I be aware that you had secured Lord Ennismore, Julia? I never saw the least attention on his part, and I had arranged he was to propose hereafter to Clara. Well, I am much relieved. I really fancied you engaged to some horrid creature, like Leslie."
"If you had listened to me, mamma, when I told you I had something to say, all this would have been spared."
"My dear, how can people listen when they are in terror? I saw you parading before me as the wife of some common creature, and all my friends laughing at me—what horrid visions!—but now you will be a peeress, with the glory of having refused the first commoner in the county! My dear Julia, you have done extremely well; I am sorry Anna Maria has effected nothing; but I never saw Lord Ennismore offer you any attention—how did it all come about?"
"You are the only blind person, then, mamma, for Lord Ennismore has been publicly attentive ever since he came to Wetheral. You must have noticed his manner last night."
"No, my dear, that was Tom Pynsent."
"Nonsense, mamma, it was Lord Ennismore. Every body saw his attentions; so would you, if you had not been running your head against Tom Pynsent. Lord Ennismore has written this morning to his mother to join him. He hopes she will be with us in a very few days. I told him not to say a word to papa yet, because I knew he objected to Lord Ennismore's health, but we shall soon nurse him into good care."
"To be sure, my love!" responded her mother, "Lord Ennismore will find himself a very different person when he is settled into married life, with a wife to watch over him. Tom Pynsent is an excellent creature, but, as you say, he is broad set, and red-faced. Too much health is worse than too little, in my opinion; Sir John will see things in a different light, when he knows of the actual proposal."
"He must be made acquainted with my engagement, sooner or later," observed Julia, musing; "I wish the whole business was over."
"Let me open the business to your father, my love, and I shall be surprised if he is not extremely pleased at your good fortune. We will say nothing about it to-day, but to-morrow I will answer for his acquiescence. Lady Ennismore will find every thing arranged when she arrives, and I flatter myself you will be in Staffordshire this day six months, I shall be very proud of my daughter Ennismore!"