OR, THE BROTHER AND SISTER. A NOVEL. "Il est dangereux de trop faire voir à l'homme combien il est égal aux IN THREE VOLUMES. VOL. II. LONDON: RICHARD BENTLEY, NEW BURLINGTON STREET, SUCCESSOR TO HENRY COLBURN. 1834. RD3285 HARVARD COLLEGE In Memory of HARVARD PRINTED BY A. J. VALPY, THE BROTHER AND SISTER. CHAPTER I. I have not from your eyes that gentleness, SHAKSPEARE. I MENTIONED before, that Caroline Duncan and Honoria were the only female guests at Mr. Hartenfield's. As soon as the former set out on her unfortunate journey, Mrs. Hartenfield, who had spent the previous hour with her alone, joined our heroine in the drawing-room. She had passed the time there in such painful reflections, that though her friend's countenance indicated dis VOL. II. A turbance, and even displeasure, she welcomed her arrival. But Mrs. Hartenfield, instead of noticing her, walked to a different part of the room, and sat down by a piano. She played several tunes, and then turning to Honoria, asked her if she would take her place, adding, that she was unfit for conversation; her head ached dreadfully. Honoria complied instantly, and she threw herself upon a sofa. Our heroine had played through several pieces of music which her friend suggested, and was in the midst of another, when Mrs. Hartenfield looked up, and said, "You had a visiter yesterday, Mr. Hartenfield tells me ?" "A visiter!-oh, yes!" replied Honoria, colouring. Surely that last bar was not played right, my love," said Mrs. Hartenfield, coming up to her; "I never heard you commit such a mistake before!" "Oh! I shall make a hundred to-night!-I am very stupid! age "You have played exceedingly well. A passin that overture reminded me of an air which Captain Marryatt composed. He composes very prettily. I wonder you forgot to mention his call." "I thought Mr. Hartenfield would tell you of it," said Honoria, not the less confused, because the friend whom Captain Marryatt had denounced was now standing beside her. "He did, and he added, that Captain Marryatt talked very fast about geology when he entered the room; but he fears his knowledge is more extensive than profound, as he introduced nearly every hard word which the science contains, and a few chemical ones mixed up with them." "I was not a judge of his acquaintance with the subject." "No, you disappointed Mr. Hartenfield grievously. He thought you a promising pupil before, but yesterday morning he says you made the strangest blunders." "Did I?—perhaps I did; but my dear Mrs. Hartenfield," she said, rising from the piano, and taking her friend's hand, "I have had such a distressing conversation with my brother to-day, that I can think of nothing else. Will you let me speak to you frankly of it? I fear I have been very wrong, very selfish." "In what respect ?" "In choosing the society I have found most profitable, most instructive, most delightful. Oh, |